An Ayurvedic diet is a dietary approach rooted in the ancient Indian science of Ayurveda.
It drives one to eat in harmony with their body’s constitution (Prakriti), current imbalances (Vikriti), and the natural rhythms of nature.
An Ayurvedic diet goes beyond mere nutrition; it combines the qualities of food, individual needs, and mindful eating to support overall health and well-being.
Ayurvedic Approach to Diet
Ayurveda views diet as one of the primary pillars of health.
According to Ayurvedic principles, food is medicine, and consuming it in the right way can maintain health, prevent diseases, and restore balance to the body.
This approach focuses on Pathyahara (dietary discipline), which includes eating appropriate, balanced, and wholesome foods while avoiding incompatible food combinations, overeating, and under-eating.
The guidelines are designed to meet the needs of each individual, taking into account their body type (Dosha), season (Ritu), and lifestyle (Dinacharya). Foods are categorized based on their taste (Rasa), potency (Virya), post-digestive effect (Vipaka), and impact on the doshas.
Pathyahara (dietary discipline) involves more than just reducing salt, spice, and sour foods or avoiding meat and fish.
It encourages consuming nutritionally appropriate and condition-specific foods daily. Lately, Ayurvedic practitioners have started emphasizing these principles, which is a positive development.
The scientific foundation of guidelines like “Dinacharya” and “Ritucharya” should be understood and applied not only by Ayurvedic practitioners but also by individuals seeking holistic health.
Ayurveda’s relevance continues to grow as it offers practical, scientific solutions to many modern health issues.
By promoting balanced diets and educating people about the importance of nutritional health, we can create a society that is less dependent on medications and more focused on preventive care, enhancing both individual health and the relevance of Ayurveda in today’s world.
If one eats food strictly according to the prescribed quantity for each meal, it may help keep lifestyle diseases at bay and lead to a life of health and well-being.
“Mātrāśī sarvakālaṃ syāt mātrā hi pravartikā mātrā dravyāṇyapekṣante gurūṇi ca laghūṇi ca gurūṇāmardhasaubhityaṃ laghūnāṃ nātityapathā mātrā pramāṇaṃ nirdiṣṭaṃ sukhaṃ tāvat jīryati (Aṣṭāṅga hrdaya mātrāśītīyam adhyaya).”
Overeating, under-eating, and unbalanced eating are issues that unknowingly occur in everyone’s life today due to personal, professional, family, and societal circumstances.
People now eat not for nourishment but to satisfy their cravings. Eating habits such as excessive food intake due to the influence of alcohol consumed as an appetizer before meals or snacking on unhealthy items in front of mobile phones or laptops after meals constitute unbalanced eating (Samaśanam) and under-eating (Adhyśanam). Additionally, skipping meals during official work or eating more or less than the usual amount is considered improper eating (Viṣamaśanam).
The scripture warns us,
“Miśraṃ pathyamapathyaṃ ca bhuktaṃ samaśanaṃ mataṃ vidyādadhyaśanaṃ bhūyo mukhyaparibhajanaṃ akāle bahuvālīpaṃ vā bhuktaṃ tu viṣamaśanaṃ tīṇyatāni mṛtyuṃ vā ghorān vyādhīnsyajanti vā.”
This implies that unbalanced, under-eating, and improper eating are significant causes of severe diseases and even death.
Lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, asthma, cancer, memory loss, and life-threatening conditions like heart disease arise from such eating practices.
“Gurūṇāmardhasaubhityaṃ laghūnāṃ nātityapathā mātrā pramāṇaṃ nirdiṣṭaṃ sukhaṃ tāvat jīryati.”
Heavy foods (Guru Dravya), such as meat, fish, milk, and curd, should be consumed in moderation—ideally half the usual quantity. Light foods (Laghu Dravya) should not be consumed to the point of aversion. Eating food in the amount prescribed ensures proper digestion and promotes well-being.
Excessive food (Atimātrā) not only disturbs all bodily doshas but also places undue strain on the nervous, digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems, leading to various illnesses that affect vital organs. Ayurveda’s balanced diet comprises grains, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals essential for daily sustenance. Classic texts like Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya recommend foods like rice, wheat, barley, and green gram for balance and nourishment. Proper eating at the right time, when hunger signals are apparent, aligns with the guidelines set by Ayurvedic masters, promoting good health and longevity.
However, dietary patterns have undergone drastic changes with the British invasion and the rise in population.
The overuse of refined flour, sugar, and polished rice has contributed to a diabetes epidemic in Kerala.
Diseases like cancer, heart ailments, asthma, arthritis, and strokes increasingly affect even the younger population.
Tubers like colocasia, yam, tapioca, and lesser yams, once staples of the commoner’s diet during monsoon, have become exotic components today.
Centuries ago, during the rainy season of Karkidakam, Kerala practiced the consumption of medicinal porridge and Panchakarma treatments. These traditions, aimed at rejuvenating the body and ensuring health for the coming year, included oil massages and therapeutic procedures.
The monsoon rains, rich in nitrogen due to lightning in the atmosphere, supported the growth of new plants, grass, and medicinal herbs.
This natural process also reflected changes in the human body, where cellular activity became more prominent.
Consuming medicinal porridge prepared with newly harvested grains and medicinal herbs nourished the body and bolstered immunity, offering protection against health issues for the year ahead.
Panchakarma treatments, involving various cleansing and rejuvenation therapies, were systematic practices aimed at ensuring bodily functions remained robust.
Leguminous crops like green gram, horse gram, and cowpea, rich in protein, were consumed with jaggery and coconut for added strength and immunity.
These practices, followed meticulously year after year, had long-term benefits, even influencing DNA positively. Such health practices explain the global admiration for Panchakarma today, appreciated for its scientific foundation.
Even with advanced treatments and higher life expectancy, modern lifestyles have led to diminished health quality.
Despite taking precise medications, cancer patients and those suffering from chronic ailments often suffer from relentless pain, making it quintessential to revisit traditional Ayurvedic health practices for better well-being.
What is the Ayurvedic Way of Eating?
In Ayurveda, how you eat is as important as what you eat. We are what we eat; our body is the manifestation of what we eat and do. The Ayurvedic way of eating encourages mindfulness, focusing entirely on your meal to ensure proper digestion. Some key principles include:
1. Ayurvedic dietary guidelines:
- Eating in a calm, clean environment.
- Chewing food thoroughly to enhance digestion.
- Eating warm, freshly prepared meals.
- Avoiding distractions like screens during meals.
- Eating according to hunger and stopping before feeling full.
- Intake of food at the right time (Kale bhojana).
- Food intake as per suitability (satmya bhojana)
- Food intake as per the prakruthi of the individual (hita bhojan)
- Proper hygiene (suchi bhojan)
- Intake of food which is unctuous (snigdha bhojan)
- Intake of food which is warm (ushna bhojan)
- Intake of food which is easy to digest (Laghu bhojan)
- Eat while there is an interest in food, and while eating, concentrate on food and the process of eating (tan mana: bhojana)
- Eat food with six taste components (sad-rasayukta ahara)
- Food should be primarily sweet in nature (madhura praya)
- Food should be ingested calmly, neither too slow nor too fast (na ati druta vilambita)
- Food should be taken after bathing (snatah)
- Proper washing of hands, feet, and face should be done before food intake (dhauta pada-kara-anana:)
- After offering prayers and paying obeisance to gods and forefathers (pithru -deva tarpana)
- After offering food to guests, teachers, and children
- Without disgracing food (anindan bhunjaana) and silently (moun)
- One should eat the proper quantity of food at the appropriate time by sitting on a raised platform.
- After meals, we should sit comfortably like a king and then have a short walk.
Ahara matra (quantity of food)
The food and nutritional requirements vary from person to person and depend upon the status of Agni, sharara prakriti, age, etc.
Susruta and Vagbhata have suggested that if stomach capacity is hypothetically divided into four parts on the basis of its filling: one should take two parts of solid food, 1 part of liquid food, and 1 part should be left empty for easy movement of Vata.
2. Sequence of food intake
- When eating, first, we should take heavy, oily, sweet-tasting foods initially followed by salt and sour tastes and then pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes for proper activation of Agni, proper absorption, and assimilation of food.
- Sweet taste helps to overcome vata buildup in the stomach in a hungry person; salt and sour tastes stimulate the digestive fire; and the pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes taken in the end subdue Kapha dosha.
- Also, some fruits taken in the beginning help to overcome Vata dosha.
- Indian gooseberry is recommended to be taken at the start, middle, and end of the meal.
- One should take heavy foods up to one-third of the fullness and light foods up to satiation.
- After taking food, it is advised to rest for muhurta (48 minutes) for proper digestion.
3. Ahara vidhi viseshaayatana (8-fold rules for food intake)
To receive the total benefits of Ahara, it is also necessary to know ‘Ashta Sahara vidhivisheshaayatana” they are
- Prakriti: The food should be taken considering the nature of food, such as guru (Heavy food like milk, flesh), laghu (food like green gram, etc. which are light to digest), seeta (food which is cold in potency, such as milk), ushna (food which are of hot potency like spicy food), ruksha (dry ness inducing food), snigda( unctuous food such as ghee, butter) and their impact on agni.
- Karana: Refers to modification in the food property by the action of Agni, water, etc. Dadhi is a substance that is prohibited from being used after heating.
- Samyoga: Denotes the combinations of food that either augment or nullify the actions of the individual components.
- Raashi-this represents the quantum of food required for each person.
- Desha: features the dynamics and kinetics of the food consumed, which is dependent on the habitat of the individual and also the area from where the substance has originated.
- Kaala: Represents time in terms of climate, phase of digestion, the timing of the day, Stage (avastha) of disease, etc.
- Upayoga Samstha: The rule denoting food should be taken as per the rules of dietetics.
- Upayokta: Denotes the consumer of the food. Food intake should be guided by each individual’s personal preference and okasatmya (habitual homologation).
Dietetic Incompatibility in Ayurveda
Virudha ahara
In Ayurveda, the concept of virudha aharam or incompressible food is very much pivotal in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Acharya Charaka defines virudha aharam as a specific diet and its combinations, which interrupt the metabolism, inhibit the process of formation of tissue, and have opposite properties to that of the tissue, are called ViruddhaAnna or incompatible diet.
Virudha can be considered as a diet that has mutually contradictory properties, contradictory to tissues, a diet capable of producing an untoward effect on the body when processed in a particular form or proportion, or those foods that may have an unwanted effect when taken at an inappropriate time.
Ayurvedic literature has compiled almost 18 types of virudha ahara and has also mentioned complications ranging from skin diseases (kushta), visarpa (erysipelas), unmada (insanity), and marana (death).
What is the Daily Food Routine in Ayurveda?
Ayurvedic routine for a healthy living includes:
- On waking up: A glass of lukewarm water
- Morning: A light breakfast within 2 hours of waking up and should be easily digestible foods to kickstart digestion.
- Noon: The most significant meal of the day, as digestion is strongest when the sun is at its peak.
- Evening: A light dinner to promote restful sleep and avoid burdening the digestive system at night, ideally 3 hours before bed.
Importance of Body Types for Choosing a Diet
In Ayurveda, choosing the proper diet begins with understanding your body constitution or Dosha type—Vata, Pitta, or Kapha. Each Dosha has specific dietetic patterns, and a diet tailored to one’s Prakriti can help maintain balance and health.
Vata Body Type
The functions of vata dosha in the body include movements in the body, the process of elimination, controlling the nervous system, etc. Dry, cold, and light by nature, Vata individuals benefit from warm, moist, and grounding foods. So they need smooth, heavy, warm qualities which are opposite to their qualities.
Diet
- Vata people should eat fresh, warm food with sweet, sour, and salty tastes.
- Foods like soups and cooked grains support balance.
- Healthy fats like ghee and olive oil nourish dryness.
- Sweet, sour, and salty tastes, these tastes pacify Vata dosha.
- They should avoid fasting too much and also use spicy food to regulate their digestion.
- They should include warm drinks, sweet fruits, raw nuts, milk, butter, cream, hot cereals, etc.
Pitta Body Type
Hot, sharp, flowing, slightly oily, and light, Pitta individuals thrive on cooling, calming, and non-spicy foods. Pitta accumulates in the rainy season and gets aggravated in October.
Balancing and strengthening a diet that is mainly sweet, bitter, and astringent will be perfect for this constitution.
Diet
- Cooling foods and drinks in the hot weather, especially fresh fruits, leafy greens, and cucumbers, and those with sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes, help calm pitta dosha and regulate heat.
- Mild spices such as cardamom, fennel, and coriander aid digestion without aggravating Pitta
- Eating a primarily vegetarian diet, which suits the constitution, is preferred.
- Adequate intake of raw food and juices is indicated.
- Cool water should be taken, and coffee, alcohol, black tea, pickles, vinegar, chilies, vegetable oils, bakery products, canned foods, instant foods, hybrid grains, etc., should be avoided.
Kapha Body Type
Heavy, slow, slimy, and soft, Kapha individuals benefit from light, warm, and energizing foods.
The functions of Kapha dosha in the body include protection, governing the structure of the body, providing immunity, holding the cells together, forming the muscles and bones, etc.
Diet
- Light and warm foods such as steamed vegetables and soups are beneficial for Kapha body type.
- Spicy and pungent tastes like ginger, black pepper, and turmeric reduce heaviness.
- Focus on foods low in sugar, carbs, and fat and that are light and dry to help balance Kapha.
- They need food and drinks, which are opposite to their qualities. So they need challenging, warm, light foods with astringent, pungent, and bitter tastes.
- People with a Kapha constitution should avoid frequent eating, frozen edibles, and cold water.
What are the Different Types of Food in Ayurveda?
Ayurveda categorizes food into three types based on its effect on the mind and body:
Sattvik Diet
- Promotes equilibrium and balance of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
- Rich in prana (life forces), and energizes the body
- Foods that promote clarity, calmness, and purity (e.g., fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts).
- Rooted in Ayurvedic principles, includes fresh, wholesome, easily digestible, and plant-based foods that promote physical health and mental clarity.
- Encourages calmness, clarity, and harmony.
- Avoids foods like onion, garlic, and stale items
- Avoids overly stimulating, spicy, sour, salty, heavy, stale, or processed foods, focusing instead on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and dairy in moderation
- Adopting a Sattvic diet can offer several health benefits: Its high fiber content supports improved digestion, while the emphasis on plant-based, low-fat foods may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, the Sattvic diet helps support immunity and may help lower the risk of certain cancers.
- It enhances mental clarity, reduces stress, and supports overall well-being. This approach to eating aligns with the holistic goal of maintaining harmony between the body, mind, and spirit.
Rajasik Diet
- Associated with aggression and restlessness.
- Includes spicy, fried, and stimulating foods.
- Not recommended for maintaining a calm and healthy state.
Tamasik Diet
○ Leads to lethargy, inertia, dullness, and imbalance.
○ Often includes stale, processed food and non-vegetarian items.
○ Generally avoided for health and mental clarity.
Sattvic Recipes
Turmeric Leaf Buttermilk
Ingredients:
Turmeric leaves, ginger, chili, natural salt, curry leaves, and water.
- Preparation: Blend all ingredients into a buttermilk base. One should never use refined salt or tamasik ingredients like onion and garlic.
Sprouted Salad with Snake Gourd
Ingredients:
Sprouted green gram and black gram, snake gourd, coconut oil, lemon juice, honey, natural salt, and black pepper. One can also add an emulsion of coconut oil, honey, lemon juice, and black pepper to enhance the taste.
Preparation:
Blanch the snake gourd, mix with sprouts, and coat with the emulsion.
Benefits:
High in fiber, antioxidants, and essential nutrients, making it suitable for weight management.
Navara Rice with Flaxseeds
Ingredients:
Njavara rice and flaxseeds (rich in protein, magnesium, zinc, and calcium).
Cooking:
Traditionally boiled (slow cooking) to retain nutrients; pressure cooking is avoided.
Benefits:
A nutritious meal with high protein and calcium levels.
How Many Meals Per Day According to Ayurveda?
Ayurveda recommends eating three well-balanced meals a day, with the main meal at midday, when the sun is at its peak. Snacking between meals is discouraged, as it disrupts digestion. However, the number of meals per day should be determined by an individual’s constitution (Prakriti), the digestive fire (Agni), and daily routine. Let’s explore this in detail:
Individual Variations in Meals
Ayurveda recognizes that meal frequency and size can vary based on one’s dosha type:
Vata Dosha:
- Vata individuals may benefit from eating smaller, frequent meals (3–5 times a day), as their digestion can be irregular.
- Warm, cooked meals with healthy fats are ideal.
Pitta Dosha:
- Pitta individuals are blessed with a high metabolism, often have strong digestion, and manage to thrive on three well-balanced meals.
- Avoid overeating or skipping meals to maintain balance.
Kapha Dosha:
Kapha individuals benefit from two lighter meals a day or intermittent fasting, as their digestion tends to be slower.
Meals should be light, warm, and spicy to improve metabolism.
Exceptions
- Pregnant women, children, the elderly, or those with health conditions may require customized meal plans with additional smaller meals.
Additional Guidelines for Ayurveda Meals
- Snacking: Ayurveda generally discourages snacking between meals to allow the previous meal to be fully digested. If snacking is necessary, opt for light, easily digestible foods like fruits.
- Eating Mindfully: Meals should be eaten in a calm environment, with full attention to the act of eating. Avoid multitasking or distractions such as TV, phones, etc. Even laughing and talking is restricted, as per Ayurveda.
- Time Between Meals: Allow at least 4 4-hour gap between meals for complete digestion; however, this may vary from individual to individual.
Ayurvedic Tips for Breakfast
- Consume after sunrise, when digestion is moderately active.
- It should be light, nourishing, and easy to digest.
- Foods like porridge or light grains are often recommended.
- Start your day with light, warm foods like porridge or herbal tea
- Avoid heavy or cold foods like processed cereals, overnight foods, or chilled smoothies.
Ayurvedic Lunch
Make lunch your largest meal, incorporating all six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent) to aid digestion and provide balanced nutrition.
- This is the most important meal of the day in Ayurveda because digestion is strongest during the middle of the day when the sun is at its peak.
- Lunch should be the largest meal, including fresh vegetables, grains, proteins (lentils, beans, or dairy), buttermilk, and spices to support digestion.
Ayurvedic Dinner
Dinner should be the lightest meal of the day to support restful sleep.
- Should be eaten early, ideally before sunset or by 7 PM, to allow proper digestion before bedtime.
- One can include Dinner soups, light grains, or steamed vegetables.
How the Ayurvedic Diet Helps in the Treatment of Diseases
The Ayurvedic diet plays a crucial role in managing and supporting the treatment of diseases by focusing on balancing the body’s doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) and strengthening the digestive fire (Agni), which is considered the cornerstone of health.
This ancient dietary approach is highly individualized, tailoring food choices to a person’s constitution (prakriti), current imbalances, and seasonal changes.
Ayurvedic diets emphasize fresh, whole, and easily digestible foods while avoiding processed and incompatible food combinations that may aggravate imbalances.
By incorporating specific spices, herbs, and cooking methods, the diet helps detoxify the body, improve nutrient assimilation, and enhance immunity.
For example, a Vata-pacifying diet includes warm, moist, and grounding foods to stabilize erratic energy, while a Kapha-balancing diet incorporates light, spicy, and warming meals to reduce sluggishness.
Moreover, Ayurveda recommends mindful eating practices, such as eating at regular times and avoiding overeating, to promote optimal digestion and prevent disease progression.
Through its personalized approach and focus on restoring harmony, the Ayurvedic diet acts as a natural, holistic tool to manage health conditions and support the body’s innate healing capacity.
Benefits of an Ayurvedic Diet
A balanced diet is necessary for good health, yet many people neglect its importance in daily life.
While education on balanced nutrition is widely accessible, its practical application remains limited.
This has led to an alarming rise in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity, which are still being managed through medication instead of dietary corrections.
However, Ayurveda, the ancient science of life, emphasizes that diet is a powerful tool for maintaining health and preventing disease.
Ayurvedic diet supports physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It encourages mindful eating for better nutrient absorption and helps maintain dosha balance, reducing disease risk.
An Ayurvedic diet focuses on customizing the food choices of an individual with their unique body constitution (Prakriti) and imbalances (vikriti).
It advocates the use of fresh, wholesome, and easily digestible foods while avoiding processed and refined items.
It is deeply rooted in the principles of balance, emphasizing the incorporation of all six tastes—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent—in meals to harmonize bodily functions. Ayurveda also incorporates seasonal and lifestyle adaptations, such as the use of cooling foods during summer and nourishing, warm meals in winter, to maintain equilibrium.
Kerala’s traditional dietary practices follow many Ayurvedic principles. Earlier, unpolished rice, fresh fish, coconut, and a variety of seasonal vegetables and tubers provided essential nutrients, while medicinal porridges and Panchakarma treatments rejuvenated the body during the monsoon.
These practices contributed to Kerala’s remarkable health metrics in the past, such as lower infant mortality rates and higher life expectancy.
However, the modern lifestyle has taken a toll on everyone’s health.
With the introduction of modern dietary habits, people have shifted towards refined and processed foods, leading to an epidemic of lifestyle disorders.
Ayurvedic practices, including detoxifying foods and immune-boosting herbs, offer a natural remedy to counteract these trends.
Panchakarma therapies and medicinal rice porridges, rich in antioxidants and nutrients, help remove toxins and enhance cellular health.
In a world increasingly burdened by chronic ailments and environmental stressors, incorporating Ayurvedic dietary principles opens up a pathway to long-term health and vitality.
Things to Consider While Preparing an Ayurvedic Diet
While preparing an Ayurvedic diet, it is essential to consider the principles of Ayurveda, which help maintain balance among the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) and promote holistic well-being. Here are key points to be taken care of:
Focus on a Dosha-based diet.
Identify your dominant dosha and your body constitution (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha) through an Ayurvedic practitioner or self-assessment or the novel app developed by the NCISM (a Govt. of India body) to promote prakriti-based healing, the Prakruti Parikshan app, here’s the link to the application https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.artcode.prakrutiparikshan&pcampaignid=web_share.
Customize the diet:
Identifying your dominant dosha can help you customize your diet and pacify any imbalances.
Prioritise Fresh, Locally Produced and Seasonal Foods
Eat fresh, locally produced foods:
Incorporate freshly prepared meals from locally produced ingredients, as they are considered to have more prana (life force).
Go seasonal:
Consume foods grown locally and seasonally to align with nature’s rhythms.
Include All Six Tastes
Ensure every meal includes the six Ayurvedic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent.
This helps balance your doshas.
Emphasise Digestive Health
Avoid distractions while eating, and chew food thoroughly.
Choose foods and spices that strengthen your digestive fire (Agni), such as ginger, cumin, or fennel.
Avoid combining incompatible foods, like milk and fish, or fruit with dairy.
Use Herbs and Spices Wisely
Add Ayurvedic herbs and spices like turmeric, coriander, cardamom, and asafoetida, which also aid digestion; however, do not use them excessively. Maintain a balance between flavors.
Focus on dosha-specific spices; for example, Vata types benefit from warming spices, while Pitta types should favor cooling ones.
Cook with Sattvic Ingredients
Incorporate sattvic foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts) that promote clarity and calmness.
Avoid tamasic and rajasic foods like overly processed, fried, or spicy foods that may disturb mental peace.
Hydrate Well
Sip room-temperature water to support digestion. Avoid cold beverages, which can hamper Agni.
Try herbal teas, such as tulsi or cumin-coriander tea, suited to your dosha.
Follow Mealtime Guidelines
Eat at consistent times to regulate digestion.
Avoid overeating by leaving one-third of your stomach empty to allow proper digestion.
Eat your largest meal at midday, when Agni is strongest, ie..when the sun is directly above your head.
Prefer Quality Over Quantity
Prepare meals in a calm, positive environment and opt for ingredients that are organically grown in their natural environment.
Quick Tips
- Avoid reheating foods or eating leftovers.
- Reduce the practice of refrigerating foods.
- Practice portion control.
- Respect your cravings and allow them within the dosha-appropriate limits.
What to Include in An Ayurvedic Diet
- Fresh, seasonal, locally available (within 100 kilometers of a person’s residence), and organic produce.
- Ghee, whole grains, lentils, and spices like turmeric, cumin, and fennel.
- Foods cooked with love and mindfulness.
What to Avoid in an Ayurvedic Diet
- Processed, stale, and leftover foods.
- Excessive sugar, salt, and spices.
- Unnatural or artificial additives.
Is Ayurveda Vegetarian?
Ayurveda is not vegetarian; while Ayurveda predominantly advocates a vegetarian diet, it incorporates non-vegetarian foods like fish and meat for those who require it, depending on their Dosha and health conditions.
What Should I Eat First in the Morning According to Ayurveda?
Ayurveda recommends starting your day with a glass of warm water to activate digestion, followed by soaked nuts or fresh fruit to energize the body.
You may also incorporate herbal teas, such as ginger, tulsi, or fennel tea, which can improve digestion, balance doshas, and energize the body. Rice porridge cooked with ghee nourishes the body and calms the digestive system, especially for vata or pitta types.
For individuals with balanced digestion or specific health conditions, a teaspoon of ghee mixed in warm water can lubricate the digestive tract and support gut health.
Avoid cold, processed, or heavy foods in the morning, as these can weaken digestion.
Ayurveda also encourages mindfulness while eating, so take your morning meal in a calm environment, allowing your body to absorb the nourishment fully.
Conclusion
Ayurveda is not just a science; it’s a way of living a healthy and prosperous life.
Ayurvedic diet is an integral part of healthy living, and it provides extensive insights into food and health based on certain unique conceptual and theoretical positions.
Food is an essential requirement in life and is considered one among the three upasthambhas (supports of life), i.e., Sahara (diet), Nidra (sleep), and brahmacharya (observance of celibacy); the first one has been given more importance and considered to be the best in Ayurveda.
Most health problems develop due to the wrong eating habits and cooking methods.
By adopting an Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle, you can promote holistic health and prevent the onset of many lifestyle diseases. Remember, mindful eating and balance are at the heart of Ayurveda, guiding you toward a life of health and harmony.
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
