Diet and a healthy lifestyle have become major concerns since the pandemic started. People have started looking for ways to eat healthily and not fall sick. The ayurvedic diet checks all these boxes and more. Unlike modern diets that include cutting out certain food groups and controlling calorie intake, Ayurveda concentrates on eating the right food while avoiding those that can cause harm.
Due to its sudden rise and effective benefits, many students are willing to start their careers in Ayurvedic Nutrition. Colleges like Sri Sai Institute of Ayurvedic Research and Medicine teach the ayurvedic nutrition basics and how to do kaya chikitsa in Ayurveda. What do they learn about in their regular degree programmes? Let us read on.
An ayurvedic diet is a diet that has been designed on the different principles of Ayurveda. This type of diet is more about the ingredients consumed according to the person who is eating it. Ayurvedic diets are a part of a larger ayurvedic lifestyle that has been done over the years for better health. It is a holistic way of balancing out all processes in our body.
Ayurveda considers five elements; air, water, earth, space and fire. Human beings are made up of a combination of these elements called the doshas. The combination will determine the mental and physical disposition of the person. The doshas are Vita, Kapha and Pitta dosha. Ayurvedic experts will look into the dosha of a person to recommend what to eat and what not to eat. There are a lot more details that go into the ayurvedic diet which have been elaborated on below.
Also Read: Importance of holistic ayurvedic lifestyleThere are several benefits of Ayurveda that beginners must be aware of. It is much more healthy than eating for better health. Some of the top benefits a regular consumer of the Ayurvedic diet experiences is as below.
While there are specific scientific studies to attribute to this factor. Over time, eating per Ayurvedic principles can lead to weight loss. Here, most of the weight loss is due to eating fresh and in-season ingredients. Additionally, another part of Ayurvedic diets has been able to stabilize hormones, insulin sensitivity and even diabetes. However, with the diet, doctors recommend light exercise and yoga so that diet can show its effect.
Ayurvedic eating principles cover how to eat food along with what to eat. In particular, Ayurveda promotes being mindful during eating. Mindfulness refers to a state of mind where one is paying special attention to the food, how the person is feeling and everything going on in the present. Generally, mindfulness is a part of meditation but it can be done in all aspects of our daily lives including eating. Mindfulness will prevent overeating and help in building a healthy relationship with food.
The core focus of ayurvedic nutrition is to eat food that can be easily digested, according to one’s dosha while avoiding foods one cannot tolerate. Recipes and spices are mixed together with the aim of improving gut health. The way food is treated in Ayurveda makes it also easier on the metabolism. For instance, fermenting certain foods while cooking others will make their nutrients easier to consume. People have also reported reversing hyperacidity, constipation and even irritable bowel syndrome with an ayurvedic diet plan.
Ayurvedic diet plans change every season. An average diet plan will include the season’s freshest and latest vegetables and fruits. These fruits and vegetables are at the best nutrition wise hence making them the apt choice. Also, certain doshas are at their peak in some seasons which must be taken into account when designing the diet plan. For different seasons, Kapha dosha is high during the late winter while Vata is highest during summer and Pitta dosha is during fall and early winter.
One of the best benefits of the Ayurvedic diet is the fact that it is flexible. There are no fixed rules to strictly eat a particular diet plan. One can add and remove ingredients to their diet plan as per their requirements. The goal is to do what feels good and right for one’s own body. There is a long list of food items that people can eat as per their dosha. Based on the season and mood switch out the items. For the best results, it is always recommended to visit an individual with an ayurvedic doctor's degree to get a customized diet plan.
Whatever diet one eats, vegetarian, pescatarian or non-vegetarian, people can find their fit in Ayurveda. True principles of Ayurveda do not recommend following only a vegetarian diet. Non-vegetarians will find foods that will satiate them. The basic idea is moderation in whatever diet system one is following. Most ayurvedic diets are sattvic in nature which includes dishes made out of fresh ingredients and are properly balanced.
Also Read: Ayurvedic Diet - A healthy lifestyleAs mentioned above ayurvedic diets are formulated as per one’s dosha. The final diet plan will differ from individual to individual. However, for general purposes, the following are some foods to eat and not to eat per dosha.
Ayurveda has become a trendy word and lifestyle in recent times. There are a lot of misconceptions about this lifestyle and there are many things to keep in mind to start living the Ayurveda way. Ayurvedic degree courses teach a lot of these basics but for day-to-day life, a bit of extra help through the details mentioned above is helpful.
To know more about this course, you can reach out to the official website of the Sri Sai Institute of Ayurvedic Research and Medicine. Here you will find each bit of this course.
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