When it comes to having good nutrition, however, many of us don’t know the benefits of good nutrition and how to go about achieving it. This Nutrition Month, ASHTANGA advises paying attention to yourself and seeing what you can do to acquire good nutrition and maintain good health. Ayurveda is concerned with all aspects of life, naturally, this includes nutrition. Nutrients are ingredients in the food that helps us to grow, repair body tissue, build new muscle tissue, and many such necessary functions. A well-balanced diet with regular physical activity is the recipe for good health. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity. Whereas, Good nutrition will help your body get all the nutrients including vitamins and minerals it needs to work at its best. Let’s follow these Ayurvedic principles that can help us acquire good nutrition.
Add variety to your diet:
No single food will provide you with the right amount of nutrients. To make sure you have enough nutrients, be sure to have a variety of different foods in your diet. Do not always to keep to the same cereal, the same vegetables, or the same proteins, but eat different ones day to day. So, for example, you would take protein in the form of dals, dairy products, nuts, seeds.
Choose organic:
Be sure to eat organic foods as much as possible. Fresh foods contain “prana” or life-giving energy. The more you eat of life-giving foods, the more health and longevity you are likely to enjoy. As food sits around on supermarket shelves, or even in your refrigerator, it loses some of this life force. Ayurveda considers food a very powerful medicine. Why not make the best use of the foods you prepare and eat by choosing fresh, organic, filled-with-prana foods?
Cook vegetables thoroughly:
Ideally, your meals are freshly cooked and served warm, as raw foods can be difficult to digest. Ayurveda recommends avoiding anything that comes straight from the fridge to preserve your digestive power (Agni). This allows your digestive enzymes to work efficiently.
Eat seasonal produce:
Seasonal food will taste better, be more nutritious, and have a lesser impact on natural resources. As per Ayurveda, the seasons lead to aggravation of Doshas or bodily humors which loosely correspond to the air, fire, and earth elements; these are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. By understanding your Dosha and creating a lifestyle accordingly, you’ll enjoy a healthier, more balanced life.
Include spice and herbs:
One thing that can dramatically improve the taste and health of a meal is the use of high-quality herbs and spices. Spices not only add to the flavor and fragrance of a meal, but they also happen to be potent medicines! Many herbs, such as turmeric, ginger, and Ceylon cinnamon have impressive antioxidant content and therapeutic benefits.
Incorporate the six tastes:
Ayurveda recognizes six tastes, each of which has a vital role to play in our physiology, health, and wellbeing. The sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes combine in countless ways to create the incredible diversity of flavors we encounter throughout our lives. Thus, the taste can tell us a great deal, not only about what we’re ingesting but also about the physical and energetic qualities we’re taking in as a result.
Takeaway: There is no rule, everyone is unique. So, don’t follow diets because they are trendy, because someone famous is doing. Follow your body, your diet. What helps you, may cause diseases for others. This is the magic that we learn from Ayurveda that is the beauty of nature and uniqueness. Our health physicians are available at the center for appointments to help you achieve your ideal body weight as well as help boost your immunity recommending the right nutrition to incorporate in your daily diets.
Note: This article is for educational purposes only. Always seek health advice from your healthcare professional.
