AyurvedaAyurveda
is said to be the mother of all holistic medical
systems,
originating in India several thousand years ago. Many believe that the
classical Vedic
texts of Ayurveda
(namely the Charak
Samhita, Sushrut
Samhita and Ashtang
Hridaya Samhita) offer the clearest and most
comprehensive account of the underlying universal principles common to
all modern medical systems.
The word Ayurveda
is a combination of two sanskrit terms (Ayu = life or
long-life, and Veda
= system of science or wisdom), which together mean
“the wisdom of life.” Ayurveda is as much
a
philosophy as
it is a science. According to Ayurveda,
life is a combination of the
body, sense organs, mind, and soul. The primary objective of Ayurveda
is to integrate and balance these components of ourselves, which in
turn will help prevent physical and mental illness and promote health
and happiness in our relations. In this way, Ayurveda provides
tools
for healthy living, and ultimately achieving physical, mental, social,
and spiritual harmony.
The following provides a brief outline of a few of the basic Ayurvedic principles on healthy eating, which according to Ayurveda, is an essential step in attaining a healthy and balanced life:
- The Five Elements (Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth).
- The Six Tastes (Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent, Astringent, Bitter).
- The Twenty Attributes.
- Body-Mind Types (Kapha, Pitta, Vata).
- Ayurvedic Nutrition (Aahar, Agni, Ama).
According to Ayurveda, all matter in the universe, including our body and the food we eat, is comprised of a unique combination of the five great elements, or pancha mahabhutas – namely, Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. The Five Elements are not matter themselves, but are different types of energy that work with one another in a state of constant interaction and fluctuation. In turn, they are responsible for creating, moving, transforming, connecting, and stabilizing all things. By drawing attention to the Five Elements – the fundamental building blocks of all that exists in our world – Ayurveda offers keen insight on what is happening in the deepest part of the body, and provides tools for harmonizing any imbalances through the food we take in.
Ether (Akash)
– That which
creates.
Ether, or Akash, is derived from “nothingness,” it is the essence of what will come into being. It represents the idea state, or quintessence. The qualities of Ether include subtle, light, and clear. Foods with the Ether element include green leafy vegetables, bitter melon, and healing herbs like fenugreek and turmeric. These foods are bitter in taste. Eating such foods helps detoxify the body and cleanse and improve all bodily tissues.
Air (Vayu)
– That which moves
.
Subtle vibrations create Air, or Vayu, which is responsible for all movement necessary in the processes of conception and creation. The Air element consists of the qualities of dry, light and subtle. Foods prevailing in Air include beans, lentils, and green leafy vegetables. These foods have bitter and astringent tastes. Eating such foods creates lightness and movement in the body and clarity in the mind.
Fire (Tejas)
– That which heats and
converts.
The friction from movement produces light and heat to create fire, or Tejas. The Fire element is responsible for conversion (metabolic process) and transformation. The qualities of the Fire element include hot, sharp, subtle, dry, and light. Foods predominate in Fire include ginger, black pepper, hot peppers, garlic, and all salts. These foods are pungent in taste. Foods made up of the Fire element help with digestion, maintain body temperature, give glow to the skin, and provide clarity in our thoughts.
Water
(Aap)
– That which flows and lubricates
.
When Fire cools it forms condensation or steam and becomes Water, or Aap. Water is responsible for cohesion, and giving a substance the ability to change shape without losing its integrity or ratio of ingredients. The Water element consists of the qualities of liquid, cold, moist, and mobile. Foods with a predominate Water element include fruit juice, water, buttermilk, and watermelon. Such foods have sweet and salty tastes. Eating these foods helps to maintain fluid balance in the body, moisten the joints and internal passages, and create a sense of contentment in the mind.
Earth (Prithvi)–
That which
stabilizes and holds.
Water dries and forms particles with shape to create the Earth element, or Prithvi. The Earth element is responsible for giving shape and structure to all things. It embodies the qualities of heavy, gross, and immobile. Foods with a predominate Earth element include all grains (e.g. rice, oatmeal, wheat), root vegetables (e.g. sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, butternut squash), and mangos. These foods are sweet and astringent in taste. Eating these foods provides stability and strength and helps replenish and rebuild the tissues in the body.
The Six Tastes reflect a combination of the Five Elements – namely Sweet (Earth + Water), Sour (Fire + Earth), Salty (Water + Fire), Pungent (Fire + Air), Astringent (Air + Earth), and Bitter (Air + Ether). The action and function of each of the Six Tastes is because of its unique elemental composition. To maintain balance in the body and mind, all Six Tastes need to be consumed in the right proportion for each body-mind type.
Sweet (Earth + Water)
Sweet foods include complex carbohydrates, sweet fruits, all grains (e.g. rice, pasta, oatmeal, wheat), root vegetables, sugar, honey, milk, certain cheeses, and oils. They strengthen the tissues in the body, improve circulation, and strengthen the heart. Their qualities are heavy, oily, and cold. Sweet foods give the mind a sense of compassion and satisfaction. However, eating too many sweet foods can lead to lethargy and obesity.
Sour (Fire + Earth)
Sour foods include yogurt, lime, sour fruits, vinegar, alcohol, and some cheeses. They improve digestion, stimulate acid secretions in the stomach, reduce gas, and increase circulation. Their qualities are light, oily, and hot. Sour foods provide the mind a sense of stimulation and clarity in discernment. However, eating too many sour foods can lead to ulcers and infections.
Salty (Fire + Water)
Salty foods include sea salt and rock salt. They make food tasty, strengthen and improve digestion, calm the nerves, help the body retain water, and maintain electrolyte balance. Their qualities are heavy, oily, and hot. Salty foods provide the mind a sense of confidence and zest for life. However, too many salty foods can cause physical ailments such as hypertension and kidney stones.
Pungent (Fire + Air)
Pungent foods include ginger, black pepper, chile peppers, jalapenos, cayenne, and garlic. Eating the right amount of pungent foods can help improve metabolism, help digestion and absorption, reduce congestion, improve circulation, and promote sweating. Pungent foods have light and dry qualities. Pungent foods can help one to be clear, outspoken, and bold with his or her thoughts. However, too many pungent foods can lead one to over-heat physically and mentally, and turn to anger and hatred.
Astringent (Air + Earth)
Astringent foods include cranberries, beans, soy, the peel of a fruit, cranberries, and turmeric. They promote healing, help constrict blood vessels, and stop bleeding. Their qualities are heavy, dry, and cold. Astringent foods can lead one to go inward with his or her thoughts. Too many astringent foods can cause insomnia, low blood pressure, and anemia.
Bitter (Air + Ether)
Bitter foods include green leafy vegetables (e.g. chard, collard greens, kale, arugala, spinach), aloe vera, and bitter melon. They help purify the blood, detoxify the body, and improve the tissues in the body. Their qualities are light, dry, and cold. Too few bitter foods can cause an accumulation of toxins in the body, but too many bitter foods can cause constipation and tissue depletion.
Ayurveda draws on ten pairs of opposites to describe all things. These qualities, or Gunas, describe the interaction and inner-workings of the main energy forces – the Five Elements – on a particular object:
• Dull – Sharp
• Cold – Hot
• Oily – Dry
• Smooth – Rough
• Dense – Porous
• Soft – Hard
• Static – Mobile
• Cloudy – Clear
At a practical level, our bodies as well as the foods we eat reflect a prevailing yet shifting combination of these qualities. The underlying premise of all Ayurvedic practices and treatments is: like increases like and opposites balance each other. In this way, Ayurveda prescribes the use of foods and herbs with a specific set of these qualities in order to counter and heal specific imbalances in the body and mind.
Body-Mind
Type
The
Three Doshas, Prakriti, and Vikruti
According to Ayurveda, three main energies (Doshas) govern the functions of the body, which again reflect the Five Elements: Kapha (Water + Earth), Pitta (Fire + Water), and Vata (Air + Ether). We are each made up of a unique combination of these Doshas, which define our body-mind constitution, or Prakriti. Our Prakriti is the unique proportion of Doshas at the time of conception which stays with us throughout our life. It is essential to understand and appreciate our own Prakriti, as in order to achieve health we must strive to maintain the balanced state (Prakriti) of our Dosha(s). Similarily, in order to heal any disease or ailment we must address the imbalanced state (Vikruti). When we experience anything other than our own Prakriti, we are in a state of Vikruti.
In general, there are seven different body-mind types, or Prakritis: Three types where one Dosha is predominate: (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha); three types where two Doshas are predominate (Vata-Pitta, Pitta-Kapha, or Kapha-Vata); and one type where all three Doshas are almost the same proportion (Vata-Pitta-Kapha).
Kapha (Water + Earth)
Kapha is reflected by the moon in nature. Kapha is comprised of primarily Earth, as well as Water. Kapha’s function in the body is to lubricate the joints and air passages, and to nourish and protect the body’s organs, cells, and systems. The qualities of Kapha include moist, cold, heavy, dull, soft, sticky, and static. Kapha people are loving, nurturing, and caring. They tend to be well built, full-bodied, and have solid joints. They can have great endurance, but tend to gain weight and retain water easily. Thus, to be in balance a person with a Kapha body-mind type should limit sweet and heavy foods, and eat lighter foods with pungent, astringent, and bitter tastes.
Pitta (Fire + Water)
Pitta shines as the sun in nature. Pitta is made up of primarily Fire, as well as Water. Pitta’s function in the body is to digest and convert substances into a useable form. The qualities of Pitta include hot, sharp, mobile, light, oily, liquid, and acidic. Pitta people tend to have a medium build with strong muscles. They are sharp in personality, as they have intelligent and witty minds, yet tend to be short-tempered to others that aren’t so quick. Due to the Fire element, Pittas tend to over-heat easily and become irritable and angry. Thus, to be in balance, a person with a Pitta body-mind type should strive to eat foods that are cooling in nature and limit pungent foods.
Vata (Air + Ether)
Vata shows up as the wind in nature. Vata consists primarily of Air, as well as Ether. Vata provides the energy for all movement and action in the body, including circulating nutrients and wastes throughout the body. The qualities of Vata include light, dry, cold, rough, mobile, subtle, and clear. Vata people are generally slim with prominent bone structure. They tend to be very intuitive, imaginative and creative. Vata types often suffer from dryness, including constipation, dry and itchy skin, and tend to be afflicted by anxiety and nervousness. Thus, to be in balance, a person with a Vata body-mind type should strive to incorporate foods with the counter-qualities of heavy, moist, and warm. This includes the tastes of sweet, sour, and salty. Ultimately, Vatas need to incorporate more oils and cooked foods in their diet.
In the simplest of terms, Ayurvedic Nutrition is based upon three fundamental principles: that we take in nourishing and balancing food (Aahar), maintain a healthy and efficient digestive system (Agni), and limit the amount of undigested foods, or toxins (Ama) that eventually block or inhibit the essential inner-workings of our body.
Aahar - Food
Ayurveda’s concept of food, or Aahar, is expansive. It includes whatever we take in to feed our body, mind, and senses. Aahar, includes food, water, air and breath, emotions, and ideas and sensory perceptions. We should aspire to take in only nourishing Aahar, in a nourishing way. In particular, the foods we eat should include all Six Tastes, which embody the Five Elements – the building blocks of life that are essential to nourish our body. And, the mind should always be at a state of peace when we eat.
Agni is the energy of digestion, metabolism and transformation. Agni is the digestive fire within us that breaks down our food and converts the elements of the food into bodily form to restore and rebuild our tissues and systems. Agni is also responsible for digesting sensations and thoughts, and enabling our mind to be clear and discerning. According to Ayurveda, balanced Agni – or Sama Agni – is the key to a healthy life. When we have balanced Agni, our food is digested well and our life is full of strength, health, and energy. When our Agni is out of balance, disease will follow. The foods and spices that we eat can serve to either stimulate and improve our Agni, or saturate and dispel it.
Ama - Undigested Food
It is conventional knowledge that we are what we eat. According to the wisdom of Ayurveda, we are what we digest. Any undigested food that remains in our body is Ama – toxins that eventually vitiate or aggravate our physiological inner-workings and/or block our anatomical structures. The inevitable result of excess Ama is disease. If our Agni – or digestive fire – is weak or sporadic, the food that we eat will not be digested properly and will eventually be mutated into Ama. Thus, the primary objective of Ayurvedic Nutrition is to stimulate and balance our Agni so as to prevent the accumulation of Ama in our body. The primary method to stimulate Agni is eating the right foods, with the right spices, in the right amounts, and at the right time based on your unique body-mind type.