The mind is very powerful. It is the boss. But the mind must obey the intelligence, your soul. The senses grow strong because they are fed everyday but unhealthy senses lead to unhealthy desires. The soul grows weak when it has not been nourished. If the mind does not obey the soul (by eating cake when you are already full, for example), it is an unhealthy mind. Misuse of intelligence is the second cause of disease in Ayurveda.
All humans are bestowed with intelligence. This intelligence is one of the things that differentiates us from other animals. We can remember our past experiences of good and bad and avoid things, foods, and activities that we know are bad for us. With intelligence, we are able to discover what is good or bad for us. But we misuse our intelligence and indulge in foods and activities that are harmful. For example, if we have burning in the stomach (heartburn), burning urination, or burning or itching skin or eyes, this indicates that too much heat or fire has increased in the body. If we use our intelligence, we should stop eating foods like chilies, hot spices, coffee, alcohol, acidic foods, and any other food (or activity) that will increase heat or fire in the body. To reduce the excessive heat, we should consume cooling foods such as cucumber, coconut water, and watermelon, and we should participate in cooling activities. This approach will balance the increased heat in our bodies and relieve us from disease.
But do we really practice this? Probably not. Instead, we ignore and suppress signals of imbalance in our bodies. We continue eating foods that increase heat. For relief we pop an antacid tablet every morning and go on drinking coffee. We eat another heating or acidic food immediately after that. This approach is similar to taking a shower and then rolling yourself in the dirt. Or another analogy is that if your house is on fire you should use water to extinguish the fire, not gasoline. This is simple common sense. Yet so commonly, a patient suffering from heartburn or itching and burning (too much heat in the body) asks, “Can I have just one coffee every day?” This is like asking, “Can I put just one gallon of gasoline on the fire in my house instead of five?”
A healthy mind is aware of its own thoughts and it is aware of whether its actions are right or wrong. Our intelligence helps us to discriminate between right and wrong but the mind has to be healthy, relaxed, and calm for the intelligence to work properly. Misuse of the intelligence (such as eating when you are already full) happens when the mind is not calm, quiet, and relaxed.
Proper diet and eating habits are considered to provide the source of physical and mental health. We all know that new cells and tissues are formed and old cells and tissues are destroyed. This is a constant process in the physical body. The formation of new tissues is fueled by the food we eat. According to Ayurveda the food that we eat gets converted (after digestion) into a nutrient fluid called ahara rasa. This nutrient fluid then nourishes the various tissues called the dhatu. The essence of all the dhatus (tissues) is called ojas, which represents the immunity of a person. Good immunity (ojas) is necessary for prevention as well as treatment of diseases. Hence food is closely connected to health.
According to Ayurveda, proper digestion of food is an important health factor. Ancient Ayurvedic texts describe food as medicine when eaten in proper quantities according to specific rules. If eaten improperly, the same food becomes the cause of disease. If the food is not completely digested, the nutrient fluid will not be of good quality and thus the tissues will not be of good quality. Hence the quality of your immunity or ojas will also be affected. Not only that, the undigested food produces a sticky toxic mucus type material called the ama. According to Ayurveda, ama is responsible for causing many diseases in the body. You may have heard of the proverb “you are what you eat.” In Ayurveda, we say that “you are what you digest.”
The concept of making food your medicine involves a number of factors. It does not only involve eating a complete, balanced, organic diet. There are many people who eat good quality organic foods but are also sick. If the quality of food were the only factor, these people should be healthy. It is not only the quality of food that makes food medicine.
Other factors include:
Quantity of food
Complete digestion of food
Cooking of food or use of spices to make the food easily digestible
Following rules for eating (such as eating with a peaceful mind or properly chewing food)
Proper combination of food items by not mixing incompatible foods
Eating foods that suit your constitution or body type
Once the properties of various foods and herbs are understood, these principles can be applied to your daily diet and when you feel unwell. If you fail to follow a proper diet or to establish an eating routine, you inevitably will create an imbalance of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Most diseases can be traced to an inadequate diet and improper eating. Poor nutrition or eating habits also disrupt any treatment or therapies undertaken. Incorrect diet or routine essentially works against efforts made to retain a balanced state. Following dietary advice is therefore an essential aspect of any treatment for sickness and disease. Changing what you eat changes the quality of your tissues. The quality of the food you eat – and the type of food for your body type or imbalance – makes all the difference to the quality of cells and new tissues that your body produces.
However, in Ayurveda we do not just focus on what you eat. We also focus on when you eat and how you eat. These issues are equally important. They are three legs of the tripod. If you are missing one leg of the tripod, it will fall or become imbalanced. Many people focus only on what they are eating, such as low carbohydrate, high protein, no sugar, or the many other varieties of fad diets on the market. These people are missing the bigger picture. What you eat really depends on who you are. If you have a Vata constitution (or have a Vata imbalance), there are specific foods that are best for pacifying Vata. Other foods on the prohibited list will aggravate your Vata or Vata imbalance. It is important to know who you are (and/or what your imbalance is) in order to use food as medicine to create perfect health.
Once you determine what foods to eat, it is crucial to know when to eat specific foods during the day. Eating the right foods at the wrong time of day can cause weight gain, insomnia, high cholesterol, and a host of other health problems. How you eat is a third factor in creating perfect health. Even if you eat the correct foods for your body type or imbalance, and even if you eat them at the right time of day, your health and new cell quality could be compromised if you do not follow the principles of how to eat.
Keep in mind that these principles are easy to understand, but they are more difficult to implement. They require dedication and commitment to change. As with all other aspects of Ayurvedic practice, go slowly, be gentle, and practice patience with yourself as you learn and implement these new changes for your well-being.
WHAT YOU EAT
A very important concept of Ayurveda is that “like increases like and opposite decreases it.” This means that if you eat certain foods, you will become similar to that food. If you were already cold and dry, and you ate a cold and dry food (like chips or lettuce), you would increase those qualities. On the other hand if you were to eat warm and lubricated foods (like a warm vegetable soup), those qualities of coldness and dryness would decrease. It is important to know the dominant element in your body and to eat accordingly so that you do not create imbalances. For example, if you have burning in the stomach (hyperacidity), feel hot in the body, have burning in the urine, or your skin is hot and itchy, this indicates dominance of Pitta (heat/fire element). If you continue to eat hot, spicy, acidic foods (similar to Pitta or fire), then this heat will increase and you will feel more miserable. On the other hand, if you eat cooling foods like watermelon, lettuce, or cucumber (opposite to the fire aspects of Pitta), you will feel improvement in the symptoms of burning and hyperacidity. That is how to use food as medicine.
Vata
The qualities of Vata are light, cold, rough and dry.
Foods that are light, cold, rough, and dry will increase Vata. It is not healthy for a Vata person to eat Vata foods because this will create an imbalance in Vata dosha and cause associated disorders. For example, if a Vata person (or a person with a Vata imbalance) eats a salad made from lettuce and vegetables that have light, cold, rough, or dry properties, then according to the rule that “like increases like and opposite decreases it,” this Vata person will, over time, aggravate Vata and cause symptoms of excess Vata, such as insomnia, dry skin, dry hair, constipation, anxiety, nervousness, lower back pain, and worry.
The best foods for a person with Vata dominance are foods that have opposite qualities. These foods are warm, heavy, moist, and oily. Eating foods that have all of these qualities (not just one, but all of them combined) will help to bring Vata into balance, or to keep it in balance. One of the basic principles of Ayurvedic cooking is that you can make any food work for your type by transforming it using spices combined with the qualities that balance that dosha. If you want to eat a food with opposite qualities, the best thing to do is cook the food and add oil to it, as well as the spices with the desired qualities. This will make it more acceptable. In this case, we know that heavy, warm, and oily foods balance the Vata dosha, so you can make any food work for a Vata type by cooking it with Vata spices and oils and by eating it warm.
Detailed below is a list of foods that are best for pacifying Vata.
Vata Grocery List
These foods are best to eat for people 1) whose primary dosha is Vata, 2) whose primary dosha is Pitta or Kapha, but are trying to manage a Vata imbalance, or 3) in the fall season.
Eat foods that are heavy, warm, moist, and oily. These include soups, stews, Indian food like daal (cooked lentils) and cooked vegetable dishes, or cooked breakfast cereals (like oatmeal). Avoid foods that are dry, cold, rough, and light. These foods increase Vata. If you do not see a specific food on the list below, it is probably because it aggravates Vata dosha, so try your best to eat foods on this list only.
Eat more
Warm, heavy, moist, sweet foods
Eat less
Cold, light, dry, pungent, bitter foods
Vegetables
Eat more
Leeks, olives, pumpkin, radish, sweet potato, spinach, zucchini, eggplant, avocado, beets, asparagus, carrots
Eat less
Raw or frozen vegetables, peas, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, corn, celery, lettuce, mushrooms, potatoes, broccoli,
Fruits
Eat more
Apricots, bananas, cherries, fresh figs, peaches, citrus fruits, dates, mango, papaya, grapes, berries, pineapple, plums
Eat less
Dried fruits, apples, pears, prunes, melons, pomegranates, cranberries
Grains
Eat more
Rice, oats, wheat, pasta
Eat less
Barley, buckwheat, rye, corn, millet, rice cakes, puffed or dry cereals
Beans
Eat more
Mung beans, soy beans (in tofu milk or cheese)
Eat less
Most beans: kidney, lima, navy, pinto, split peas, white beans, black beans,
lentils
Nuts & Seeds
Eat more
All nuts in moderation
Eat less
Dry roasted or smoked nuts
Dairy
Eat more
All dairy in moderation
Eat less
Powdered milk, ice cream
Herbs & Spices
Eat more
Asafoetidea, basil, caraway, clove, cardamom, sage, cinnamon, pepper, coriander, cumin,fennel, garlic, onion, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric
Eat less
Coriander seeds, fenugreek, parsley
Oils
Eat more
Most oils, especially sesame
Eat less
Corn oil
Beverages
Eat more
Warm drinks, herbal or spice teas, warm milk, fruit & vegetable juice without ice
Eat less
Carbonated drinks, cold or iced drinks, coffee, tea, alcohol
Pitta
A Pitta person is hot, hot, hot. Their bodies run hot, as do their minds and sharp tongues. They are as intense as a raging fire.
The qualities of Pitta are hot, acidic, sharp, intense, and oily. Food with similar qualities will increase Pitta. For example, foods that are hot, pungent, acidic/sour, deep fried, greasy, oily, and spicy will aggravate the Pitta and cause symptoms like heartburn, rashes, agitation, frustration, and angry outbursts. Due to the Pitta nature of biting off more than they can chew in life, they do the same with foods. Pittas tend to overeat and to overeat the wrong foods for their dispositions (meat, coffee, alcohol, chips and salsa). Whatever they like, they really like. Pitta types are known to overindulge. Whatever they do, they overdo.
Foods that aggravate Pitta are foods that are sharp, sour, pungent, salty, and intense tasting. These include coffee, wine, hard alcohol, pickles, sour cream, salt, onions, garlic, jalapenos, and other spicy foods (such as those found in many Mexican or Indian dishes). The best foods for Pitta types have opposite qualities. These are cooling foods that are alkaline, boiled, steamed, and cooked with mild spices.
Detailed next is a list of the best foods for a Pitta person to eat in order to keep their fire a soft glow instead of a raging fire. Remember, if there is a food that is not on the Pitta-approved list below, you can transform it into a Pitta food by adding the spices from the Pitta list to cool the food, or by eating another Pitta food or drink alongside the aggravating food. For example, if a typical Pitta is eating chips and spicy salsa with coffee, black tea, a fizzy drink, or alcohol, they can minimize the Pitta-aggravating qualities of this meal by drinking a cup of coconut water directly before or after their beverage (ideally both before and after!), by eating a cooling salad with cucumber and celery, or by eating some cooling fruit like watermelon to offset the spicy salsa.
Pitta Grocery List
These foods are best to eat for people 1) whose primary dosha is Pitta, 2) whose primary dosha is Vata or Kapha, but are trying to manage a Pitta imbalance, or 3) for those who are in balance but trying to pacify Pitta during the summer season.
Eat foods that are cooling, heavy, and alkaline. These include salads, smoothies, and fresh fruit. Avoid foods that are spicy, sour, salty, or too light or dry. If you do not see a specific food on the list below, it is probably because it aggravates Pitta dosha, so try your best to eat foods on this list only.
Eat more
Cool, sweet & juicy foods
Eat less
Acidic, sour, spicy, salty, oily foods
Vegetables
Eat more
Asparagus, bell pepper, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumber, lettuce, mushroom, peas, parsnip, potato, squash, zucchini, salads
Eat less
Avocado, beets, carrots, chilies, eggplant, olives, onion, pickles, spinach, tomato, turnip, radish
Fruits
Eat more
Apples, bananas, dates, coconut, grapes, lychee, mango, melons, pomegranate
Eat less
Apricots, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, cranberries, papaya, peaches, pineapple, plums, rhubarb
Grains
Eat more
Barley, oats, rice, wheat
Eat less
Corn, millet, rye, uckwheat
Beans
Eat more
All beans
Eat less
Lentils
Nuts & Seeds
Eat more
Coconut, pumpkin & sunflower seeds
Eat less
Most nuts, sesame seeds
Dairy
Eat more
Unsalted butter, ghee, milk, soft cheeses, sweet lassi, buttermilk
Eat less
Sour cream, yogurt, hard cheeses, sour buttermilk, ice cream
Herbs & Spices
Eat more
Cardamom, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, mint, lemongrass, rose, turmeric
Eat less
Asafoetidea, basil, bay leaf, caraway, clove, cayenne, cinnamon, fenugreek, garlic, sage, ginger, mustard seeds, nutmeg, onion, pepper
Oils
Eat more
Coconut, sunflower, soy
Eat less
Almond, corn, sesame, olive, peanut
Beverages
Eat more
Cool drinks, milk, water, coconut milk, fruit and vegetable juice
Eat less
Carbonated drinks, hot drinks, coffee, tea, alcohol
Kapha
A Kapha person is chubby with smooth skin and slow digestion. They tend toward excess mucus and congestion. The Kapha qualities are heavy, dense, cold, sticky, stable, and wet. If Kapha people eat ice cream, cheese, breads, and dairy products (which generally they love), they will gain weight, develop congestion in the chest, become more lethargic and complacent, and they may start to feel depressed.
The best way to keep a Kapha type healthy is to motivate them to eat foods that have qualities opposite to Kapha. These are foods that are light, dry, warm, and spicy. For example, a ginger tea is very invigorating for a Kapha. Warm vegetables cooked with spices would help to get a Kapha moving. Spices like black pepper, clove, mustard, and cayenne all work to wake the Kapha up and move them towards their full potential in life. The foods on the Kapha list are also good for anyone with a cold because these foods reduce excess mucus and phlegm.
Kapha Grocery List
These foods are best to eat for people 1) whose primary dosha is Kapha, 2) whose primary dosha is Vata or Pitta, but are trying to manage a Kapha imbalance, or 3) for those who are in balance, but are trying to pacify Kapha during the spring season.
Eat foods that are spicy, bitter, astringent, light, dry, and warm. Avoid dairy, fried foods, and foods that are heavy, oily, and cold. If you do not see a specific food on the list below, it is probably because it aggravates Kapha dosha, so try your best to eat foods on this list only.
Eat more
Dry, light, spicy, heating foods
Eat less
Heavy, cold, sweet, sour, watery foods
Vegetables
Eat more
Asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, peas, eggplant, lettuce, bell peppers, radish, spinach, zucchini
Eat less
Avocado, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, mushroom, potatoes, pumpkin, parsnip
Fruits
Eat more
Apples, apricots, pears, berries, cherries, peaches, dried fruits, papaya, cranberries, pomegranate
Eat less
Pineapple, plums, bananas, coconut, figs, grapes, mangoes, melons, rhubarb, strawberries
Grains
Eat more
Barley, corn, rye, millet, buckwheat
Eat less
Oats, rice, wheat, pasta
Beans
Eat more
Mung beans, tofu, lentils
Eat less
Kidney beans, chick peas
Nuts & Seeds
Eat more
Sunflower & pumpkin seeds
Eat less
All nuts, sesame seeds
Dairy
Eat more
Skim milk, butter milk, goat milk
Eat less
Most dairy products
Herbs, Spices
Eat more
All spices
Eat less
Salt
Oils
Eat more
Corn, sunflower, mustard
Eat less
Most oils
Beverages
Eat more
Warm drinks, herbal & spice teas, fruit & vegetable juice
Eat less
Carbonated drinks, cold or iced drinks, coffee, tea, alcohol
WHEN YOU EAT
Our digestion follows the sun so in Ayurveda, we use the sun as our guide. An ideal eating schedule will allow you to embrace the natural digestive rhythms of the body.
Breakfast, 7-9 AM
Eat a substantial breakfast that gives give you enough energy to get from breakfast to lunch without snacking. Our bodies require 4-6 hours to digest a meal. It puts extra pressure and strain on our bodies if we eat more frequently than every four hours.
Snack
Many people will feel too hungry to go more than 3-4 hours without anything to eat but, in the long run, snacking between meals can cause unstable blood sugar and weight gain. Eating fresh fruit and/or drinking herbal teas is a healthy way to satisfy your body, so between breakfast and lunch you may eat seasonal fruits and/or drink herbal teas.
Lunch, 12-2 PM
The sun is at the highest point in the sky at noon, making it the hottest and most intense time of day. In your body the same thing is happening. Your digestion, or internal sun, is the strongest at this time. It is ready for a large meal that will provide calories to burn for the rest of the day. To take advantage of this, eat your largest meal as close to noon as possible. Anytime between noon and 2 PM will do. Make sure to include vegetables, grains, beans, daal, buttermilk, and salad in this meal. Rather than eating your biggest meal at dinner when your body is slowing down and getting ready to sleep, your body will have the rest of the day to use up the energy from this high-calorie lunch.
Many Pittas commit to too many things and do not stop to eat lunch. Their strong minds just tell them to push through. This can be very bad for their health. If you are a Pitta, be sure to make time for a big lunch. You may not get everything on your “to-do” list accomplished but nourishing your body with a short, filling lunch, will help you maintain a normal blood pressure and will return your health in spades.
Snack
Between lunch and dinner eat fresh fruits and/or drink herbal tea.
Dinner, 6-7 PM
“Supper” was originally called supper because it was a supplement to the main meal (lunch). Consider dinner a supplement to the main meal by eating your lightest meal at dinner (ideally at 6 PM). Depending on your type, soups or salads are a good choice. The key is that your dinner should be light, nourishing, and easy to digest. Supper should not be your main meal.
In order for your body to perform a self-cleanse and clear toxins from your liver, kidney, and other organs each night, two things need to occur: 1) You need to have an empty stomach (completing dinner by 6-7 PM), and 2) you need to be sound asleep by 10 PM. Eventually the bodies of those people who have been living against the grain – eating heavy foods late at night and staying up past 10 PM – will break down. By making these two small lifestyle changes, you will give your body a chance to start healing itself again.
Snack
If you have a fat metabolism and are hungry again at 9 PM do not push yourself not to eat anything until morning. As soon as your body feels this strain, your body will feel stress. This is the opposite of the goal of Ayurveda, which is to create deep peace and calm within. If you feel hungry a few hours after eating dinner, enjoy a cup of warm milk with turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger in order to soothe your empty stomach and relax before sleep.
Make sure that your appetite is real and not psychological. Most people say they are hungry but they may be eating just because it is time to eat or they have seen food. Other common reasons for eating include mental stress, anxiety, and depression. You must be able to recognize your real appetite when your stomach – not your tongue or mind – asks for food.
HOW YOU EAT
An unhappy mind ultimately leads to the manifestation of a physical disease. When a person is unhappy, his mind loses the capability to differentiate between what’s good and bad. As a result, he eats foods and does things that cause imbalance in the normal functioning of our body and mind. To keep the mind happy and stable, we need to enhance sattva (purity) by taking things that are pure, clean and fresh.
Eat your solids and drink your liquids is an old saying. Ayurveda also emphasizes the proper chewing of food. This helps digestion. One should not eat too fast or too slow. Do not drink water immediately before or after meals. Kapha types of food should be eaten first, Pitta types in the middle, and Vata types at the end. Eat proper quantities of food and leave one quarter of your stomach empty. Avoid mixing too many types of food in one meal.
You have three meals per day to use as a time for connecting with and nourishing yourself. According to Ayurveda, food is not only what we consume through our mouths but anything that enters us through the senses. Watching, hearing, reading, and thinking all provide food. In addition, anything you are doing while eating is ingested by your senses. For example, if you are eating, but also watching television, talking about something stressful, or reading the newspaper – or even thinking about something that causes unease or stress – then you are also ingesting these feelings with your meal.
When you eat, just eat. Do not do anything else. Involve your whole being in eating. Feel the texture of your food, smell its aroma, notice its color. Embrace this nourishment as it enters your body and provides you with prana (vital life force) in order to flow through life with ease and joy. Say some words or prayers of gratitude, indulge in a moment of silence with the food in front of you, and let yourself fully appreciate the food before you eat it.
The place where you eat should be peaceful and clean. There are many ways to create a feeling of peace when eating. You may use incense, relaxing aromas, or relaxing music that invoke a calm mood or mind. The way is not as important as the state of mind. Get yourself to the state of peace and calm before you eat your food.
You should also be clean in body and mind. It is good to wash your hands – and if possible take a shower – before eating. Avoid negative thoughts and do not eat when anxious or nervous. This will do wonders for your mind and body. Let each time you sit down for a meal be a gesture of self-care and self-love. When your candle is lit, it is only then that you can light the candle of another. See this way of eating as a way to light your own candle.
