Ayurveda Food and Nutrition Guide: Balanced Eating for Health and Longevity

Ayurveda is one of the traditional systems of medicine, which provides positive health and fulfilment of life. The Main aim of ayurveda is preventing disease in a healthy person, and cure disease of a diseased person. For a being o be healthy one must follow the “upasthambhas” in ayurveda, among them one is food. The concept of food, and nutrition and its processing is explained in ayurveda. The food should be nutritious also, which contains all the proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats etc. The right amount and the combination of different nutrients helps to keep the body healthy, and proper functioning. Ahara is considered as mahabhaishaja, the best medicine.
A balanced diet, is that where all the nutrients in the correct amount for the needs of the body and based on the constitution of the body and imbalance of dosha in an individual. Ahara should be fresh, and homemade is advised for the proper nutritional assimilation. Cooking or processing of food, must correctly followed which enhances the metabolism, every small actions are having its own importance such as adding spices make the food harmonious and thus balances the adverse actions.

One has to follow the wholesome diet which provides the positive effects to the body. The food we eat should include the shadrasa ,six tastes helps to balance the doshas of the body. Madhura rasa -sweet taste helps to provide strength and stability of the body. Amla – sour taste is that which stimulates the digestive fire. Lavana-salt is having the laxative effects which helps to clear the obstructed pathway, and penetrates deep into the tissues also enhances the taste in the food. Katu rasa-punget promotes digestion and secretion in the body. Tiktha -bitter acts as antitoxic, enhances the release of digestive secretions and enzymes. The Kashaya-astringent, accelerates the healing process and absorption. By taking all these taste together in a food, thus will not aggravate any dosha and cause any disease.

Factors that determines the food to be wholesome are

Ayurveda explains 8 factors which help to determine whether the food is wholesome or unwholesome. They are;
• Nature- depending upon the nature of food, which aggravates or alleviates doshas of the body. The nature includes, taste, potency, specific actions, and post digestive effect.
• Processing- how the food is prepared.
• Combination- the incompatible combination of food causes different illness in our body. The nutrients even though in proper combination helps to improve the health of an individual.
• Quantity- this is also very much important, A diet is balanced, when proper amount of nutrients is in it, such as proteins, carbs, vitamins, fats. One should take the food depending upon the agnibala; ie strength of digestive systems.
• Habitat & Climate- depending upon one’s condition and climate for example; one has to take vata pacifying diet in the monsoon season in this season there will be aggravation of vata in the body because of the atmospheric change.
• Time
• One should eat that food which is satmya one’s body.
• Certain rules is also mentioned while taking the food, such as food should be consumed warm, freshly prepared and while the proper quantity should be taken by one individual.

Most common misconception regarding ayurvedic diet is only the vegetarian or Indian food. The ayurvedic food, is that which is fresh, in seasons and should be prepared with mindfulness and in the correct combination. Prepare the wholesome food which causes the health and happiness. The pharmacological properties of a substance can be altered by the processing of the food.
Properly cooking the food protects the prana ana vibrancy of that item. Food can be processed by boiling, steaming, sauteing, deep frying, charring, microwaving. Usually by using low heat, it helps to protect the prana resides in food, where we are cooking the food on high heat it can hamper or alter the quality and diminishes the prana present in it.
Adding spices in the food is a practise in Indian culture, and explained in ayurveda also.it not only enhances the taste, but also helps to stimulate digestion, clears the toxins, balances the dosha. Common spices used are ginger, fenugreek, coriander, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, ajwain etc. Ayurvedic cooking is done based upon one’s body constitution and the dosha imbalance. If a person has vata aggravation he should eat those foods which pacify the dosha. Preparation of food is also having certain rules where food should not be cooked in a hurry, or slow. During the processing the right combination of food is combined otherwise it cause harmful effects in the body, example the honey should not heated, while heating it loses the properties and will not perform the right action.

Cooking techniques for pacifying of each dosha

• Vata -steaming and sauteing, mild heat, slow cooking and use of spice such as ginger, cardamom enhances the digestion.
• Pitta-raw foods preparation, slight steaming including those which are having cold potency herbs helps to pacify the pitta dosha.
• Kapha-grilling, roasting, food can be prepared in medium heat and add of spices such as clove, ginger, turmeric.

The ayurvedic way of cooking and the nutrient not only nourishes the body, and help the body to heal and promote overall health. Ayurveda opinions that by taking the food which is in a balanced form contains all the nutrients need for an individual and the body constitution and which is properly processed ,nourishes and enhances overall growth and health of an individual.