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02 January, 2011

Better mood with Ayurveda...



Ayu is life and Veda means knowledge. Knowledge of Life is Ayurveda)

Everything absorbed by five senses like Mouth (food, water), Nose (Breath), Ear (Chanting, sweet music), Skin (Sunlight), Eyes (Nature) is Food. When we consume food in adequate amount, it gives us long life and youthfulness. When consumed in inadequate amounts, it increases production of toxins which is harmful for life. Having right food is the initial step towards achieving healthy life. But just having right food is not enough. Right combination and proportion of food is also important for an individual.
Most of the diseases are a result of inadequate foods or not having food in a proper manner. Specific food's nutritive value and its effect are decided, depending on its taste and attributes.
Ayurveda has three main focuses: healing, prevention and health care. This medical science is a method of personalizing food for each person's healing process. Ayurvedic style cooking is a rational way to prepare food keeping in mind the dietary need of an individual based on different body types.
Ayurveda categorizes food in to three categories: Satvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. These types of foods have different effects on the body and the mind.
Sattva:-
Sattva is a quality of mind which induces clarity, harmony and balance.
Sattavic:-
The following food promotes Sattva.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, fresh fruit juices, cereals(red rice), herbal tea, fresh cow milk, dry fruits, nuts, honey,jaggery,
all spices and freshly cooked Food .
Rajas:-
A quality of mind which induces energy and action. 
The need to create.Rajasic:-
The following food promotes Rajas.
Read to eat canned food, basmati rice, sour cream, paneer, ice-cream, yeast, sugar, pickle, vinegar, garlic, onion and salted food.
Tamas:-
Tamas is a quality of mind which evokes darkness, inertia, resistance and grounding.
The need to stop.
Tamsic:-

The following food promotes Tamas .
Alcohol, Beef, Chicken, Fish, Pork, Eggs, Frozen food, Microwaved food, Mushroom, Drugs, Tea, Coffee, Fried food, Fried nuts.




Ayurveda, the science of life or longevity is the holistic alternative science from India and it is more than 5000 years old. It is believed to be the oldest healing science in existence, forming the foundation for all others.
The methods used to find this knowledge of herbs, foods, yoga, life style, and surgery are fascinating and varied. These revelations were transcribed from oral tradition into written form, interspersed with aspects of mortal life and spirituality.
Ayurveda was organized into its own compact system of health and considered a branch of Atharva Veda. In the 10,572 hymns of the Rig Veda, there are discussions about the three constitutions (doshas): air (Vayu), fire (Pitta), and water (Kapha). The hymns provide information about organ transplants, artificial limbs, and the use of herbs to heal diseases of the mind and body, and to foster longevity. In the Atharva Veda 5,977 hymns contain discussions of anatomy, physiology, and surgery.
External influences on health include the time of day, the seasons, diet, and life style. An entire section is devoted to discussions of the medicinal aspects of herbs, diet, and reversal of aging process.
Ayurveda classifies herbs, foods, and drinks into the following five aspects:
  • Taste
  • Elements (property)
  • Heating or cooling effect
  • Post-digestion effect (final taste after digestion)
  • Special Properties
Each aspect has its own therapeutic effects.Taste: The Sanskrit word for taste is Rasa. It means delight or essence, both of which promote the healing channel which extends from the mouth into the head and brings the essence (one meaning for taste) to the brain. This essence stimulatesprana, which in turn stimulates the agni or digestive fire.
Elements: Six tastes originate from the five elements, transmitting their properties: sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, or astringent. Everyone requires some amount of each of the six tastes in their diet. However, depending on the individual constitution and season, one must adjust their taste to balance their dosha. The key is to have moderate amounts of each taste.
Energy (Virya): This energy activates tastes. Foods and drinks create either cold or hot energy in the body. Each taste has an associated energy.
Post - Digestive (Vipak): Tastes may change at the end of the digestive process. This is due to the digestive agni (fire) juices in the alimentary tract.
Special Properties (Vishisht Prabhav): Herbs also have some subtler, more specific qualities.
Eat up to 1/3 capacity of your stomach, drink to 1/3 and leave 1/3 for God (Ashtanga Hridayam).
The Ayurvedic determination of eating habits follow-
  1. Quality
  2. Quantity
  3. When hungry
  4. Combinations
  5. Spices
  6. Frame of mind
  7. Time, Seasons and Geography
  8. Miscellaneous
  9. Drinking
  10. Desserts
  11. Age and Gender
  12. Ama

1 comment:

  1. Nice info about, Saatvic, Rajas and tamas.
    My sis in law runs a ayurvedic shop in Kerala.

    ReplyDelete