10 Ayurvedic nutrition rules for better health
‘Let thy food be thy medicine’ is one of Hippocrates’ most famous quotes – but even though it was first uttered over a thousand years ago, it’s still just as relevant today.
As a largely preventative healthcare system and lifestyle, Ayurvedic medicine is all about encouraging a healthy, personalised approach to daily habits – food in particular. Many of its ancient teachings can easily be applied today to enhance our mental and physical wellbeing.
The way we eat has a significant impact on our overall health – often rushed, grabbing what’s convenient or consuming excessive amounts of foods that should be enjoyed in moderation. Returning to this simpler, more traditional way of enjoying food can have multiple benefits – from better digestion to weight loss.
Here are the ten key principles of Ayurveda’s nutritional guidelines you can easily incorporate into your daily routine.
1. Eat fresh, whole foods wherever possible
This isn’t strictly exclusive to Ayurveda, but it’s solid all-round advise for anyone wishing to improve their health.
Your diet should be unique to you, based on your dosha type – but it should also be based largely on wholefoods – fruits and vegetables and organic meat and fish. Lessening your intake of processed, refined foods will have a significantly positive impact on your overall health.
2. Eat seasonal foods
Ayurveda’s principles are closely linked to the seasons – each dosha has characteristics linked to spring, summer, autumn and winter. In turn, it is recommended not just to eat certain foods for your dosha type, but to only eat those foods when they are naturally abundant.
This has various benefits outside of the principles of Ayurveda- namely fewer pesticides (as seasonal foods can be organically grown) and fewer airmiles (often out of season foods are shipped thousands of miles to their destination).
3. Cut down on red meat and dairy
Consumption of red meat and dairy is limited in Ayurveda, as meat in particular is considered heavy and acidic. Dairy is nourishing in small doses taken at the right time, but too much of it (combined with over-consumption of meat) can cause Kapha imbalance and digestive issues, leaving us sluggish and tired. Cutting down on meat and dairy in favor of a more plant-based diet is ideal, replacing with small amounts of chicken, fish and low-lactose alternatives.
Food pairing also comes into play here – avoiding eating certain foods together to limit imbalance in the body. Once you have determined your dosha type you can look up foods to enjoy in abundance and in moderation.
4. Eat slowly and mindfully
There’s a saying in Ayurveda – ‘If you eat while standing up, death looks over your shoulder’. It highlights the importance of sitting down to eat, and prioritizing mealtimes as an essential and dedicated space in our schedules to refuel and nourish.
Even if you’re always ‘on the go’ – make time to sit down and properly enjoy your food. When eating, eliminate all distractions – no phones, books or TV. Instead, focus your awareness on the textures, tastes and scent of your food. Practice mindful eating as much as possible, savouring each mouthful and properly chewing (which also prevents overeating and promotes healthy digestion).
Although talking while eating isn’t recommended, it’s better to enjoy your meals with your loved ones than whilst glued to a screen if this is a more realistic option for you. Getting rid of unhelpful distractions while you eat may be a difficult habit to break at first, but gradually you’ll get used to it.
5. Incorporate healing herbs and spices
Medicinal herbs, spices and plant extracts feature daily in any Ayurvedic dietary regime. Often they come in the form of herbal teas, which can be consumed throughout the day. All teas and ingredients have different properties, so start by identifying your dosha type and opting for ingredients that will help you to energise, detoxify and re-balance.
6. Eat until satisfied, not full
Many of us are guilty of overeating, especially if we’re usually faced with distractions at dinner (as above). When we overeat, we divert precious energy away from other areas of the body where it is needed. If you’re unaccustomed to checking in with your body during a meal and always find yourself feeling stuffed after eating, try slowing down and savouring each mouthful. Recognize when you feel satisfied, but not full, and start to use that as an indicator for every meal. You may find cutting down on portion sizes can help with this, too.
7. Keep foods at room temperature or warmer
Avoiding ice-cold foods and drinks is a piece of advice given both by Ayurvedic and TCM practitioners. Speaking in Ayurvedic terms, over-consumption of cold foods can dampen the digestive fire (agni) which keeps the system running efficiently. Your dosha type will influence how often you can consume food and drink served below room temperature – cool Vatas for example will want to lean more towards hot, but fiery Pittas can get away with cooler beverages and foods.
8. Avoid eating before right before bed
No, not another diet fad – eating before bed won’t make you put weight on. But it could cause digestive discomfort and disorder – from triggering IBS to causing constipation.
During sleep our bodies go into rest and repair mode. As it heals and restores its energy levels are concentrated away from the digestive system. To maintain a balanced level of prana which is directed towards the right areas of the body, eat a light meal no sooner than three hours before bedtime.
9. Eat your largest meal at lunchtime
In Ayurveda it is believed that agni is at its strongest when the sun is at its highest. Eating a larger meal at this time allows plenty of opportunity to digest and easier digestion compared with later on in the day – also preventing the ‘mid-afternoon slump’.
Many people across various cultures find this to be a natural and healthy way to live – but we tend to eat a smaller lunch and a bigger evening meal in the west. Switching this around is not always easy, especially if you don’t have time to prepare and eat a large meal during the day, but making small steps towards lessening the amount you eat in the evening can make a difference.
10. Include the six tastes at every meal
This one may take some time to perfect – but it’s well worth dedicating some energy to. Ayurveda recognizes six tastes, each of which imparts specific energy and information within the body.
By incorporating all six at every meal you get a balanced and abundant level of beneficial properties of each taste.
Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent and pungent – all tastes have varying properties, from cleansing and cooling to grounding and anti-inflammatory.
Eating well, and paying attention to how you eat and habits as well as what you eat, can have hugely positive implications for your health. Take a look at my other nutrition-based blogs here to learn more.