Ayurveda In Right Action
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org,
please feel free to visit the school website)
There are several eating guidelines that help to obtain the best results from an Ayurvedic diet. These are steps to bring consciousness back to our daily routine of nurturing our bodies. The habit of stopping for nourishment has become lost in our fast paced, busy world, but in the eyes of Ayurveda, honoring the food we put in our system is one of the most important aspects to total health. Ayurveda believes, in every way, you are what you eat.
Mindfulness is a crucial step in an effort to create immune supporting ojas and avoiding toxic ama buildup. One basic concept is to follow the dosha rhythms of the day and take food at times for best digestive fire. If we eat when our body is not ready, it can be depleting. Be aware of all six tastes and try to include them in every meal.
Avoid grabbing and eating food on the go. Warm, lightly cooked foods are preferred over raw. Try to maintain consciousness about overeating. A person should only eat when hungry and never feel completely full, but satisfied. Do not drink very cold water anytime, especially during a meal. Limiting the amount of any kind of water during a meal avoids distinguishing the digestive fire.
Ayureveda considers fruits the most pure and nurturing food and feel they should not be eaten with a meal. Considered a whole meal, milk is a perfect snack, but always eaten alone. Milk is thought of as ojas inducing but must be boiled and allowed to cool to room temperature to make it easier to digest. Breakfast should be eaten only when hungry. Stewed fruit such as apples and pears are recommended at breakfast. This meal helps to create ojas and continue cleansing the digestion of the previous day.
It is ama producing to eat when upset or arguing. Do not read or watch television when eating. This leads to overeating and a loss of the benefit of really tasting all the flavors. A meal is a joyful time for appreciating the foods with which we nourish ourselves. Eat slow and deliberately, trying to savor each of the six tastes.
Avoid leftovers or meals made of products that are not organic and fresh, these foods have been drained of their vital life force. Try to avoid the recommended incompatible food combinations. Try to avoid snacking, especially before your last meal has been digesting for four hours. It is believed that boiling or cooking with honey is very toxic. Try to eat foods from your climate and the current season the way nature intended for where and when you’re living.