|
 Ayurveda
is a Sanskrit word which is actually a linking of two words:
ayur means life and veda means knowledge. So
Ayurveda is a system of knowledge,
not just medical knowledge but knowledge about life and
knowledge of the self. Ayurveda has survived to this day
because it has been continuously in practice for the last
5,000 years. It guides a person toward a life style, a
choice of foods and how to cook them.
According to Ayurveda we are made up of the same five
elements as the universe (Water, Fire, Air, Earth and Space)
when we are close to these elements or at one with them and
nature, then there is perfect balance in the energies (the
Doshas) within us and we enjoy good health.
All the complex
factors that influence our health can be simplified into
three fundamental constitutional types called Vata (air),
Pitta (fire) and Kapha (water) these are called the “three
Doshas”. The main purpose of all Ayurvedic treatments is to
establish balance in these three elemental constitutional
types, as an imbalance leads to the direct causes of
physical diseases. When you are in balance you experience a
zest for life. Your appetite is good, your bodily tissues
and processes are functioning normally and your body, mind
and senses remain full of bliss. In the physical universe
around us these three natural influences or Doshas are also
active and found in our environment, in ourselves and in the
food we eat. Both the physical body and food are made up of
the five essential elements; Earth, Water, Fire, Air and
Space. Ayurvedic food creates a natural balance between
these essential elements within the body when prepared using
the correct amount of the six Ayurvedic tastes ; Sweet,
Salty, Sour, Pungent, Astringent and Bitter. The six tastes
have their own unique elemental compositions giving them
special healing properties. A balanced diet will have
healthy combinations of these.
Sweet Taste
(Earth and Water elements)
Sweet taste food is considered the most nourishing.
They pull valuable vitamins and minerals from the body that
are needed to assimilate the sugars. Food that falls under
these categories is whole grain cereal, breads, pasta, rice,
seeds and nuts. Many fruit and vegetable are also sweet as
well. Eating something sweet satisfies our immediate hunger;
it increases the energy level in our body and also has a
calming effect. But excessive use of sweet food unbalances
the cycle, and leads to obesity and diabetes.
Sour Taste
(Earth and Fire elements)
Sour taste food that falls into these categories are
buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt and cottage cheese.
Most half ripe fruit are also sour. Consumption of sour food
increases your appetite; it also increases your saliva flow
and digestive juices. Over eating sour food will render our
body more prone to aches and cramps.
Salty Taste
(Water and Fire elements)
naturally salty food such as kelp and seaweed helps cleanse
the body and tone the adrenal glands, kidneys, prostate and
thyroid gland. It contains potassium, iodine that helps
balance sodium. Process salt which is devoid of its natural
balancing elements increases retention of fluids in the
body, thus affecting the kidneys, and putting pressure on
the blood vessels and all organ systems. Overall it can
cause toxins to be retained in the body.
Pungent Taste
(Fire and Air elements)
Foods that are pungent include onion, Brussels sprouts,
horseradish, ginger, mustard, chilli powder and rosemary.
Pungent foods have high healing properties; they have the
opposite effect from salty foods. It reduces the fluid
content of tissues, improves breathing and improves
concentrating power. Pungent herbs stimulate the mind and
promote circulation in the brain. Over consumption of
pungent taste food can aggravate insomnia, restlessness and
anxiety.
Bitter Taste
(Air and Ether elements)
Bitter foods are normally associate will green leaf
vegetable, tea. Bitter taste food helps digestion and
increases metabolic rate.
Astringent Taste
(Air and Earth elements)
Astringent foods that come under this category are celery,
cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, mushroom. Fruit like apple,
avocados, berries, grapes and pear are also astringent.
Astringent Taste fruit are often associated with cleansing
of body fluids, blood, lymph and sweat. It also prevents
capillary leakage; helps heal skin and mucus membranes and
nerve tissue.
Foods can be of three types - Sattvic, Rajasic
and
Tamasic. Ayurveda emphasizes a Sattvic diet for
healthy living and support a blissful state in both the mind
and body. Sattvic diet was originally devised for the
practice of yoga and the development of higher
consciousness. Rajasic foods have an unsettling influence on
the mind by disturbing or dulling the mind. Rajasic food is
excessively spicy, salty and sour like onions, chillies,
wines garlic, red meats and hot peppers. Tamasic foods cause
hyperactivity, lethargy and excess sleep; they dull the
senses and keep the emotions heavy and resistant. Tamasic
food is stale, old, re cooked, artificial, overly fried,
greasy or heavy foods. It includes all “dead” food such as
meat and fish and fermented foods and alcoholic substances.
Both Rajasic and Tamasic foods are lacking in their ability
to support a balanced, harmonious mind-body experience.
THE THREE CONSTITUTIONAL
TYPES: VATA, PITTA AND KAPHA
The concept of constitutional type states that we are all
similar (after all we are the same species), but we also
have many differences. Ayurvedic medicine recorded the
differences it observed in the human population and noted
that people have three basic tendencies or archetypal
reactions in various situations. Over a lifetime, the
tendency toward one reaction over the other two will give us
a constitutional type. The three constitutional types have
different physiologies. Their nervous systems are set at
different tensions. They eat and digest foods differently.
They have different preferences, and different foods upset
them. When they are upset, they have a tendency to express
different emotions. Most people are a combination of the
different types, so it takes some observation to determine
how much of each type is in a person. We can get an idea of
what a person is like even before they have an illness and
can offer some preventive approaches. Once we know what
constitutional type the person is, we know what type of
environmental stimuli, what kinds of foods, cooking
techniques, colours, clothing, or sleep patterns are better
for him. Some of these influences will be imbalancing to one
type but not to another.
Ayurvedic foods
are often linked to their healing powers that have
medical-health benefits, including prevention and treatment
of disease. Yet choosing the right combination of foods has
never been easy. Food has a powerful effect on the mind,
emotions, physical and immune responses of the body. The
effect of a particular food has on a person's depends on
many factors, such as body mass, allergy etc. Ayurvedic
cooking focuses on easier digestion and the body’s
capability of extracting the nutritional essence of the food
we consume.
If ones diet is out of balance then the fundamental
influences of Vata, Pitta and Kapha become unbalanced. With
the right foods, spices and preparation one can improve diet
and maintain balance in the influences of Vata, Pitta and
Kapha in any meal. A basic spice combination that balances
all three influences in the body, Vata, Pitta and Kapha are
Turmeric, Cumin and Coriander. These three basic spices make
a delicious curry powder you can use for any dish. The
proportions are Turmeric 1 part, Cumin 2 parts, Coriander 3
parts. Using these spices freshly ground from the whole
seeds with fresh ginger or cilantro, the fresh leaf of the
coriander plant, makes any dish a blissful and balancing
experience.
Ayurveda also
recommends different diets for different seasons to help the
body acclimatize itself seasonally. For example, during the
summer which is the Pitta season when one is prone to acne
and sunburn, eating cool light fruits and salads are
recommended for helping the imbalances of the Pitta Dosha.
Ayurvedic cooking
advises eating fresh foods as it provides the maximum amount
of energy, it does not encourage eating leftovers or
processed food as a daily habit as they lack vital energy.
Ayurvedic cooking principles also recommend that vegetables
be cooked rather than consumed raw since cooking improves
digestion.
Joy is also a necessary ingredient for a fully balanced
diet. Enjoying a delicious diet using fresh seasonable
wholesome foods, herbs and spices, has a great positive
effect on our health and well- being. Having all six tastes
in a meal and satisfying all five senses activates the
digestive processes so that we can fully assimilate the food
we eat. Truly, variety is the spice of life. A diverse
variety of tastes, textures, colours, food types and spices
all stimulate the digestive processes, nourishing the
physiology to maintain balance in Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
As an Ayurvedic
cook the most important ingredient we have to offer while
cooking a meal is our own blissful loving intention. When we
make something for someone we give something that is
personal. This can truly be a gift divine. Our love and
bliss goes directly into the food we are preparing and
becomes lively in those who enjoy it.
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