Ayurvedic eating habits for a healthy lifestyle

Good nutrition means maintaining a nutritional status that enables us to enjoy good health and grow well. Those who follow a properly balanced diet are seldom affected by sickness and live a long life. A balanced diet plays a crucial role in the proper maintenance of the power of digestion. Ayurveda nutrition and cooking course help to understand the ideal Ayurvedic eating habits for a healthy lifestyle.

5 Ayurveda Eating Habits

1. Seating Posture during meals

Ayurveda has given great importance to the constituents of the food and the act of eating. When you eat your food, the seating posture makes a huge impact and it is recommended to be well seated in an upright posture. As per Ayurveda, the best posture is to sit in a cross-legged position. That is how our ancestors used to eat in the olden days. If sitting on a chair and a table ensure to be comfortable and keep a straight back. Do not keep your body stiff and remember to bend appropriately when taking a bite. 

2. Eat Seasonal Food

The importance of eating food based on seasonal availability cannot be stressed enough. The body needs to acclimatize with the season and eating foods that contradict the season will put added pressure on the digestive system. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables according to the current seasons. Consider warmer food like jaggery, butter and nuts in winter and colder foods such as cucumber, curd, buttermilk and lemonade in summer months. 

3. Eat to live and not the other way around

Try incorporating a sattvic diet into your everyday lifestyle and avoid overindulging. A sattvic diet is one full of all the essential elements like leafy vegetables, grains, legumes, seasonal fruits, nuts, oils and dairy products. Do not eat anymore after a big meal and eat healthy snacks when hungry. Many times we end up overeating since we take more portions of our plate than required. There is a trick to control your food portion: start by taking half of the desired portion. Take more only if you're still hungry after finishing the first portion.

4. Eat Food at the right time

The proper functioning of our digestive system is vital to help process our food effectively. It peaks in its activity during the day and gradually lowers with the setting of the sun. Restrict all your big meals during the day and have a light dinner, preferably before 7 PM. If you are hungry before bed, have some warm turmeric milk instead of extra snacks.

5. Watchout for Harmful Food Combinations

According to Ayurveda, the digestive system is delicate and extra care has to be given when you combine foods. Certain incompatible food combinations can affect your gut health and leave your stomach feeling uncomfortable and bloated. Foods like bananas and milk, yoghurt and sour/citrus fruits, fish and curd are not meant to be eaten together.

What is a balanced diet according to Ayurveda?

Ideal food is nothing but the food which is necessary for the proper body growth, maintenance of health, & bone development. A Balanced diet is defined as one which pacifies the need for energy, vitamins, amino acid, minerals, fat, carbohydrate and nutrients for maintaining health, vitality and general wellbeing. The concepts of a balanced diet are illustrated in Charaka Samhita. They should be consumed regularly and are always conducive to health for the maintenance of health. 

According to Acharya Charaka, the list of foods that are advisable to consume daily is cow milk, Godhuma (wheat), Ghrita (ghee), Shashtika-shali (rice that grown in 60 days), Yava (barley), Saindhava (rock salt), Mudga (green gram), Madhu (honey), Amalaki (Emblica Officinalis), Antarikshajala or Divyodaka (rainwater), JangalaMamsa (meat of animals from arid land). These foods can be correlated as a balanced diet in today’s era.

According to Acharya Vagbhata, Godhuma (wheat), vegetables like Mrudwika (Vitis vinefra), Sunishannaka, Jivanthi, Patola (Trichosanthusdoica), Balamulaka, Pathya (Terminalia Chebula), Sharkara (Jaggery), Dadima can be consumed habitually.

Concept of Healthy living in Ayurveda

Ayurveda emphasizes leading a healthy lifestyle by forming healthy routines to avoid diseases. The concept of healthy living in Ayurveda is built on four pillars: 

• Food
• Lifestyle
• Rejuvenators
• Supplements

FOOD
Following the diet that suits your constitution is the most important element for maintaining balance. One needs to understand the natural constitution to follow a diet best suited for maintaining balance and learn what sort of dietary changes will help restore balance. 

LIFESTYLE
Finding a recommended lifestyle routine is vital to correcting disparity and maintaining balance. A healthy lifestyle includes

• A healthy daily routine
• Sleeping, waking and eating at regular times
• Regular exercise including Light yoga
• Self-massage with suitable oils
• Centring yourself with a few minutes of meditation and stillness daily

REJUVENATORS
Rasayana is a variety of ancient supplements that promote the maintenance of a vital, young, dynamic and energetic self and the rejuvenation of the body. It works to make the body feel young and refreshed since they are not simply food, but powerful solutions to problems that upset balance and health. There are rejuvenators to combat any factor that upset the balance and health of the human body. 

NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS
Many traditional Ayurvedic herbal supplements including spices in our food and herbs are used in a variety of ways to promote detoxification of the body. Understanding one’s constitution and imbalance will help in choosing the right herbal supplements. Ayurveda has numerous herbal supplements, whether in need of detoxification or wanting to combat stress, lethargy, or poor digestion, to help promote longevity and maintain a healthy lifestyle. So Ayurvedic eating habits for a healthy lifestyle is highly recommended one 

In conclusion, understanding the proper Ayurvedic eating habits has so many benefits than just good health. There is an old saying that goes “You are what you eat”, so consume wisely and live healthier.

School of Ayurveda & Panchakarma is a leading Ayurveda Institute in Kerala that helps its students to understand the true benefits of Ayurveda.