Ayurveda is much more than just a wellness hype. Those who use the traditional Indian art of healing benefit from a strengthened immune system and enjoy life with more energy and zest for life.
In addition to massages, yoga and meditation, nutrition is central to the Ayurvedic way of life. Ayurvedic food should detoxify the body, stimulate the metabolism, ensure more vitality and well-being in everyday life and even prevent diseases. We give seven tips on how to integrate Ayurvedic nutrition into everyday life.
What is the Ayurvedic Diet?
Diet is an integral part of Ayurveda ( Veda = knowledge; ayur = of long life) and keeps the body functions, especially digestion and metabolism, in balance. According to Ayurveda, a balanced diet can bring body and soul into harmony, strengthen health and prevent diseases.
The three doshas (Pitta, Kapha and Vata) must be taken into account in the diet – these are diet types that determine which foods are suitable for whom.
Digestion is the focus of Ayurvedic nutrition. The food should be easy to digest and of high quality; finished products and alcohol are taboo. Meat is also largely avoided.
Typical Ayurvedic foods are ghee – the Indian butter alternative used for cooking – legumes, nuts, fruits, grains, seeds, and vegetables and dairy products.
Eating Ayurveda: 7 Simple Ayurvedic Diet Tips
Start the day with hot lemon water or golden milk.
Warm drinks like tea help get your metabolism going. Hot lemon water or golden milk (milk with turmeric) brings the body going right away in the morning. Ayurvedic nutrition provides two to three litres of water a day to drink!
Learn to distinguish hunger from appetite
Often, alleged feelings of hunger are cravings. Important in Ayurvedic nutrition: only eat when you are starving and stop as soon as you are full.
Chew and eat consciously
Try to chew each bite 30 times. This means that all six flavours (sweet, sour, salty, tart, bitter, spicy) are perceived more intensely. Besides, the feeling of fullness sets in faster if you eat consciously and slowly.
By the way, according to Ayurveda, you should eat either in peace or with friends and family in a nice atmosphere – Ayurveda meets Hygge, so to speak !
Pay attention to regular meals
In order to optimally stimulate the metabolism, regular meals should be taken into account. Means: Cover the food with three dishes a day, there should be at least four hours between meals.
According to the Ayurvedic diet, the main meal should be taken at noon. Don’t hesitate to use foods with protein and fat. By the way, lunch should be cooked – ideally steaming or steaming to preserve the nutrients as best as possible. In general, raw food is avoided in the Ayurvedic diet because it is more difficult to digest.
Ayurveda recipes often contain:
- Sources of protein: animal products, soy, legumes, green vegetables
- Sources of fat: nuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, ghee, sunflower oil, avocado, olives.
Take breaks between meals
To detoxify the body, it is necessary to go into a phase in which the body does not consume food – a so-called fasting phase. This meal break should last about twelve to 13 hours. The break is relatively easy to keep if you schedule it between dinner and breakfast.
Well, seasoned is half the battle!
The ten Ayurvedic royal spices, ginger, cloves, turmeric, coriander, saffron, cinnamon or cardamom, cumin, nutmeg and pepper, stimulate the digestive fire Agni and have a positive effect on the immune system and health. At the same time, spices and fresh herbs turn every recipe into a taste experience. Because every Ayurvedic meal should contain six flavours (sour, salty, tart, bitter, hot and sweet), that’s why spices are needed!
Consume sweets BEFORE the main meal
Small dessert after dinner? According to Ayurveda, diet is not necessarily optimal. Because sweet dishes are harder to digest, which is why they are often eaten before the warm main courses.
Also Read: THE ROLE OF PROTEINS IN NUTRITION: HOW MUCH PROTEIN IS HEALTHY?
The three types of nutrition, according to Ayurveda
According to Ayurveda, the so-called doshas determine the individual diet. These are assigned to the five elements (fire, water, earth, air and space). There are three doshas which, in different combinations, make up a person’s diet type and should be taken into account in the diet:
- Vata: Anyone who is restless, creative and nervous and delicately built and prone to digestive problems could belong to Doshas Vata type, which stands for air and space. To prevent digestive problems and be underweight, this type of diet should focus on easily digestible dishes. Eat three times a day, cooked, warm meals, and lots of tea and sweet and sour fruits are ideal.
- Kapha: Made up of earth and water, Kapha types are strong, relaxed and sluggish. Kaphas tend to be overweight and should therefore focus on plenty of exercises and light food. Lots of water (how about energetic gemstone water, for example ), fruits and vegetables are the right food, whereas foods like sugar and wheat flour are less recommended.
- Pitta: Composed of the elements fire and water, the Pitta Dosha is remarkably athletic and energetic. Pitta constitutions have a good metabolism and rarely have digestive problems. Recommended foods for pitta relatives are a lot of fruit and vegetables and protein and carbohydrates and cooling foods; raw vegetables are also allowed. In contrast, fatty foods and hot spices are not ideal for Pitta types.