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In ayurveda, diet and digestion are accorded equal importance in
maintaining good health. Just as choosing improper foods for your
constitution can lead to imbalances, following improper routines and
habits can wreak havoc on your digestion, turning even carefully
chosen and prepared foods into ama or toxins in your system rather
than ojas, the biochemical essence that supports all aspects of
life, health, bliss and longevity.
Here are some universally applicable principles of eating that
ayurvedic healers recommend to keep your digestion working
efficiently:
1. Eat three meals a day.
Fasting and skipping meals are not recommended in ayurveda because
they throw the digestion rhythm off. A light breakfast, a
substantial lunch and a light dinner allow you to keep in tune with
the ebb and flow of the digestive fire, which builds up during the
morning, peaks around noon and then ebbs again in the evening.
As soon as you get up, drink a cup of hot water to which a
tablespoon of lemon juice has been added. This will help
elimination, get the digestive juices flowing, and cleanse out the
digestive tract. Caffeinated beverages are not recommended in
ayurveda.
A light breakfast is essential to kick-start the digestion and
provide energy necessary to get through the activity of the day. If
you wait until lunch to eat a proper meal, chances are you'll be
tempted to wade into that packet of potato chips or get a doughnut
some time during the morning. Have a stewed apple or pear, and then
follow 30 minutes later with some warm cereal or a whole-wheat
flatbread spread with a little honey or almond butter. Warm cooked
foods are preferred as breakfast items over cold cereal, cold milk
and cold juice, all of which are harder on the waking digestive fire.
For a mid-morning snack, choose fresh fruit—an apple for Kapha, a
sweet pear for Pitta and a mango or some strawberries for Vata.
Fruit is best eaten in the morning, and on its own.
The ideal ayurvedic lunch includes two or three kinds of vegetables,
one of which should be a leafy green; a lentil or bean dish or a
paneer dish; a whole grain; a chutney or relish; a small helping of
a warm salad or soup; and lassi, a beverage made by blending
together fresh yogurt and water. All of the dishes should be cooked
with dosha-appropriate spices, and using a dosha-appropriate healthy
fat—ghee for Vata and Pitta and olive oil for Kapha are good
choices. This may seem like a huge meal, but portions can be kept
small to moderate—the variety is crucial for wholesome, balanced
nutrition.
If you need a mid-afternoon snack, eat a small helping of soaked
nuts (almonds should be blanched) if you are trying to balance Vata,
or some sunflower or pumpkin seeds if you are trying to balance
Pitta or Kapha. Popcorn in moderation without salt or butter is also
fine for Kapha, and soaked blanched almonds for Pitta.
For dinner eat a small, light meal—a one-dish vegetable/grain
casserole or a vegetable/lentil soup with a whole-wheat flatbread,
for example.
Drink lots of pure water through the day, but limit your water or
beverage intake at meals. Do not drink iced, carbonated or
caffeinated beverages and avoid alcohol and milk with meals.
At bedtime, drink a cup of warm milk spiced with nutmeg for Vata,
cardamom for Pitta and ginger for Kapha.
Fresh foods are easier to digest, so cook only what you think you
will eat at a meal. To enhance the appetite, have a slice of fresh
ginger root spiked with some rock salt and fresh lemon juice about
an hour before a meal. Chew fennel seeds after a meal to enhance
digestion and freshen the breath naturally. Taking rasayanas such as
Amalaki and Triphala after a meal also boosts digestion and
assimilation and helps the system flush out ama regularly.
2. Eat at around the same times each day
Like your sleep/wake cycle, your digestion will also benefit from a
regular routine. Pre-program meal times into your day so that you
have the time to take care of sustaining yourself. Water and food
are next only to air for survival. When sustenance is that vital for
good health, why would you have mealtimes play second-fiddle to work
or social engagements?
When your digestion is "trained" to kick in at those set times
through regular practice, it functions efficiently to build more
ojas from the foods you eat. Ojas is the most refined product of the
digestive process—the biochemical essence that sustains life and
health. Nutrients from the foods you eat are absorbed and
assimilated to the maximum extent by your body, and wastes are
flushed out effectively, leaving little room for ama--digestive
toxins—to build up in the body and act as a breeding-ground for
imbalances and disorders.
3. Avoid incompatible food combinations
Ayurvedic texts outline some food combinations that overtax the
digestion and lead to increased ama build-up. Milk and cream, for
example, should not be combined with salty or sour tastes. Melons
should not be eaten with heavy foods like cheese, deep-fried foods
or the heavier grains. Fruit, in general, should be eaten on its own
because it is very quickly digested. Meat or fish should not be
taken together with milk. Honey should never be heated or cooked.
In general, if you follow the meal guidelines and food suggestions
given above, you will avoid most incompatible food combinations. One
general rule to follow is to not eat foods with different digestion
times at one sitting.
4. Prepare your meals with care and love
Everything is connected. For the food to eat to become ojas, you
have to prepare it with attention, a positive attitude, caring and
love. Many traditions hold the acts of cooking and eating sacred. In
the Vedic tradition, the chef bathes and offers thanks to agni—fire—
before beginning the task of preparing the first meal of the day for
the family. Do not prepare meals (or eat) when you are upset or
stressed, because your liver and digestion are adversely affected by
negative emotions and will not digest that meal efficiently.
Eat in the area or room designated for eating in your home or place
of work, not in front of the television or at your workstation.
Diffuse a pleasant aroma blend in your dining area about an hour
before you will begin eating—lemon, coriander, sweet orange and mint
are good choices to whet the appetite and get the digestive juices
flowing. Dress up your dining table with fresh flowers or a pretty
tablecloth. Make sure everything you need for your meal is at hand
before you sit to eat so you do not have to get up or be distracted
from your meal once you start eating.
5. Practice mindful eating
Ours is, sadly, an on-the-run, 24/7, get-everything-done-yesterday
world. Extending multi-tasking to eating is one often-seen habit
that probably causes many health problems that could be avoided if
one only took the time to accord the meal the attention it deserves.
The time that is perceived as "lost" by doing nothing but eating can
more than likely be made up in increased energy and productivity the
relished, well-digested meal returns to you. Eating in silence, with
all your senses focused on the aromas, flavors, colors and textures
on your plate is best, with muted, pleasantly relaxing conversation
or soft music in the background a second-best option. Arguments,
highly stimulating discussions and disciplining children are
activities not suited to mealtimes.
Other mindful eating habits to follow:
· Do not work or speak on the telephone when you eat. Do not
read or watch television.
· Offer thanks or sit in silence a minute before you begin
eating.
· Do not gulp down your food; savor each mouthful and chew
well before you swallow. A few sips of warm water during the meal
will help digestion, but do not drink too much of any beverage.
· At any meal, do not eat until you are very full. The ideal
ayurvedic portion is what you could hold in your two cupped hands
joined together. Leaving some room in the stomach when you are done
enhances digestion.
· After you are done eating, sit quietly for a few minutes; do
not immediately rush off to do the next chore of the day.
Disclaimer: The above article is educational in nature, and is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you
have a medical condition, please consult your physician.
About The Author:
Shreelata Suresh is a yoga instructor from the Bay
Area, and she writes on yoga and ayurveda for different
publications. To subscribe to free newsletters on ayurveda, or for
more information, please visithttp://www.ayurbalance.com.
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