Ayurvedic Diet

According to Ayurveda food is the most supportive pillar of life. Agni mandya (vitiation of digestive fire) is considered as the root cause for all disease. We should maintain the digestive fire by taking proper food. A person who takes incompatible food (that which causes aggravation of dosha but does not expel them out of body), over eats, eats of uncooked food and unhygienic food, consumes a large quantity of food before the last meal is digested, consumes less or more quantity of food in improper time develops the dreaded ‘AMA’ (un-digested food) which is considered akin to poison. This is the cause of all diseases.

6 types of Rasas (tastes) are described in Ayurveda:

1. 1. Madhura (Sweet)
   2. Amla (Sour)
   3. Lavana (salty)
   4. Tiktam (bitter)
   5. Katu (pungent)
   6. Kashaya (astringent)

Sweet: Ghee, Jaggery, milk, sugarcane, grapes, jack fruit etc increase Kapha dosha.
Sour: Buttermilk, curd, tamarind, pomegranate, gooseberry etc. increase pitta dosha.
Salty: All types of salt. Excess salt is bad for health.
Bitter: Bitter gourd, neem etc. which increase vata.
Pungent: Asafetida, black pepper etc. which increase vata.
Astringent: Honey, dates etc. which is obstructive to action.

VATA

Vata: Sweet, sour, salt are best for balancing the vata dosha. One should avoid pungent, bitter, astringent tastes, all dairy products, pacify vata except frozen yogurt, milk powder. Root vegetables are specially beneficial for vata.
Warm veg soups and warm foods are a better choice for vatik person.

Vegetables:
Favor: Beetroot, carrot, cucumber, cooked onion, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato, garlic etc.
Avoid: Cauliflower, cabbage, raw carrot, corn, mushroom, tomatoes, potato, raw spinach, pepper, sprouts etc.

Grains:
Favor: Oatmeal, rice, wheat, wheat bread etc.
Avoid: Barley, Millet, Pasta and wheat, tapioca and yeasted bread etc.

Legumes:
Favor: Mung dal, soya milk, tur dal, urad dal etc.
Avoid: Chickpeas, Kidney beans etc.

Spices:
Favor: Ajwain, basil, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, hing, nutmeg, pip paly, turmeric etc.
Avoid: Chili powder, fenugreek etc.

 PITTA
It is pacified by the sweet, bitter and astringent tastes and aggravated by pungent, sour and salty tastes.
Ghee is best in pitta constitution. One should avoid spicy, fried, sour, salty food items.

Vegetables:
Favor: Cabbage,Carrots(cooked),Beetroot(cooked),Mushrooms,Greenbeans, Cucumber
Avoid: Garlic, Green Chilies, Radish (raw), Tomatoes, Olives (green), Pepper.

Grains:
Favor: Wheat,Rice(basmatiwhite), Barley, Oats
Avoid: Corn, Millet, Muesli, Rice (brown)

Legumes:
Favor : Moong dal, Chick peas, Soya bean, Kidney bean.
Avoid: Urad dal, Horse gram

Nuts:
Favor: Almonds C, Coconut, Popcorn (without salt), Pumpkin seed, Sunflower seed
Avoid: Cashews, Peanuts, Walnuts

Spices:
Favor: Black pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Turmeric
Avoid: Cloves, Garlic, Long pepper, Red Chilly, Dry ginger, Salt
· Old grains are better than fresh.
· Among rice varieties, the red variety of rice is best.

KAPHA:
Pungent, bitter, astringent taste is good for Kapha.
Honey is best for Kapha constitution.
Light food which is steamed or cooked is advisable.
Oily food, cheese, cream and fried items will aggravate kapha dosha.

Vegetables:
Favor: Broccoli, Carrot, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Bitter melon, Corn, Onions, Peas
Avoid: Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes

Grains:
Favor: Barley, Corn, Millet, Muesli, Oats, Rice, Wheat.
Avoid: Rice, Yeasted bread

Pulses:
Favor: Chick peas, Mung dal, Tur dal
Avoid: Kidney beans, Urad dal

Nuts:
Favor: Almonds, Popcorn, Pumpkin seeds
Avoid: Cashews, Coconut, Pea nut, Walnuts

Spices:
Favor: Cardamom, Cumin, Garlic.
Avoid: Red chilly

Points to remember:
· One should take food in adequate quantity and at a proper time but only after the previous meal is digested.
· Eat freshly prepared foods.
. Breakfast is the prime source of energy so it should not be skipped.
· Water intake minimum 3-4 liters per day, it should be filtered, distilled or spring water. Cold water is not good for health.
· Some incompatible food should not be taken together. It will lead to formation of toxins in our body.

Examples:
Honey and warm water
Milk and citrus fruits.
Milk and fish.
Hot and cold food.
. Should not take bath or sleep immediately after food intake.
· Try to include all six tastes at every meal.
· Reduce packaged and processed foods
· Include more vegetables and fruits in your diet.
· Avoid unhealthy oils and hydrogenated oil.
· Eat only when you are feeling hungry.
· Don’t swallow the food without chewing. It will lead to indigestion.
· To balance digestive fire one should follow the healthy eating habits.

Irregular food habits and lifestyle leads to many diseases like obesity, diabetes, PCOS etc. This obesity in turn may lead to other chronic illness. So we must take food in adequate quantity at proper time only after the previous meal is digested.