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m7-noraburian-blog · 7 years

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Ayurvedic Nutrition Concept

Hello lovely people,

How are you all going? I am good, sitting here in the entrance of the Plantation Villa, listening to the rain while writing this blog post. We just had lunch - rice with four different types of curries and papadam. It has been a bit rainy the last few days, Ida and I are still busy working on the cook book. Last week we went to Colombo to renew our visas (yup we have been here for over a month already!! ) and met with Lakshmi for lunch which was really nice =)

So let’s get back to talking about Ayurveda and what I am learning here ;)

I just finished writing a comparison of the Western nutrition concept and the Ayurvedic one and it is pretty interesting. As I mentioned earlier, macro- and micro-nutrients don’t really exist here and it is so hard for me to not think about getting enough vitamins, minerals and proteins. I guess it will take a while for me to just trust that if my digestive system is in balance as well as my mind and body, my body will take all it needs from the food I eat and that’s that ;) I thought I would share the Ayurvedic nutrition concept with you guys.

It might be difficult to understand Ayurvedic nutrition from a western point of view where we classify everything into portion sizes, calories, minerals and vitamins. We use dietary guidelines that have been designed for the whole population - one size fits all sort of concept. There are good foods and bad foods; one day fat is considered as dangerous and the next day it isn’t - What is accepted as the truth today is often found to be wrong tomorrow.

In the Ayurvedic food concept, no food is considered to be good or bad – instead it highlights several factors that influence food such as seasons, preparation of the food, and its biological properties.

An Ayurvedic diet can either be vegetarian or non-vegetarian, however a few things should be taken into consideration such as the effect the food has once ingested, the taste and the quality of the food (heavy, light or oily).

Let me explain a bit more in detail:

By “effect” I mean if it has a cooling or warming effect on the metabolic function hence what effect on the dosha’s it has. In this context warming effect means that it stimulates the metabolic function, whereas cooling effect refers to foods that control the metabolic function. E.g. if pitta is aggravated, a person should eat foods with a cooling effect such as watermelon, apples, dates, lime and pomegranate to pacify pitta and vice versa; If pitta needs to be stimulated then spicy foods are recommended.

The quality of food refers to whether a food is heavy, light, oily or dry. E.g. foods like rice may be easily digested compared to pork meat which is heavy and oily.

Taste plays a major role in the Ayurvedic nutrition concept and therefore food gets classified into food groups according to taste: sweet, sour, pungent, astringent, bitter and salty - with each taste stimulated by the food contributing to the nourishment of the body when consumed in appropriate quantities - Ayurveda considers a meal that has all 6 tastes as balanced!

Sweet: provides overall strength; however if consumed in large quantities it will aggravate kapha and can lead to obesity, congestion and disease.

Sour: it stimulates agni (digestive power), provides energy, awakens the mind and stimulates salivation

Salty: is heavy and oily, but if consumed in moderation it promotes energy and helps maintain water and electrolyte balance; however if consumed in too large quantities it induces water retention and raises blood pressure. Pungent: should be consumed only in moderation. It improves digestion, absorption and allows the cleansing of the sinuses.

Bitter: foods like turmeric, dandelion and fenugreek stimulate all other tastes.

Astringent: foods like unripe bananas, pomegranate and chickpeas help absorption and are binding; however if eaten in large quantities constipation may result.

Ok, let’s talk about the Ayurvedic dietary guidelines, which are pretty easy to follow and not as confusing as the one’s we have in the West, but always keep in mind - everything in moderation ;)

Minimal consumption of raw foods - fruit should be consumed in the morning.

Eat fresh, organic foods and try to stay as local as possible

Eating warm food stimulates agni and digestive enzymes and is therefore recommended

Try to include all 6 tastes in every meal

Use spices! Spices are used to balance meals and make foods compatible.They also prevent the accumulation of “ama” (toxins from poorly digested foods) in the body.

Only eat when you are hungry - listen to your body!

Be mindful when you are eating and avoid distractions such as reading, being on your phone or watching television

Avoid overeating: one third of your stomach should be filled with food, one third with water and one third with air.

Eat at moderate speed and chew well

What was very interesting for me to read about is the importance of proper digestion. It seems that digestion is the key to good health and it makes sense if you think about it. In Ayurveda they have a theory called “Beej-Boohmi”. According to this theory proper digestion is crucial for good health. If your digestive system doesn’t work properly, toxins (“ama”) build up and clog the channels of flow that are responsible for the absorption of nutrients as well as the energy pathways. So make sure your digestion is always working properly so you don’t get sick ;)

Here are two very interesting comparisons:

Ok, I think this is enough information for one day ;) I hope you are well!! Lots of love from Sri Lanka,

See y’all soon!

xx Nora

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