Simple Rules about Food

Ayurveda has long used diet as a primary means of healing the body and mind. Hundreds of years before Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine,” Ayurveda laid down the principles for putting this advice into practice. Food choice, meal timing, and state of mindfulness while eating increase either ojas (vital energy) or ama (toxins). The following 10 rules will serve as a guide for learning the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and using it for health, vitality and energy through food.

# 1 Choose foods for your dosha type

Ayurveda states that every person has a unique constitution in terms of dosha predominance in the mind/body system.

Dosha balance is the relationship of the three doshas within the body. In general, the following Ayurvedic principles can be applied to the selection and preparation of foods for the three doshas:

Vata dosha (air and space elements) by nature tends to be cold, dry, light and fast. People with excess Vata energy will rebalance with foods that are warm (both in temperature and spices), hydrating (such as soups and stews), full of healthy fats (such as olive oil, ghee, organic cream and avocado).

Pitta dosha (fire and water elements) by nature tends to be hot, oily, light and harsh. Therefore, eating foods that facilitate internal cooling such as: mint, cucumber, cilantro and parsley; astringents: beans, legumes, and pomegranate, hearty and soft foods will balance Pitta.

Kapha dosha (earth and water elements) by nature tends to be heavy, cold, oily and smooth. Eating light, warm, dry (such as beans) and rough foods (such as vegetables, grains) will quickly restore Kapha balance.

See also: Adjusting Food to my Dosha; How Food Affects the Mind; Food List for the Kapha; Food List for the Pitta; Food List for the Vata.

# 2 Eliminate snacks

According to Ayurvedic principles, there are three stages of digestion. In the first hour after eating, Kapha energy predominates. The body may appear full, heavy and calm. Two to four hours after eating, the Pitta elements come into play and regulate digestion. During this time, the production of hydrochloric acid increases, internal heat rises, and foodstuff turns into nourishment for the body. Four to five hours after eating, Vata energy increases. It is at this time that lightness, spaciousness returns and appetite builds up.

Interrupting the digestive cycle with large amounts of food leads to indigestion. Over time, incomplete digestion leads to the accumulation of ama, or toxins, which can manifest as a variety of mild to moderate symptoms. For this reason, Ayurveda recommends three meals a day without snacks.

See also: Toxic Ama – Root of All Diseases.

# 3 Don’t overeat

Imagine that your stomach is a gas pressure gauge with numbers from one to ten. On this device, number one is completely empty, and number ten is overflowing. You’ll be hungry when you get to two, and you’ll be full when you get to seven. If you snack before your body reaches two, you risk interrupting your digestive cycle. Filling the stomach above the 7 mark distracts a huge amount of energy from important physiological tasks.

Apart from the obvious consequences of weight gain, overeating increases the production of free radicals in the body, which in turn accelerates the aging process. By putting down your fork when you’ve had your fill but not full, you avoid overeating and your body gets the nutrition it needs without the added stress of digesting and often storing unnecessary calories.

See also: Three Features Helping to Lose Weight.

# 4 Eat whole, fresh foods

Prana – not the food itself, but the life force – nourishes the body at the most fundamental level and is responsible for health, vitality and energy. Various elements of food, such as vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient content, are simply a reflection of the energetic or pranic component.

According to the Ayurvedic diet, the best way to increase ojas, the source of life force in the body, is to increase prana. Food rich in prana comes directly from the Earth. Prana was obtained by mixing solar, water and earth energy. The moment the food is collected, its prana begins to slowly decrease. Therefore, the fresher the product, the more prana it contains. Ayurveda supports agriculture, and farmers’ markets are an invaluable resource for finding fresh, high-vitality foods.

See also: Prana – the Life Force; What it means to Eat Fresh in Ayurveda.

# 5 Include all six flavors in every meal

Ayurveda identifies six tastes, each of which conveys a unique combination of energy and physiological processes in the body. By including each of the six flavors in every meal, the body receives a bio-diverse energy taste. In general, the six tastes convey the following cellular information to the body:

Sweet: grounding, strengthening, nourishing.

Sour: cleansing.

Salty: balancing, adjustment.

Bitter: detoxifying, mineralizing.

Astringent: anti-inflammatory, cooling.

Pungent: warming, stimulating.

Try to include a small amount of each flavor at each meal. It can be just a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon or a slice of pepper.

See also: Spice Therapy. Six Tastes.

# 6 Reduce the amount of cold food and drinks

Inner fire, known as agni, is the digestive force of the physical and energetic body. Agni is like a blazing fire. Perfectly functioning, hot, bright and able to digest food, thoughts, emotions and experiences. To kindle the inner fire, it is necessary to avoid weakening the power of agni by icy foods and drinks. Like ordinary fire, the agni of all doshas can be depleted by constant consumption of cold food or drinks.

Vata and Kapha doshas in particular should lean towards warm foods and drinks,while Pitta doshas may enjoy cool (but not frozen) drinks and food from time to time.

See also: Cold Water, Obesity and Disease; How Sipping Hot Water Will Cleanse your Body.

# 7 Eliminate distractions while eating

How many times have you read a book, watched TV, checked email, or answered the phone while eating? If you’re like most people, the answer is “quite a lot.” The Ayurvedic diet suggests that mealtimes are an opportunity to connect with natural energy and information stored in the food you consume. See the colors, taste the aromas, and draw your attention to the sunlight, soil, water and earth that together provided you with food.

If eating with deep awareness is unusual for you, start with one meal a day in silence.

See also: Prajalpa – Idle Talking that Destroys our Destiny.

# 8 Eat at least three hours before bed

During sleep, the body recovers while the mind processes the thoughts, emotions and experiences of the day. If the body’s energy is directed toward physical digestion, the healing and mental relaxation processes are stopped. For this reason, Ayurvedic medicine recommends that the last meal of the day be relatively light and completed at least three hours before bedtime to avoid this imbalance. In this way, the body’s prana can rest freely and function at its deepest levels during sleep.

See also: Healthy Sleep.

# 9 Drink warm herbal teas between meals

Herbal infusion (not black or green tea) is not only a delicious drink, but also a powerful healer that can help restore health, vitality and joy. To avoid dilution of agni, drinks, including herbal teas, should be consumed minimally with meals (no more than 1/2 cup). However, between meals, you can drink plenty of herbal infusions, which act as an herbal remedy. Drinking herbal tea between meals fills the body with “liquid medicine,” reduces snacking cravings, promotes detoxification, and stokes the digestive fire.

Vata will find grounding and calming in warm teas infused with spices such as cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

Pittas who may drink tea either hot or cool will find herbs such as peppermint, coriander and rose soothing.

Kapha will increase energy, digestion and optimism with licorice, black pepper and cardamom.

See also: Turmeric Latte for Beautiful Skin.

# 10 Your largest meal should be at lunchtime

Agni is strongest when the sun is highest. By consuming the most food at midday, the body can use its powerful internal fire to break down and absorb nutrients with less energy output than at other times of the day. Noon is the best time of day to eat heavier or hard-to-digest foods. If you eat the majority of your meal at noon, your body remains well-supplied with energy throughout the afternoon hours, which helps mitigate the “afternoon energy slump.”

See also: Proper Attitude towards Food.

TODAY’S TIP: Each of these ancient Ayurvedic rules will help you stay healthy not only through the food you eat, but also how you eat it. And don’t forget to take time to enjoy your food and be grateful for the ability to eat and for the food that someone grew, delivered and prepared for you with love.

See also: Ayurvedic Diet and Eating Habits.