| Does the Perfect
Ayurvedic Meal really exist? You surely have got scolding from your grandma or mother for all that junk food that you relish (especially if you are an Indian). Go for Ayurvedic food if you want to have a long, healthy life, they say. But, what is this Ayurvedic food, you ask. Some would say it’s anything vegetarian; others would refer to it as boiled food, and many more believe it has got to do with only fruits and vegetables.
Well, according to Ayurveda, the perfect Ayurvedic meal is that which is easily digestible, provides nourishment to all tissues, does not create ama (toxins) and does not create imbalance in the three doshas (body humors). Unlike modern nutritional systems, which recommend ‘universally-applicable guidelines’ for all, Ayurveda has always had an individualized approach to nutrition. In Ayurveda, each person has a unique constitution and therefore food should be customized as per his nature. Identifying the right foods for your body type
Ayurveda stresses a balance of three elemental energies or humors, known as Doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Each individual possesses a different ratio of all three doshas; some might be Vata dominant, whereas others could be Pitta or Kapha dominant. Based on the dominance of doshas, the physical nature or Prakriti of an individual is determined. Knowing your dosha helps you tailor a personal diet plan that maintains optimum health. If you haven't found out your dosha already, please take our VPK Test online. Maintaining the Balance
Once you know what your dosha is, you can maintain your health's balance by learning what foods support you and what foods can further aggravate your dosha. The doshas work on the principle of "like increases like and opposite decreases like”. For example, if you are a Pitta person, consumption of hot and spicy foods will aggravate your condition, and increased intake of water will pacify your condition.
Also, different foods have different effects on the doshas. For an example, hot and spicy food may be good for a Kapha type, but may create problems for a Pitta type. Similarly, lubricating and heavy foods might be recommendable for a Vata type, but could have harmful effects on a Kapha type, and so on. Read More...
When you were a young child, about five to seven years of age, your mother held your hands and taught you the basic etiquettes of eating. Wash your hands, chew food properly, eat everything on the plate, and don’t talk while eating, etc. were just some of the ‘eating rules’ that you learnt and religiously adhered to all your life. In fact, if you are a parent now, you might have already taught all of this to your kid! But, have you ever paid heed to why you were taught all those rules? Not just so that you don’t embarrass yourself in public, but also because they are critical to your health.
Ayurveda says, how you eat your food is as important as what you eat. If you eat the correct foods in the wrong way, your digestion will be compromised, leading to formation of ama (toxins), which is the leading cause of diseases in the body.
If you want to maintain optimum health, it is imperative that you follow the right eating guidelines. Here is some very basic advice that will help you deeply understand those rules of eating and ensure that ‘how you eat’ impacts your body in the most positive manner.
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Always wash your hands before a meal
We touch numerous things during the course of a day, which makes our hands a breeding ground for toxins. By not washing your hands before eating, you will pave the way for toxins to enter your stomach through the mouth and cause disease in your body. -
Eat only after the previous meal has been digested
Make sure you eat only when your body’s digestive fire is ready; that is, when all food previously eaten has been digested and you are hungry. Consuming food before the previous meal has been digested creates ama. -
Eat the liquids and drink the solids
When you take liquid, do not rush through. Sip little by little as if you are eating a solid. If you eat the liquid in this manner, it will be digested much better. And, when you take solid food, chew it very, very thoroughly. Mix it with saliva and make it into a kind of liquid and drink it. Remember that food mixed with saliva will be digested well and will keep your stomach full for a longer period of time. -
Remove all distractions while eating
Never watch television, talk, laugh, or read while eating your meals. If you are eating and simultaneously doing something else, you might fail to notice what you are eating and how much. This makes it less likely that you will respond to your body's cues to hunger and satiety. In the long run, it prevents you from truly enjoying your food and relishing its flavor, color, and texture.
| Dyspepsia – A Jiva Case Study Stomach problems are the biggest threat posed by faulty dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles – typical characteristics of modern-day working professionals’ lifestyles. At Jiva Ayurveda, we regularly consult and treat patients who are suffering from some or the other digestive problem, including Indigestion, Dyspepsia, Constipation, Acid Reflux, Flatulence, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, among others.
Here’s the case of a 35-year-old Belgium-based Software Engineer, Harjeet Singh (name changed) who had been suffering from severe Functional Dyspepsia for more than a year. His main problems included moderate nausea, abdominal pain, distention, acid reflux, and acid regurgitation while sleeping. His condition was so worse that whenever he overate or ate late by even a few minutes or ate something heavy/hot, his symptoms would get aggravated. On the other hand, when he closely watched his diet patterns, the symptoms subsided.
Harjeet contacted Jiva Ayurveda on the recommendation of his wife, who is an avid fan of Dr. Partap Chauhan’s television shows. As he was coming to India for a month’s vacation, we invited him to visit the Jiva Clinic in Faridabad.
At the clinic, our doctor examined Harjeet’s case history and symptoms in detail. We found out that his work schedules were erratic and he stays out of home 15 days in a month on an average. This meant he ate out in hotels and did not have proper sleep most of the times. These habits eventually had a negative impact on his digestion process, resulting in severe Dyspepsia. | About Dyspepsia Dyspepsia is one of the most common health problems affecting the community today. Commonly known as indigestion or upset stomach, it is a condition wherein the digestive process of an individual gets impaired. The characteristic symptoms of this problem are abdominal pain, bloating, fullness, nausea, etc. Faulty balance between the right and wrong kinds of food as well as improper dietary habits are known to be the prime causes of this problem. | Understanding Ajirna
Ajirna is the Ayurvedic term for Functional Dyspepsia. It symbolizes negative digestion or indigestion (‘A’ added to Jirna, which means Digestion). In Harjeet’s case, the problem was caused by the vitiation of Pitta, the Ayurvedic humor representing Fire. Pitta is responsible for controlling digestion and metabolism in the body, and in an aggravated state, it leads to improper digestion of food and production of ama (toxins). This ama gets accumulated in the digestive channels and causes Dyspepsia. In this case, the problems of acid reflux and nausea were caused by regurgitation of undigested food from his stomach.
Consumption of Pitta (fire) aggravating foods and foods of incompatible nature (virudh aahar) plays a major role in vitiating Pitta Dosha. Late night work schedules, irregular eating patterns, and/or drinking alcoholic and carbonated beverages are also known to aggravate Pitta and cause Ajirna.
Jiva’s Treatment Plan
Jiva’s doctor prepared a customized Ayurvedic treatment plan for Harjeet, which consisted of herbal medicines for pacification of Pitta as well as elimination of toxins present inside his digestive channels. For this, he was recommended a strict anti-Pitta diet that contained fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. All kinds of spicy, fermented, processed, and junk foods were strictly prohibited.
In four months of treatment…
After taking Jiva’s medicines for four months, Harjeet felt remarkable relief in his condition. The symptoms have subsided and his digestion has improved considerably. He will be continuing with the medicines for a few more months to ensure he gets long-term relief from his problems.
Want Ayurvedic treatment for Dyspepsia? Contact Jiva Today!
If you are looking for a solution for your problem of Dyspepsia, write to us at info@jiva.com for a free health consultation from a Jiva Ayurveda doctor. | |
After his playing career got over in 1996, Bunn worked with an Indian Ayurvedic doctor during a charitable stint in Cambodia and saw how he treated people for skin rashes, nutritional deficiencies, worms, joint pains, etc. Bunn then studied Ayurveda formally and has now taken upon himself to create awareness and knowledge of the system in Australia. 
Jiva TMC is now the largest Ayurvedic telecenter in the world 
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