Ayurveda inspired food tips to stay healthy, as revealed by fitness experts

Keep the mind, body and spirit in balance, Ayurvedic promises to prevent disease rather than treat it and aims to preserve Health and wellness by emphasizing diet, herbal remedies, exercise, meditation, breathing, and physical therapy. It is an alternative medicine system that believes that the entire universe is composed of five elements, namely vayu (air), jala (water), aakash (space or ether), prithvi (earth) and teja (fire) and is quite popular in the Indian subcontinent where its historical roots are embedded.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr. Manisha Mishra MD, Ayurveda Medical Advisor at Charak Pharma, shared, “Ayurveda, our ancient medical science, believes in maintaining a balance of functional elements (Vata, Pitta, Kapha, also known as doshas) in the body since an imbalance in the body leads to diseases and compromises the immune system causing multiple health problems.”

It’s no secret that keeping our immune systems strong helps the body fight off these illnesses on an ongoing basis, as these various bacteria, viruses, and allergens can manifest in our respiratory tract and cause a runny nose, congested throat, asthma, or can appear in Our skin. through eczema and rashes and finally into our digestive system through an upset stomach. Suggesting simple Ayurvedic ways to correct and treat this, avoid triggers, and also restore balance in the body’s functional elements through a healthy diet and lifestyle, Dr. Manisha Mishra recommended Ayurvedic food tips to stay healthy. and build immunity.

These include:

1. A well balanced diet: Ayurveda recommends a well-balanced meal comprising of all 6 tastes like sweet, sour, salty, pungent, astringent and bitter in meals to improve immunity and good health. Also eat mindfully and avoid binge eating.

2. Ghee or Clarified Butter: Ayurveda believes that the accumulation of toxins causes allergies and ghee can neutralize most of the toxins that affect the body. So he adds a tablespoon of ghee to his meals for a strong immune system. It is also excellent for improving intestinal health, improving skin radiance, and strengthening memory.

3. Probiotic: Remember to incorporate natural probiotic foods, but prefer buttermilk to curd (curd is heavy to digest and produces mucus), pickles, and other fermented foods that improve gut health.

4. Rejuvenating Herbs or Rasayan: Rasayan or rejuvenating herbs are known for their anti-aging, memory-enhancing and immune-boosting properties. They improve general well-being and are also known to strengthen specific organ functions. There are many rasayan herbs like pippali or long pepper to strengthen the respiratory system, amla for better digestion and haldi to fight allergies.

5. Ayurvedic spices for better digestion: Hot spices like ginger, cumin, and black pepper not only improve digestion, but also help flush toxins that cause allergies or ama from the body. Improved digestion ensures a better immune system to fight allergies.

While boosting your immunity with Ayurveda, it is important to avoid certain foods. “Avoid processed, cold, and stale foods as they are not easy to digest and can compromise digestion, leading to toxin formation and a weakened immune system,” recommended Dr. Manisha Mishra. She added: “Incompatible combinations of foods such as milk and fresh fruits, non-vegetarian foods cooked with milk or cream, and honey with hot water are not recommended in Ayurveda as they trigger allergic conditions.”

Dr. Chanchal Sharma, an Ayurveda expert from Aasha Ayurveda, expanded the list of Ayurveda food tips and stated that our eating habits are the ones that contribute the most to spoiling the health of our body and if our eating habits are not correct, we can’t even stay healthy. if we want “In Ayurveda, to correct these habits and keep the body in shape, the greatest emphasis is on the diurnal regimen, the sleep pattern and the seasonal regimen. Whatever food we eat, it should be according to the kala (time) and according to the season. That is the best way to stay completely healthy,” he advised.

Highlighting the basics, Dr. Chanchal Sharma pointed out that Ayurveda firmly believes that good health begins with good nutrition, a proper diet is the foundation of a strong digestive system, a balanced diet, according to the principles of Ayurveda, meets our physical and individual needs and that a nutritious diet acts as a medicine to promote vitality.

Listing the main healthy tips of Ayurveda, he suggested:

1. Eat only when you are hungry, when your previous meal is fully digested.

2. Eat in a quiet and comfortable place.

3. Don’t worry about anything while you eat.

4. Eat only sitting down and don’t watch TV, avoid reading books, using phone, working on laptop while eating.

5. The food ratio should be one third of your hunger. We are all different, we are born with different needs and different stomach sizes and different digestive powers. So listen to your body and eat according to your needs.

6. Have fresh and hot food. Avoid fermented foods as much as you can.

7. Eat quality food – Make sure your food is juicy or slightly oily, as this will aid digestion and improve nutrient absorption. Avoid foods that are too dry.

8. Ghee should be added in your diet.

9. Do not eat incompatible foods together. This can cause an upset stomach and disturb the doshas in your body. Some incompatible foods are fruits and milk, fish and milk, salt products with milk, etc.

10. Don’t eat food too early and too late. Because by doing it; It can upset your digestive system.

11. Eat regularly: Ayurveda and nature like chakra regularity, so you should follow it.

12. Avoid excessive consumption of water just after meals.

13. Do not take curd at night.

Explaining that Ayurveda has also mentioned eating and consuming proper foods for various illnesses, Dr. Chanchal Sharma insisted that each food has its own desh, guna, kala, virya, vipaka and rasa. “Only Ayurveda gives the best description of it. With the consultation of an Ayurvedic doctor, you can make your food work like medicine,” he gushed. The expert added: “Foods have been given the status of medicine in Ayurveda. That is, everything we eat and drink, all act as medicine for our body. Ayurvedic medicine is an important way to build a strong, healthy body through diet, exercise, and a variety of lifestyle practices. That includes sleep, a balanced diet and a conscious life.”

Both experts concluded that if one follows an Ayurvedic diet, one can keep all diseases that are mainly related to the stomach under control. If frequent allergies continue to crop up, it is best to maintain immune health by taking Ayurveda supplements under the guidance of an expert.