YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!!
This is a well known saying depicting the importance of food that we consume.
Ayurveda too emphasis on food- Aharam and it's considered as one among the trayopasthama/ three pillars of life.
In ayurveda, there are certain rules of having food and about healthy food habits. It also has certain list of food which can be taken on regular basis and which should be not be taken regularly.
Let's take a deep dive into the ayurvedic perspective of food and its importance.
Food that can be taken regularly as per ayurveda includes:
Barley, Wheat , Rice, Gooseberry, Grapes, Pomegranate, Greengram, Snake gourd , Turmeric, Jaggery, Honey, Ghee, Water and Milk.
Food that should not be consumed on daily basis includes:
Curd, Vinegar, Dried meat, Pork, Fish, Urad dal , Cow-peas, Tuberous roots.
Healthy food habits to follow as per ayurveda:
Eat at the right interval, never skip a meal.
Consume food which is warm, fresh and easily digestible.
Food that you consume should include all the six rasas- sweet, sour, bitter, astringent, pungent and salty.
Eat only when hungry, avoid eating in hurry or very slowly
There is also a concept of virudhhara or incompatible food in ayurveda wherin certain food combination becomes unwholesome diet. Some examples for incompatible food are as follows:
Fish and milk
Sour food and milk
Mushroom cooked in mustard oil
Banana and buttermilk
Another intersting concept in ayurveda is Okasatmya meaning when one is used to eating certain food from a long time ( habitual) can turn it wholesome to that individual.
So let's consider all these factors while choosing our diet plan, Eat wholesome food in right quantity at the right time following all the rules mentioned in ayurveda for your well being.
