Today we read everywhere , in every magazine or newspaper ” a diet that can get you thin and fit in no time ” , ” an exercise routine that can get you fitter” … Well for one these may or may not work for everyone . One needs to understand that no two people are the same , so what works for one person will never work for another . Are you aware that these FAD diets have started across America and Europe since the 50’s ! The people who started them made a fortune from the naive customers and the FAD didn’t continue because it didn’t work. Here are a few names of the diets.
Metrecal diet , Saco diet , Carnation’s slender diet , the drinking mans diet , the still man diet , the sexy pineapple diet , belt messagers , the grapefuit diet , the last chance diet . All these fads did nothing to people instead just made them sick . There are few new fads like the Atkins diet , Fit for life diet ,Keto diet etc etc… All these diets are not normal and cause severe damage to your body and mind . One requires a balanced diet as per ayurveda. Now we all wonder What is a balanced diet ? Balanced diet is a mix of 6 factors . It is a actually a very scientific method of denoting what food is and how it affects the body .
- Rasa ( taste of the food ) , 2. Virya ( energy in the food ) 3. Vipak ( Dominant of the 5 basic elements in the universe ) 4. Dravya ( the subtle or gross matter which can be absorbed by the tissues ) 5. Guna ( quality of the matter ) 6. Karma ( work or special job of the food ). To explain all this we need to write a thesis , however you can always talk to our LIFESTYLE COACH’s or write to us here.
Here is what we mean by a balanced diet .
Around 50 to 60 % of your food has to be Sweet ( madhur rasa ) , that means carbohydrates like Rice , Roti ( Indian bread ) , tortilla , Bread ( whole wheat and without chemicals ) and lentil soup.
Sour ( madhur amla ) – pickles , yoghurt , curd etc .should only be 6 to 8 % only . This should preferably be only butter milk not curd or any flavoured yoghurt.
Pungent or spicy 2 – 7 % ( Katu ) spices , chutneys , sauces .
Salty food ( Lavan ) 1- 2 % or salt .
Bitter foods ( Tikhta ) 20 – 25% all veggies which grow on creepers like ridge gourd , bottle gourd , bitter gourd , french beans , and other veggies .
Astringent food ( kashaya ) at the end of the meal to stop secretion of saliva , that should be only 0.1 to 0.2% betel leaf , anise seeds , green tea .
Please note that Non Veg food or Meat of animals also come under Sweet , but they are Tamasik ( means which they increase lethargy , depression , negativity , ability to understand or comprehend anything or literally means darkness !! ) . This is a choice you need to make .
The energy and strength comes only from the sweet food ie carbohydrates ! Now coming to a few details regarding your digestion process. To give a special note on Non Veg food : Out of all the meats Goats meat , partridge meat , antelope meat , fresh water fishes can be eaten without causing toxins . Chicken , too much sea fish , beef and pork causes a lot of problems within your body and mind as these foods cannot be digested by the stomach hence causing toxins . Processed meat is out of question , thats not even food !
The act of eating is life-giving and divine ( food needs to have pranashakti ) . The process of eating, according to Ayurveda, is something reverent and important for the development of consciousness as well as our physical health and not just for your body. When we sit down to eat, our stomach is in a relaxed posture and our awareness is on the taste, texture, and smell of the food. This will greatly improve the digestion. Another way to improve the digestion is to stimulate the agni, or digestive fire, before we begin eating. Weak digestive agni may result in fatigue after eating, so Ayurveda recommends eating a one-inch piece of fresh ginger with a few drops of lemon juice and a few pinches of salt on it before a full meal. This starts to activate the salivary glands, producing the necessary enzymes so that the nutrients in the food are easily absorbed by the body.
Balancing your digestive Fire ( agni ) is a key principle in Ayurveda. That’s why Ayurveda recommends a number of general practices for better digestion. Digestive agni can be compared to a burning fire. If the flame is very low, then it will take a long time to cook the food. In the same way, if the fire is too big, it can burn the food. If we put a huge log on a low fire, it will extinguish it. Our digestive fires should be balanced so that we can digest our meals efficiently and smoothly.
The next recommendation has to with the time of the day that you eat your meals which needs to be very specific and you need to stick to the timings to maintain the circadian rhythm . To know more you can always reach us by sending a whats app message or a text message on +91 7045964227 .