Ayurveda is a form of holistic medicine that is focused on promoting the balance of body, mind & soul. According to Ayurveda, the entire universe is made from pancha mahabhutas. These elements are believed to form the tridoshas. These are the energies that circulate within our body. Ayurveda recognizes these tri doshas vata, pitta & kapha as powerful doshas That govern the body. Ayurvedic diet plan is designed in such a way to regenerate the body, mind & soul.
Ayurveda emphasizes shad rasas ie 6 tastes concept. Which plays a major role in maintaining the equilibrium of the doshas. Intake of six rasas or tastes. At each meal, you will incorporate foods that are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent. You begin your meal with foods that have a sweet taste (like sweet fruit), then consume food that is salty (such as seafood) and sour (citrus fruit, for example), then finish with pungent foods (like onions or peppers), astringent (such as green apples or tea), and bitter (celery, kale, or green leafy vegetables). By following the Ayurvedic principles one can build an immunity level that would increase the vitality of the mind, body, and soul.
Ayurvedic diet is a very old practice followed in our Indian tradition. It’s based on determining your dominant dosha and eating specific foods to promote balance between all three doshas.
Here are some features of each dosha that help you determine which type matches you best:
- Vata (air + space). Creative, energetic, and lively. People with this dosha are usually thin with a light frame and may struggle with digestive issues, fatigue, or anxiety when out of balance.
- Pitta (fire + water). Intelligent, hard-working, and decisive. This dosha generally has a medium physical build, a short temper, and may suffer from conditions like indigestion, heart disease, or high blood pressure.
- Kapha (earth + water). Naturally calm, grounded, and loyal. Those with a kapha dosha often have a sturdier frame and may have issues with weight gain, asthma, depression, or diabetes.
- According to this diet, your dosha determines which foods you should eat to promote inner balance.
For example, vata focuses on warm moist, and grounding foods while restricting dried fruits bitter herbs, and raw vegetables.
Pitta focuses on cooling, and energizing foods and limits spices, nuts, and seeds.
Lastly, kapha focuses on limiting heavy foods like nuts, seeds, and oils in favour of fruits, veggies, and legumes.
Red meat, artificial sweeteners, and processed ingredients are limited for all doshas. Instead, the Ayurvedic diet encourages eating healthy wholesome foods. Here is a list of foods concerning doshas.
Vata
- Protein: small amounts of poultry, seafood, tofu
- Dairy: milk, butter, yoghurt, cheese, ghee
- Fruits: fully ripe, sweet, and heavy fruits, such as bananas, blueberries, strawberries, grapefruit, mangoes, peaches, and plums
- Vegetables: cooked vegetables, including beets, sweet potatoes, onions, radishes, turnips, carrots, and green beans
- Legumes: chickpeas, lentils, mung beans
- Grains: cooked oats, cooked rice
- Nuts and seeds: any, including almonds, walnuts, pistachios, chia seeds, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds
- Herbs and spices: cardamom, ginger, cumin, basil, cloves, oregano, thyme, black pepper
Pitta
- Protein: poultry in small amounts, egg whites, tofu
- Dairy: milk, ghee, butter
- Fruits: sweet, fully ripe fruits like oranges, pears, pineapples, bananas, melons, and mangoes
- Vegetables: sweet and bitter veggies, including cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, zucchini, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, and Brussels sprouts
- Legumes: chickpeas, lentils, mung beans, lima beans, black beans, kidney beans
- Grains: barley, oats, basmati rice, wheat
- Nuts and seeds: small amounts of pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut
- Herbs and spices: small amounts of black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cilantro, dill, turmeric
Kapha
- Protein: poultry in small amounts, seafood, egg whites
- Dairy: skim milk, goat milk, soy milk
- Fruits: apples, blueberries, pears, pomegranates, cherries, and dried fruit like raisins, figs, and prunes
- Vegetables: asparagus, leafy greens, onions, potatoes, mushrooms, radishes, okra
- Legumes: any, including black beans, chickpeas, lentils, and navy beans
- Grains: oats, rye, buckwheat, barley, corn, millet
- Nuts and seeds: small amounts of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds
- Herbs and spices: any, including cumin, black pepper, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, basil, oregano, and thyme.
Ayurvedic rules are to be followed while taking food. Eat mindfully and with concentration.
- Avoid talking, laughter, and other distractions to fully appreciate your meal and the wholesome benefits it provides.
- Eat slowly enough that you can savour the taste of the food.
- Eat quickly enough to prevent the food from getting cold.
- Eat the proper quantity of food. Be aware of hunger signals and signs of fullness to avoid overeating.
- Eat only when your previous meal has been digested. Guidelines suggest that you do not eat within three hours of your previous meal or snack and you should not go without food for more than six hours. Many Ayurvedic practitioners also recommend eating a modest breakfast and a larger, satisfying lunch. Dinner may or may not be consumed based on your hunger levels.
Viruddha Ahara (Incompatible Diet)
Certain diets and their combinations having properties opposite to the Dhatus (body tissues) which thereby inhibit and interrupt to the processes of formation and metabolism of the body tissues are described in Ayurveda as Viruddha Ahara (incompatible diets). Various types of Viruddha Ahara described in Ayurveda are as follows:
- Desha Viruddha: Desha Viruddha is a diet that is contradictory to a given region. E.g. Intake of Ruksha Ahara (dry food items) in dry regions and Snigdha Ahara (unctuous food items) in marshy areas.
- Kala Viruddha: Consumption of diet contradictory to time and season e.g. intake of Sheeta (cold) and Ruksha (dry) substances in winter.
- Agni Viruddha: Intake of such diets which are not by one’s digestive power e.g. consuming Guru Ahara (heavy food items) when digestion capacity is low (Mandagni) and of Ruksha Ahara (light food) when digestion capacity is high (Teekshnagni).
- Matra Viruddha: Consuming diets incompatible in terms of quantity required. E.g. intake of honey and ghee in equal quantity.
- Satmya Viruddha: Intake of such food items which are not in homologation to one’s eating habits.e.g. Intake of Madhura (sweet) and Sheeta (cold) food items by a person accustomed to Katu (pungent) and Ushna (hot) food substances.
- Dosha Viruddha: Intake of food having similar qualities to Doshas but incompatible with the individual. For example hot food in Paittika Prakriti.
- Sanskar Viruddha: Consuming such preparations of food items which become poisonous when prepared in a particular way e.g. meat of peacock cooked in castor fire, heated honey.
- Virya Viruddha: Such food items which have potency opposite to each other when consumed together are termed as Virya buddha e.g. Fish + milk
- Koshtha Viruddha: Consumption of those foods which are contradictory to one’s Koshtha (nature of digestive tracts) e.g. intake of Guru (heavy), Bahu (more in quantity) and Bhedaniya (mild purgative) by a person having Mridu Koshtha (soft bowel).
- Avastha Viruddha: Intake of food in contrast to one’s state of health. E.g. intake of Vata aggravating diet after physical exertion or intake of Kapha aggravating diet by a sleepy person, Guru Bhojan (heavy food) in fever etc.
- Krama Viruddha: Intake of food contradictory to order such as when a person consumes food before bowel evacuation & urination or when doesn’t have an appetite for food or after excessive aggravation of hunger.
- Parihar Viruddha: Consuming food which is against prescription e.g. intake of Ushna Ahara (hot substances) just after consuming pork.
- Upachar (treatment)Viruddha: Consuming such food items which are not as per prescription e.g. eating cold substances after intake of ghee.
- Paak Viruddha: Diets which are improperly cooked e.g. food that is undercooked, overcooked or burned during the process of preparation.
- Samyoga Viruddha: Food items incompatible in terms of combinations e.g. Intake of sour substances with milk.
- Hriday Viruddha: Diet which is unpleasant and unpalatable to one’s taste e.g. consuming unpleasant food items.
- Sampad Viruddha: Incompatibility in terms of qualities e.g. consuming immature, over mature and putrefied food substances.
- Vidhi Viruddha: Eating food in variance to set norms, rules regulations etc. e.g. Consuming meals at public places.