WHAT WE EAT WE BECOME

Think about it for a moment: What are we made of?

Bones, muscles, organs, tissues all made up of billions of cells. These cells need energy, vitamins and minerals to grow, function and communicate. And their source of nourishment comes from the process of digestion

our body is made up of what we offer it: I become what I eat!

So the question is what we(I) want to become? and if what we eat is going to impact our body as well as mind then Are we providing good quality, right quantity of food at right time to body? These types of questions are important.

When we hear the word “diet,” we often think of a passing fad, a trendy experiment in eliminating general food groups for a short-term goal like weight loss. As this type “Diet”implies restrictions, limitations, and a one-size-fits-all mentality as it results in a type of food(diet) which lacks in nutrition and it will lead to serious types of intestinal diseases, lack of energy which leads to less immunity and body will prone to more diseases some evidence suggests that poor dietary and nutritional patterns may have contributed to the widespread rise of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

So when you are planning or thinking of a nutritional and mindful diet it has lots of different prespectives like what are you including in your diet? How it is cooked? how it is served ? and how is it eaten? These all questions have great importance.

And if we want one stop solution for all then the answer is AYURVEDIC DIET (AHAR) .

The Ayurvedic diet is an eating pattern that’s been around for thousands of years.It’s based on the principles of Ayurvedic medicine and focuses on balancing different types of energy within your body, which is said to improve health.Unlike many other diets, the Ayurvedic diet provides personalized recommendations about which foods to eat and avoid based on your body type.It’s also popular because it’s not only said to promote better health for your body but also your mind.

What Is an Ayurvedic Diet?

Ayurvedic diet is healthy in a truly holistic way. It takes eating beyond the counting and parsing of calories and individual nutrients, beyond a feeling that eating is almost mechanical and solely to refuel the body. Ayurvedic diet asks to bring our hearts and our presence each time we sit down to eat food .When we start to explore ayurvedic diet then most conversations in Ayurveda start with digestion,specifically with digestive fire or agni.

Agni is Sanskrit for “fire” Agni governs innumerable physiological processes, including the digestion, absorption, and assimilation of food.

Ayurveda asks us to fine-tune our meals according to our individual needs.This ultimately comes down to the doshas like vata, pitta, and kapha. Just as these doshas combine in varying proportions to account for our unique Ayurvedic body types, the doshas are a part of all manifest phenomena and everything that exists in nature—including the food we eat. This leads to categorisation of food in three different groups like“SATTVIC”,“RAJASIC” and “TAMASIC” food.

According to Bhagwat Gita

यु ाहारिवहार  यु चे   कम सु। B.G.

यु        ाबोध    योगो भवित दुः खहा।। 6.17

First word of shloka is“ Yukta Ahar” meaning a balanced diet is the answer to how we should diet?

Yuktahara means the food which is meant to be eaten (regulated food) not too much not too less because food is for survival not for gratification(gained from the satisfaction of a desire) of senses.Thus the balanced food is known as Sattvic food.

Sattvic Food :

आयुः स बलारो सुख ीितिववध नाः ।

र   ाः ि     ाः    थरा     ा आहाराः सा    कि याः ।।17.8।।

Sattvic food is easy to digest and keeps the body healthy and nourished. This type of food increases the energy of the body ,develops purity in mind, giving strength, happiness and fulfilments. Such foods are juicy,succulent, nourishing, and naturally tasteful. food, well sweetened, lubricated (made with ghee),and full of minerals, which strengthens the dhatus (tissues) like rasa(fluids), rakta (blood), etc.

Rajasic Food :

क  लवणा ु ती ण  िवदािहनः ।

आहारा राजस े ा दुः  खशोकामय दाः ।।17.9।।

Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, very hot, pungent, dry and burning, and which are not easily digested resulting in pain, disease, are dear to one having rajas guna.

Tamasic Food :

यातयामंगतरसंपूित पयु िषतंच यत्।

उ     मिप चामे   ंभोजनंतामसि यम्।।17.10।।

Food which is not properly cooked, lacking in essence, putrid and stale, which is unfit is Tamasik food ,properties of tamasic foods are sour, spicy and pungent like meat, fish ,alcohol ,coffee.if you diet includes these type of food then it leads to ignorance, carelessness, laziness and sleep.

In conclusion, be moderate in appetite, neither eating too much nor consuming meat, fish,shellfish, fowl or eggs. Enjoy fresh, wholesome, vegetarian foods that vitalize the body. Avoid junk food. Drink in moderation. Eat at regular times, only when hungry, at a moderate pace, never between meals, in a disturbed atmosphere or when upset. Follow a simple diet, avoiding rich or fancy fare.

- Rashmi Ayachit

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