The Ayurvedic Diet: Its Benefits For A Total Balance

Even that contemporary medicine excels in several areas of health, traditional practices continue to gain followers and humans are tempted by oriental philosophies: feng shui, ayurveda, Japanese and Chinese thoughts. In short, anything that brings us the wisdom of ancient generations. Deavita's editorial staff have already anchored your attention to Feng Shui decoration and the orientation and design of houses, but this time our article sets the sights on the Ayurvedic diet, its benefits and consequences in the service of spiritual balance and bodily.

The Ayurvedic diet as part of traditional medicine

Recognizing that all existing diets have advantages and disadvantages, the Ayurvedic diet consists of eating according to the unique balance of inner energies. We explain if you're confused … For every supposed benefit of a fad diet, there is at least one way to disadvantage some people. The Paleo diet, for example, is touted for its potential to relieve acne and eliminate migraines, but its strain on legumes and whole grains can rob the body of essentials like calcium and vitamin D. Zone Diet, for its part, is praised for its inflammation-reducing effects, but its recommended small portions can leave some people hungry and dissatisfied. The Keto Diet is touted as a magical weight loss tool,but its restrictions on entire food groups could trigger eating disorders in some people. It is then that the Ayurvedic diet comes to impose itself, without frills, as a style of diet built on individual needs. This 5,000-year-old approach to nutrition emphasizes your internal energies.

What is Ayurveda?

Life and knowledge, these are the two words in Sanskrit which merge in the Indian medical system "ayurveda". It is based on a natural and holistic approach to physical and mental health. Rather than focusing on curing health problems, Ayurveda focuses on preventing them. When you are in good shape in mind and body, you can achieve your goals in life and keep yourself in a very positive energetic state.

According to Ayurveda, there are three types of energy related to the natural elements: vata (space and air), pitta (fire and water) and kapha (earth and water). Each person is made up of a unique combination of these energies based on their physical, mental and emotional characteristics. One of the types of energy is usually more important than the others, it is called "dosha". This blend of fingerprint-like energy makes up your personality that remains constant throughout your life.

How does Ayurveda maintain energy balance?

Because maintaining your energy balance is essential for maintaining good mental and physical health, Ayurvedic energy creates the movement necessary to deliver fluids and nutrients to cells. In addition, it helps metabolize these nutrients, lubricates and maintains cell structure. When certain stressors, such as the seasons or the weather, physical trauma, work or family relationships or food choices intervene, the balance is disturbed. As a result, negative emotions like jealousy, anxiety, and greed reflect on your dosha by amplifying or reducing it. If a person with a vata dosha (the set of space and air elements), is highly exposed to more adverse causes,she may become unbalanced and feel fearful, nervous and anxious. To restore balance, the Ayurvedic diet recommends eating hot, moist and heavy foods, taking a steam bath or enjoying a humidifier.

Indeed, knowing your dosha and understanding how to balance it is so important. In the simplest terms, opposites will balance you and unbalance you: as with cold is opposed heat and vice versa.

Imagine you are outside on a hot summer day. As your body warms up you become dehydrated and if this lasts long enough you may pass out. In this case, what you need is the opposite of heat - a glass of cold water and shade and the balance is restored.

How can you find out about your dosha?

Of course, no one and nothing can make you understand your dosha better than an Ayurvedic expert (the National Ayurvedic Medical Association has an online database of experienced professionals). By taking a detailed questionnaire, you will get a picture of your true state of mind and personality traits, as well as your feelings at that time. To get a general idea of each dosha, study the most common physical characteristics and temperaments, according to the Ayurvedic Institute, although a little reluctance is not superfluous.

Vata dosha

If you are a part of vata dosha, you are a person with predominant vata energy i.e. creative, active and fast paced, although there are times when you feel baseless in life and deprived of support.. Physically, you are short, with small eyes, prominent bones, and wavy, rough, or thick hair. Your digestion is irregular and you are prone to constipation and bloating.

Pitta dosha

People with predominant pitta energy are gifted with keen intelligence, hard-hitting ideas and solutions, even in a restless and angry state when their energy balance is unstable. As for the physique, the person with pitta dosha is of average height, may have moles and freckles on copper skin and silky hair. This group of people have a strong metabolism, good digestion and a strong appetite.

Kapha dosha

The predominant kapha energy has strength, endurance, and a loving disposition. Even though they appear calm and forgiving, people with this characteristic can experience greed and possessiveness when they are out of balance. Tall, with well-developed muscles and oily, smooth skin. Their metabolism is slow.

How does an Ayurvedic diet work?

In combination with food, exercise, sleep, meditation and breathing are the pillars on which Ayurveda is based. This means that they are all necessary to keep your energy balanced and to achieve good health and fitness.

Therefore, it is recommended to have a spiritual relationship with food and to bring love to it. As you cut, chop, wash, cook, and use the right ingredients, you provide your body and mind with the fuel and energy to thrive, achieve your goals, and live a healthy life. Maintaining this relationship means eating fresh, high-quality, self-made foods instead of processed, canned, or microwaved foods. If you open a box or package of food and just eat, how can you build a relationship?

Everyone knows the flying phrase "You are what you eat". This usual cliché can be transformed into Ayurvedic language: "You are what you digest". Since your digestive system is responsible for converting food into energy, a healthy metabolism is essential for maintaining stable health. So, choosing foods that have a positive impact on your gut is essential. You should also listen carefully to your hunger signals so that you only eat when you are hungry and at a moderate speed, not in a rush.

What are Ayurvedic diet foods?

While other diets focus on the nutritional qualities of particular foods to create a healthy, complete meal, an Ayurvedic diet emphasizes the tastes on your plate. According to the principles of Ayurveda, all six tastes - sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent (acidic), must be present for a balanced meal. These guiding principles indicate that each taste has a specific effect on the digestive system and your overall dosha. This means that the amount of each taste you incorporate into your plate will depend on your dosha, not to mention the need to keep your energy from rising or falling and supporting good digestion.

Best Ayurvedic Diet Foods for Vata

A person with predominant vata energy can keep their body balanced by emphasizing the sweet, sour and salty tastes on their plate.

• Fruits (in general, sweet): apples (cooked), apricots, bananas, berries, cherries, melons, peaches, strawberries
• Vegetables (usually cooked): asparagus, beets, cucumber, fennel, garlic, green beans, parsnips, peas, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, summer squash
• Grains: durum wheat flour, oats (cooked), quinoa, rice, wheat
• Legumes: mung beans, pigeon peas, urad beans
• Dairy products: butter, buttermilk, soft cheese, cottage cheese, cow's milk, clarified butter (ghee), goat cheese, goat milk
• Proteins: beef, buffalo, black chicken, duck, eggs, salmon, sardines, seitan, shrimp, tuna, brown turkey
• Nuts and seeds: almonds, black walnuts, cashews, coconut, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, chia, flax, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower seeds

Best Ayurvedic Diet Foods for Pitta

The person with predominant pitta energy can keep their body balanced by emphasizing sweet, bitter and astringent tastes.

• Fruits (in general, sweet): apples, berries, cherries, red and purple grapes, mangoes, melons, pears, plums, pomegranates, watermelon
• Vegetables: artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, leafy greens, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, peppers, spaghetti squash, zucchini
• Grains: amaranth, barley, couscous, durum wheat flour, oat bran, pasta, quinoa, rice (basmati, white, wild), spelled, tapioca, wheat
• Legumes: black beans, chickpeas, red beans, lentils (red and brown), lima beans, white beans, peas, pinto beans, soybeans, white beans
• Dairy products: unsalted butter, cottage cheese, cow's milk, ghee, goat milk, goat cheese, ice cream
• Proteins: buffalo, white chicken, freshwater fish, tempeh, tofu, rabbit, seitan, white turkey, venison,
• Nuts and seeds: almonds (soaked and peeled), coconut, flax seeds, popcorn, sunflower seeds

Best Ayurvedic Diet Foods for Kapha

Balancing a person with predominantly kapha energy requires betting on foods with pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes.

• Fruits (in general, the most astringent): apples, berries, cherries, cranberries, pears, persimmons, pomegranates, prunes, raisins
• Vegetables (usually the hottest and most bitter): artichoke, asparagus, beets, bitter melon, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, corn, dandelion greens, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi, leafy greens, mustard, onions, white potatoes, radishes, spinach, sprouts
• Grains: barley, buckwheat, couscous, millet, muesli, oats (dry), polenta, rye, tapioca, wheat bran
• Legumes: black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, lentils (red and brown), lima beans, white beans, pinto beans, white beans
• Dairy products: cottage cheese (made from skimmed goat's milk), skimmed goat's milk, yogurt (diluted)
• Proteins: white chicken, eggs, freshwater fish, rabbit, seitan, shrimp, tempeh, white turkey, venison
• Nuts and seeds: chia seeds, popcorn

The health benefits of an Ayurvedic diet

In general, if you eat according to your dosha and have a spiritual relationship with food, you will have good digestion, immunity and energy. Ayurveda says that if your gut is working well, everything else is flawless.

While the overall goal of eating according to your dosha is simply to achieve good health and fitness, you may realize other benefits from doing so. Since the Ayurvedic diet discourages the consumption of processed foods, it can help you reduce your intake of saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium, ingredients linked to heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure..

Based on the logic that you will only eat when you are hungry, you will always be satisfied and not drunk. That is, you will lose pounds because you will consume less.

The disadvantages of an Ayurvedic diet

If you want specific advice on how many carbs or calories to consume, an Ayurvedic diet may not be the best for you, as there are no clear guidelines on macronutrients, food groups, or calorie consumption. Instead, you rely on how your body responds to each food recommended for your dosha and hunger signals.

However, there is no such thing as "good" or "bad" food in Ayurveda because nothing is 100% forbidden. If a food sends you straight to the toilet, gives you annoying headaches, or feels like trash, it's okay to eat less of it, eat it at certain times of the day, or ignore it. completely. And that's the gist of an Ayurvedic diet. Ayurveda is not something you have to face - it is a way of life, it is simply about creating harmony between yourself and nature.