Welcome to the world of Ayurveda.
Ayurveda is an ancient Sanskrit word meaning science of life, and actually it is a branch of traditional Indian medicine. In fact, Ayurveda means changing not only the way you eat, but also the way that you see yourself and your body.
In Ayurveda, you do not see your body as a thing, but realize that your body is a system of energy. It is constantly changing. Realizing that 98% of the atoms in your body get replaced completely within less than one year helps you to understand the nature of your body!
Ayurveda is an ancient Sanskrit word
Ayurveda is a branch of traditional Indian medicine that helps you to understand that nothing about your body is static, and if you wish it to change, then change is actually easy. What needs to be done is to retrain the body and its cells to think differently.
The key is unlearning this behavior
Increasing your awareness of actual hunger, including the time you are actually eating, will help you limit your diet. Eat only when your stomach is empty. Eat to the point where the sensation of hunger has left, not to the point where you are uncomfortable and cannot eat another bite!
Start a log, preferably in a small pocket notepad that you can carry with you to work and use at home, and record each time you feel hungry and when you ate just to satisfaction. Within two weeks’ time, your body will begin to significantly be retrained to eat only when hungry, and only for nourishment.
Once this two-week time period has passed, begin to set definite times when you eat your meals: a set time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, without fail. When doing this, make lunch your largest meal, with very small breakfasts and dinners.
The three types of body
The next step would be to eat right for your body type. In Ayurveda, there are three basic body types:
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
The Vata body is one that belongs to a person that is very active and quick, has a very thin build, gets cold easily, tends to speak very quickly and be very talkative, usually has dry skin, and is a very light sleeper.
The Pitta characteristics include being very orderly, forceful, very intolerant of hot weather, easy to perspire, having reddish, sandy, or blond hair, stubborn, intolerant of spicy foods, very self-critical and critical of others, determined, and impatient.
The Kapha body is a person that naturally moves slow, gains weight easily and loses it slowly if at all. Also, he or she tends to be thick-built, is ironically good at skipping meals without discomfort and also has a tendency to develop phlegm.
This type needs a full eight hours of sleep to feel rested. They sleep very deeply, tend to have dark thick hair. In addition, they tend to be very affectionate and understanding. Usually walk slowly, and generally enjoy a steady level of energy.
Each type of person has different dietary needs. Some people of course share several of these factors equally and therefore have combination bodies. The descriptions given are only a general guide; for a detailed test, visit online and take the free test to determine your type.
Generally, the Kapha body type has the hardest time of losing weight. So let us see the foods that reduce Kapha influence. Switch to low-fat milk instead of whole milk, and boiling the milk before drinking it makes it easier to digest. It is best to drink the milk warm, as cold milk increases your Kapha.
Eat plenty of foods that are not spicy or bitter. Avoid red meat and eat white meat chicken or turkey, or opt for fish. Beans are also an excellent source of protein when avoiding or cutting back on meat consumption. Eat plenty of light fruits, such as pears, apples, cranberries, and pomegranates.
Sweeten your foods when necessary with honey instead of sugar, as honey reduces Kapha very well. When choosing grains, barley, corn, buckwheat, rye, and millet are very light grains that are good for your consumption. All vegetables are good to eat.
However, vegetables that are especially beneficial to reduce Kapha include eggplant, radishes, beetroots, all green leafy vegetables, asparagus, broccoli, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, pumpkin, and celery. In Ayurveda, cooked food is preferably, since it makes for easier digestion than raw foods.
However, an occasional salad is not harmful! Avoid caffeine and alcohol, fried foods, packaged foods, soft drinks, and deep-fried foods. Besides, do not eat and go to sleep immediately. Let there be a time interval of minimum 2 to 3 hours after dinner.
So if you are going to sleep by 10 pm, ensure you have your dinner by 7 pm. This is the first of the series on Ayurveda and its benefits. We will be releasing a series of articles on the benefits of Ayurveda and how we can take advantage of its simple practical steps in our day to day lives.
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