QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF FOOD.
Ayurveda stresses balance, but it does not prohibit specific meals, nor does it promote vegetarianism as a need for optimum health.
- Some natural items (e.g., carrots, turnips, zucchini, ginger, finger millet, etc.) are naturally balanced, while others are not and may upset the humors if consumed in excess (e.g., cabbage, potatoes, cauliflower, etc.).
- However, this does not imply that the latter should be avoided.
- To create a balanced meal, they should be consumed in conjunction with particular herbs or vegetables.
- Antagonists are items that respond in a way that is counter to the nature of the body in terms of characteristics, combination, processing, location, duration, dosage, and so on.
- They should be avoided at all costs.
In Ayurveda, any meals that have been preserved in any manner, or that have been precooked, are known as basa and should be avoided at all costs.
- With its frantic pace, too many activities, and lack of genuine relaxation, our contemporary lifestyle is vata-oriented, and basa meals add gasoline to the fire.
- Sleep problems, aches and pains, constipation, hemorrhoids, mental disorders, hypertension, and other vata diseases are becoming more common.
- As a result, consume fresh, unprocessed meals whenever possible to avoid a variety of illnesses.
- Drinking packaged juices is not recommended; instead, go for freshly squeezed juices or plain water.
- Bottled juices vitiate vata, causing aches and pains throughout the body.
- Preservative-laden bread should be avoided; fresh bread or rolls are preferable.
- Rather than eating the same things over and again, the basic technique of making a balanced Ayurvedic meal is to enrich it with a diversity of components.
Make a practice of preparing various veggies rather than eating just one kind of vegetable.
- Use herbs and spices like cumin, ginger, cardamom, basil, coriander, peppermint, and others on a daily basis in your cooking or to complement cuisine in some manner.
- Because cold and dry foods increase vata, you should eat warm meals and avoid them.
- Meals should be prepared with some fat since good digestion and absorption need it.
- "Warm food increases the digestive fire, digests rapidly, decreases mucus, and has a carminative impact on flatus."
- In recent years, the media has given butter and butter fat (ghee) a bad rap, claiming that they raise blood cholesterol and therefore cause diseases like hypertension and heart disease.
Ayurveda does not define balance as the elimination of particular foods.
Plant and animal fats are both necessary for human bodies, and reducing fat suddenly increases vata in the body.
- You get dry skin and feel agitated and anxious.
- Excessive amounts and incorrect combinations of meals, along with a lack of physical activity, are the root causes of many illnesses over time.
- They should not be treated by significantly reducing food intake or using powerful cholesterol-lowering medications.
- The amount of food you need is determined by your digestive capacity, physical activity, and the meal's quality.
To demonstrate Ayurvedic perspectives on this topic, I'll quote a few lines from the Charaka Samhita (6th century B.C.).
- Food, or any other item that is enjoyed but is unhealthy and has negative effects, should not be utilized due to inexperience or carelessness.
- Warm, unctuous, in appropriate amount, after the previous meal has been digested, non-antagonistic, in a convenient location with all convenient accessories... and with complete focus.
- If not treated promptly, one who consumes excessive amounts of unctuous, sweet, heavy, slimy substances, new cereals, fresh wine, meat from marshy and aquatic animals, milk and its products, jaggery, and flour preparations, while abstaining from physical activity, suffers from diseases caused by over-saturation.
Regular physical activity, eating immediately after the previous meal is digested, and consuming barley and wheat prevent obesity and oversaturation-related illnesses.
The amount of food we consume is governed by one basic concept in Ayurveda.
We should never eat enough water and food to fill more than two-thirds of our stomach.
- Food is digested by the three humors, and one-third of the stomach should be accessible for this purpose.
- If this is not done and the stomach is overfilled, the humors will push up, producing pain and leading to a variety of digestive problems.
I'm often asked how we know when we've filled two-thirds of the stomach.
- We should quit eating when our appetite has been satiated and we do not feel "full."
- It may seem tough at first since most of us feel wonderful and joyful when our stomachs are really "full."
- However, if we develop the practice of eating less with some self-control, we will enjoy a sense of well-being.
- People who followed this path informed me that after a time, they were so used to eating less that, despite all temptations, they couldn't eat a grain more after the necessary amount.
Actually, our bodies have an instinctive understanding of these issues, but our erroneous way of life has stifled this inherent knowledge.
- It's tough to keep track of how much food you consume, particularly when the cuisine is delicious and diverse.
- As it is, overeating and the difficulties that it causes are common concerns among my data participants.
I must confess that gaining full control over the proper amount of food requires mental discipline.
- This stems from a broad sense of self-control.
- The different yoga and breathing techniques may be used.
I suggest that you don't drink too much liquid with your meals, and that you drink water at least an hour after you've done eating.
- Juices and milk are not advised with main meals, according to Ayurvedic tradition.
- In the winter, soups are consumed, while in the summer, a light yogurt drink (lassi) is suggested around noon.
- Yogurt meals, on the other hand, should not be had at night.
- With meals, ancient Ayurvedic writings recommend excellent quality old wine or good beer.
Never eat anything else until the preceding meal has been digested.
- This has a toxic impact on the body, according to Ayurveda.
- As a result, you should carefully avoid consuming even little candies or snacks in between your three or four daily meals.
- It is preferable to consume four little meals throughout the day rather than two large ones.
Vata is vitiated by long meal intervals and not eating when hungry.
- The amount of food you eat should be determined by the type of the meal.
- According to Ayurveda, hard to digest and rich meals are "light" when consumed in moderation, while light foods consumed in excess are "heavy."
- As a result, you may indulge in your favorite fried foods on occasion, but only in modest portions.
Certain descriptions of heavy and light meals may be found in ancient Ayurvedic literature, which can assist you in determining the amount of each in your diet.
- Green and leafy vegetables are easier to digest than pulses, lentils, and certain grains.
- Rice is easier to digest than wheat, while maize is heavier.
- Each of us understands which meals are weighty and make us feel uncomfortable based on our emotions and experiences.
You should carefully consider the effects of different foods and avoid those that make you feel uneasy or sluggish.
- For cooking, use a light vegetable oil and ghee (clarified butter).
- Oils such as maize, coconut, olive, and sunflower are suitable.
- Mustard and peanut oils are both high in fat.
- Avoid rapeseed oil and mixed vegetable oils, which may include rapeseed oil or other difficult-to-digest oils.
IN THE WORLD OF FOOD, THERE ARE ANTAGONISTS.
Antiagonists are substances, activities, or preparations that have an opposite reaction to the body's natural state.
- Antagonism may be induced by a variety of dietary combinations, food characteristics, processing, location, time, dosage, and so on.
- When antagonistic substances are consumed, acts are taken, or one is subjected to various kinds of antagonism in accordance with Ayurvedic teachings, sickness is often the result.
Their impact may manifest as an instant malaise at times, while it can manifest as a gradual effect at other times.
- In the latter instance, the antagonistic relationship may result in a severe illness that develops over time.
- Minor aliments become chronic aliments as a result of dietary antagonistics.
- When putting together different meal combinations, you need always be selective.
- Remember that consuming antagonistic foods is like slowly poisoning oneself.
Here's a list of some of the antagonists:
1. Watermelon milk;
2. Fish milk;
3. Radish milk;
4. Milk with sour items;
5. Honey with wine;
6. Honey in hot beverages
7. After consuming honey,
8.drink hot water;
9. Sweet and cold food consumed by someone used to pungent and hot, or vice versa;
10. Cold food after using ghee or other fatty food;
11.Using a diet, medication, or habit that is harmful to one's profession;
12.Processing enmity, such as the use of specific food technologies that may make food unfit;
13.Cooking on bad fuel, eating uncooked, overcooked, or burned food;
14.Not eating according to seasons, such as eating nuts in the summer, cold drinks in the winter, etc. ;
15.Eating yogurt at night;
16. Drinking something too hot or cold;
17. Combining hot and cold;
18. Eating too salty, too sharp, too pungent, or too sour substances;
19. Not eating according to geographic location, such as eating nuts in the summer, cold drinks in the winter, etc.
20. Using kapha-vitiating substances by a person indulging in too much sleep and lethargy;
21. Ingestion of vata-vitiating substances by a person engaging in overwork, sexual intercourse, or physical activity;
22.Failure to eat in accordance with one's constitution.
Because of the little amount eaten, your strong digestive capacity, and your young age, the antagonism may be halted with unction, physical activity, and your own physical strength.
Cleaning procedures such as emesis and purgation, along with a light and nutritious diet, may be used to offset antagonist effects.