Ayurvedic Nutrition: Let Your Food Be Your Medicine

It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has become overlooked in the modern health care system, and how in the name of convenience our fast paced society has given way to fast foods, microwaves, quick fix medicines, and eating on the run. Fortunately, there is a growing focus in the important role that nutrition plays in maintaining good health. In Ayurveda, India's ancient science of life, health and longevity, food plays a prominent role in promoting health and is therefore considered medicine.

Dating back over five thousand years, Ayurveda is still a highly respected form of health care in India today. According to this holistic system, everyone has a unique constitution or prakruti-an individual combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristics determined by many factors surrounding the time of conception and birth. Disturbance of this balance due to emotional and physical stress, trauma, improper food combination and choices, as well as seasonal and weather changes may lead to imbalance and eventually to disease. If we understand how such factors affect us we can take appropriate actions to minimize their effect and eliminate the causes of imbalance. In this sense, the path toward health is always individual. There is no single approach that is right for everyone, whether it relates to diet, lifestyle, exercise or the use of medicinal herbs.

According to Samkhya, the philosophical foundation of Ayurveda, creation expresses itself through the five elements-ether or space, air, fire, water and earth. These elements manifest in the body as the three governing principles or humors called doshas: vata, pitta and kapha. Everyone has all three of these doshas to varying degrees, although one and sometimes two tend to be predominant and the other(s) secondary. In balance, the doshas promote the normal functions of the body and maintain overall health. Out of balance, they create mental, emotional and physical ailments.

Vata is the subtle energy associated with movement and is made up of the air and ether. By nature it has dry, light, mobile and cold qualities. When aggravated, it can cause flatulence, constipation, tremors, spasms, asthma, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, as well many neurological problems.

Pitta represents the fire and water elements of the body. It has mainly hot sharp and oily qualities. Pitta disorders include hyperacidity, ulcers, skin eruptions, chronic fatigue, Crohn's disease, colitis, gout and numerous inflammatory disorders.

Kapha is made up of earth and water, and is associated with heavy, cold, damp and static qualities. Out of balance, kapha can cause obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, edema, asthma, tumors and a variety of congestive problems.

Aggravation of the doshas can affect the digestion and can create toxins, or ama from poorly digested food. As ama accumulates in the tissues and channels of the body it slowly but surely affects the flow of prana (vital energy), immunity (ojas) and the cellular metabolism (tejas), eventually resulting in disease.

From an Ayurvedic perspective, one of the main keys to maintaining optimal health as well as to support the healing process is to help the body eliminate toxins and to reestablish constitutional balance. To achieve this, Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of proper nutrition through proper food choices, food combining and cooking methods, as well as herbal nutrition, all based on the specific needs of the individual and any current imbalance of the doshas.

Ayurvedic nutrition is a vast topic that takes into account the individual constitution, the medicinal value of culinary spices, the theory of shad rasa (or six tastes, which should all be present for a meal to be balanced), and more. As I mentioned before, in Ayurveda food is considered medicine. Likewise, herbs are also used for their nutritional and nourishing qualities, or to counteract any doshic imbalance and toxin formation as a result of poor digestion.

For optimum nutrition, care should be taken to insure that food be organic, fresh and whenever possible locally grown. In Ayurveda food, drinks, and spices are categorized according to their taste (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent), the energetic effect they have on the doshas, as well as their post-digestive effect on the tissues. This is why when choosing foods it is important to understand our original constitution so as to eat foods that have the opposite qualities to those that are already predominant in the constitution. Furthermore, understanding the current state of the doshas is also crucial for making the right food choices.

Vata types tend to more deficient by nature and have light body frames, variable digestion and often have a tendency towards gas and constipation. Therefore, they do best eating warm, nourishing, unctuous and primarily cooked foods, and should avoid dried, cold, frozen and excess intake of raw foods. Also, they should avoid pinto, garbanzo or black beans, which are hard to digest and tend to increase intestinal gas. Vata is balanced by sweet, sour and salty tasting foods.

Pitta types tend to have strong appetites and good digestion, but have a tendency toward hyperacidity and inflammatory disorders. So they should avoid eating greasy, hot spicy, salty and fermented foods, as well as sour and acidic fruits. Pitta is balanced by bitter, sweet and astringent tastes.

Kapha types are large framed with a tendency toward weight gain, obesity, sluggish digestion, lethargy and congestive disorders. They do best on a light, reducing diet low in carbohydrates and avoiding dairy, cold food and drinks, poor quality oils and sweet treats. Kapha is decreased with pungent, bitter and astringent tastes.

Before talking about the use of spices in Ayurvedic cooking I should point out that although Ayurvedic food is traditionally Indian cuisine, it is not by any means limited to it. Also, by the same token, not all Indian food is Ayurvedic. In fact, Indian restaurant food is often overly spicy and drenched in poor quality cooking oils. What makes food truly Ayurvedic is the fact that it is selected and cooked according to the specific needs of the individual, or that it is balanced for all doshas.

Many of the spices used in Ayurvedic cooking such as turmeric, ginger, cumin, fenugreek, coriander and cardamom, amongst others, are also medicinal herbs used in Ayurvedic herbology. Cooking daily with those spices can greatly enhance digestion, absorption and assimilation of food, improve one's appetite and elimination, nourish the internal organs and prevent doshic imbalance. Spices also provide a harmonious blend of the six tastes. Taste is medicinal and is the first form of nourishment. A meal containing a balanced blend of the six tastes, aside from being more appealing to the tongue, is also more digestible at a deep cellular level.

Modern research is now validating the benefits of many of the herbs and spices used in Ayurvedic cooking. Turmeric for instance, is highly effective in the treatment of type two diabetes, skin diseases, infections and hepatic and inflammatory disorders. Cumin, coriander, fennel, nutmeg and cardamom are extremely helpful in the treatment of a wide variety of digestive complaints, as is ginger for the treatment of respiratory congestion, fevers and colds. There are literally thousands of medicinal uses to such spices. Even today in much of rural India the wisest doctors are often the mothers and grandmothers who know the uses of their "kitchen pharmacies."

Another vital aspect of Ayurvedic nutrition is proper food combining. In Ayurveda not all foods are compatible. Certain foods when eaten of cooked together can disturb the normal function of the digestive fire and promote the accumulation of ama (toxins) in the body. Various factors, such as the tastes, qualities, and energies of certain foods, as well as how long they take to digest, affect how well certain foods will combine. Heavy foods such whole grains, dairy, meats and starches don't combine well with light foods such as fruit, which digest quicker. Another example, when sour and acidic fruits are combined with milk, which is sweet and cooling, this causes the milk to curdle and become heavy in the intestines. Ayurveda places great emphasis on the art of food combining.

Ayurveda encourages us to take responsibility for our health as much as possible by making appropriate changes in diet and lifestyle. What we eat and how we live on a daily basis can be our strongest allies in restoring and maintaining health. All other therapeutic measures will be strongly supported by this daily effort.

Along with a balanced diet, incorporating other healthy habits into a daily routine can prevent imbalance at its very root. A lifestyle that integrates regular eating and sleeping habits will bring discipline and help maintain the harmony of the doshas, thus promoting overall good health. An Ayurvedic clinician can provide dietary and lifestyle guidelines, as well as herbal nutrition, more specific to the individual constitution, doshic imbalance and situation of each person.

Vishnu Dass, NTS, LMT, CAyu, is an Ayurvedic practitioner and educator and the Director of the Blue Lotus Ayurveda Center - Ayurvedic Clinic and School, in Asheville, NC, where he offers health consultations, panchakarma, rejuvenating therapies, diet and lifestyle counseling, educational programs and workshops, and more. For more information, visit: http://www.bluelotusayurveda.com

---

Enzymes and Raw Food ? Can You Cheat Time and Stay Young for Longer?

I'm going to be a bit radical here, but know... Read More

Reasons to Eat Organic Food

Your healthOrganically grown fruit and vegetables are not covered in... Read More

Unhealthy Foods: Five Sneaky Foods Revealed

With the array of different diets and diet foods available... Read More

Nutrition Is Not Common Sense

I'd like to explain an important concept that most online... Read More

Factors that Affect the Nutritional Requirements of an Individual.

The factors that affect the nutritional requirements of an individual... Read More

What on Earth is an Enzyme?

Enzymes are the workers in our body that make everything... Read More

The History of the Acai Berry

The acai (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands of... Read More

Fruit for Breakfast ? The Secret to a Healthy Life

Do you want more energy? How about more of the... Read More

An Apple a Day, Does Keep the Doctor Away

Increasing the fiber in your diet has been shown to:... Read More

Nutrition Is More Than The Nutrition Facts Box

Nutrition usually only comes up when people are finally deciding... Read More

Take Back Your Life 7

In parts 1-6 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More

Optimize Your Diet For Maximum Growth

The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very... Read More

Whats Missing Could Be Making You Sick

Here's something you probably don't know. The fruit and vegetables... Read More

The Business Traveler?s Diet Problem: Staying Fit When on the Run

Despite the fact that accurate nutrition information can be accessed... Read More

Omega 3s: Using Our Heads to Nourish Our Brains

We sometimes hear about ways that we can take care... Read More

Why Digestive Enzymes Are Vital To Good Health!

Most digestive disorders develop because of the bodys inability to... Read More

Power of Oatmeal

Come on, guys and gals. Those Trix are for kids.And... Read More

Maximizing Your Nutrition Dollar

Because of consumer demand, the food industry focus is on... Read More

5 Tips for Dining Out and Eating Healthily

Here's food for thought! Did you know the average restaurant... Read More

You Are What You Eat, Do You Dig Your Grave With Your Tongue? Boost Your Immune System

I know that the headline is a oldie, but it... Read More

Bathing Suit Season - A Nutritional Guide

Spring is in the air and ? summer is around... Read More

Turn to Diet for Everyday Ailments

The old cliché that you are what you eat is... Read More

Face Check Up

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the healthiest of them... Read More

The Joys of Being Healthy

It is amazing to be able to say I am... Read More

Buying Organic Produce: 6 Tips on How to Shop Wisely and Save Money

Some say they don't or can't buy organic foods due... Read More

Healthy Eating Myths Shattered

Salt does Not Cause High Blood Pressure. Some things you... Read More

Alkalize Your Way to Better Health

Today we're shifting our focus from wealth to health. First... Read More

Minimum Health or Maximum Health? That is the Question!

Picture yourself in one of the following scenarios.You're cruising along... Read More

Healthy Food Tastes Better!

How is it that we can't seem to think that... Read More

The Portfolio Diet: The Solution to Heart Disease

What if there was a combination of foods that were... Read More

Food Additives: Safety versus Health Maintenance / Prevention

The topic of food additives is not quickly addressed in... Read More

Curbing Your Carbohydrate Addiction

Some experts consider carbohydrate craving and addiction as something more... Read More

The Sugar-Coated Truth

It is believed that cane sugar was discovered before the... Read More