Ayurveda is the ancient Indian science of life and well-being. Those of us who have roots in India are aware of the power of Ayurveda in many aspects. Many of our granny’s nuskas or home remedies come from this science. Simple home remedies have helped us avoid popping pills for issues like indigestion, sleeplessness, or cold and cough. There is a science behind many food practices our ancestors taught us. With urbanisation and Western influence, many of us moved away from these practices, while many from Western countries are adopting these practices.
Ayurveda teaches us to live in harmony with nature, using what is available during the various seasons. According to it, our body is formed from five elements of nature and urges us to eat such that these elements remain balanced. It is when an imbalance occurs in our body that illnesses crop up. As such, many Ayurvedic medicines are helping restore the balance. Therefore, it suggests dietary changes. 50% of seniors who responded to our last week’s survey agree that Ayurvedic foods help restore balance and help rejuvenate. Typically, Ayurveda has always been predominantly vegetarian, and majority of seniors are already adhering to such a diet.
Here are five food best practices that you can follow to keep yourself healthy. These are not difficult and do not require you to do anything extra or give up on any food or allopathic medicines. They only help you to follow a better food regime.
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- Eat mindfully
Most of us know of mindful meditation. However, mindful eating is a technique that helps our body assimilate the nutrients from what we eat. We are what we eat; therefore, we must watch what and when we eat. In today’s fast-paced world, people rarely follow mindful eating. Mindful eating means we spare a specific time for eating without any distractions. Think about how often you have eaten exclusively without watching TV or browsing your mobile. At the office, it probably is grabbing a quick burger or discussing business with your colleagues! We never pay attention to what we eat.
In mindful eating, one must see and feel what one eats with happiness. Eat slowly instead of gobbling the food. You must chew food properly before swallowing food to aid good digestion. When you eat slowly, the saliva in the mouth mingles with the food properly to aid digestion in the stomach. Also, it sends the right signals to the brain to assimilate benefits from what we eat. Hence, avoid distractions and eat mindfully.
- Avoid cold food and drinks
Our internal body temperature, according to Ayurveda, is around 98 degrees Celsius. Therefore, we must consume water that is around the same temperature to ensure proper digestion takes place. Ideally, we must consume food and drinks at room temperature, and you can see a dramatic turnaround in your digestion issues. When we drink cold water, it is like dousing the fire within due to the temperature variation. The body will then have to work harder to digest the food we eat, and it causes a loss of energy. Cold food and drinks are not ideal for digestion. If you mix warm foods with cold beverages, it causes bloating and stomach cramps. However, slightly cool drinks can be taken by those who have Pitta imbalance to cool the body.
- Eat with your hands
We mostly eat with our hands, while people in Western countries use spoons and forks. Many see it as a cultural issue due to the kinds of foods we eat. Imagine eating dosa or rotis with a spoon and fork! However, culture being the only reason we eat with our hands is untrue. As with many other practices, there is a science behind eating with hands. The five fingers on our hands represent the five elements that make up our body and nature – air, water, space, earth, and fire. These elements combine to make us aware of the taste, aroma, texture, and temperature of what we eat. There is a physical connection when we touch the food, sending signals to our brains. These signals promote the secretion of digestive juices in the stomach to aid better digestion. Also, when you eat with your hands, mindful eating happens automatically.
- Eat seasonal foods
Why should we eat certain foods only during certain seasons? With industrialisation, many seasonal foods are being made available throughout the year. That’s an achievement! There is a reason why nature gives us certain foods during certain seasons, and we should eat them only during those times. It is because the season also impacts our bodies, and so does the food we eat. Consuming foods that make our bodies feel more heat during summer or colder during winter is undesirable. Such food habits affect our natural immune system and cause illnesses. Ayurveda has a Ritucharya that tells us what to eat during the different Ritus – Sharath, Hemanta, Shishira, Vasanta, Greeshma, and Varsha. For example, jaggery is consumed in winter to give warmth, and avoid citrus foods in winter mornings as they are cold. Eat cucumbers during summer and avoid eating curds at night, and so on. Seasonal foods help maintain the balance of the body elements aligned to the seasons.
- Avoid illogical pairing
Indeed, it is the era of fusion foods. However, one cannot blindly combine foods as they cause health issues. Avoid food combinations that can cause an imbalance of elements and promote indigestion. For example, milk with a banana or any sour fruits, curds with sour fruits, eggs and milk, honey with ghee, chicken with milk, eggs with fruits or beans, etc., are undesirable combinations. Also, you should ideally not eat fruits with any other food. Avoid taking hot drinks with meat and fish. Some antidotes like adding spices, cooking various together in the same pot, adding cardamom to your coffee or ghee to certain foods, etc., help overcome the issues. There is science behind why we add certain ingredients to certain dishes or cook in a certain way.
