SOUL FOOD

In today’s world we see a plethora of dieting formats. Starting from Keto diet, there were many others that followed - paleo diet, fertility diet, low carb diet, raw food diet and many more. In fact, newer diet trends are coming up every other day.

Ayurveda, the five-thousand-year-old documented medical science has a lot to say about diet. In the original text, there are four whole chapters dedicated to describing the various kinds of foods that can be consumed by humans. Each food has a brief description about the taste and its effects on the body including Indications and Contraindications.

Here are the 6 rules of healthy eating, as laid out by Ayurveda:

Eat Regional & Seasonal:
Because both the body and the produce are turned to the seasons
Eat in Moderation:
Everything in excess loads the digestive system. Eat for need not for greed. Or at least stop at greed and not go to avarice or gluttony.
Eat based on your Body Constitution (Prakriti):
Each of our bodies is unique and we need to honour that by feeding the body what is appropriate and moderating/avoiding what is not.
Eat only till you are half Stomach full:
So, there is enough space for both digestion and detoxification.
Keep it Simple, Nutritious and Nourishing:
Make nourishment the primary purpose of eating.
Eat with Joy, Gratitude & Mindfulness:
Emotions form an important part of what we consume.

The core principle is to keep our body as the primary guide to what it requires vs blindly following fad diets. Becoming aware of our body constitution and its needs during a particular season, day, time, is what growing our Health Intelligence is all about.

But then, there will be times when we are inclined to binge eat or eat unhealthy food! And, that’s when we need to gather all our mental strength to reign in our temptations and instead choose to eat healthier options when available. “Easier said than done!” you may say. But that’s the Ayurveda Way. The how of this we will cover in our future articles.

Ultimately, Ayurvedic dietary principles extend beyond just physical nourishment and are speaking to the profound connection between food and overall well-being. Embracing these timeless guidelines offers a holistic approach to health, promoting harmony in mind, body, and spirit. As Ayurveda encourages, "When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; when diet is correct, medicine is of no need."

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