Some simple points to remember when cooking and eating according to the ayurvedic way of life:

• don’t mix milk with any type of fruit as this is an incompatible combination and produces a lot of mucous in the body
• never cook honey; when cooked, honey become glue-like and blocks the body’s pathways, and produces toxins.
• don’t eat melons with any other food, including other fruits
• cooked food is easier to digest than raw food, and is better for the body, especially when taken as soups
• don’t drink cold or fruity drinks with meals
• don’t overeat and only eat when you are hungry; avoid eating immediately before going to sleep

A simple breakfast porridge recipe which will keep your body nourished and your tummy satisfied for hours. On the previous night, soak a selection of your favourite dried fruits and nuts. When you want to have your porridge, bring a saucepan of water and rice milk to boil with your soaked dried fruits and nuts. Use equal quantities of water and rice milk. When the liquid is bubbling gently, add the required quantity of oats and cook until the oats are soft and the mix is slightly runny. For a spicy flavour, add a sprinkle of cinnamon powder and some crushed cardamom seeds. Sweeten to taste with rice or date syrup. If you want to add honey, avoid doing so until the porridge has cooled down.

When you are making chapattis using wheat-free flours, avoid mixing various types of flours as they will be heavier for the body to digest. Use one type of flour one time, and another type of flour the next time. When making them, use warm water and add a little bit of olive oil which will soften the final texture.

Remember, ayurveda is a way of life and is a process to which your body and your mind will adapt over time.

In broad terms, foods such as red meat, refined sugar, wheat and deep-fried snacks are difficult to digest and are best eliminated from the diet. These types of food decrease the digestive fire of the body. Being heavy to digest, these types of food aggravate the air and fire elements of the body, resulting in the production of mucous and toxins within the body.

White meats such as chicken and fish are great substitutes. There are several wheat-free alternatives available on the market thesedays such as corn-based pasta, spelt flour-based chapattis and bread which can be made from wheat and gluten-free flour. Jaggery, although not common in the West, is a wonderful, natural replacement for refined sugar, as is unrefined raw cane sugar.

On the whole, it is best to avoid sour foods such as tomatoes, kiwi and pineapples, and sour flavourings such as tamarind. Sour foods tend to unnecessarily increase fire in the body and also produce excessive quantities of toxins. Furthermore, fermented foods such as yoghurt and cheese also aggravate pitta in the intestines and so should be avoided. For similar reasons, cut back on chillies and hot spices. Use black pepper as a substitute for that peppery taste.

Eliminate all convenience foods, tinned foods and micro-waving foods. Aside from all the additives found in such foods, they lack purity and prana (life force).

Herbal drinks are generally better for the body, although caffeinated drinks in moderation are okay. Avoid pre-prepared fruit and vegetable juices, ice-cold foods and drinks.

It must be remembered that this is a broad look at the effects of various types of food on the general body. In order to understand what type of food is suitable for what body type, it is imperative to consult an ayurvedic practitioner.

For more on the Ayurvedic diet guide, stay linked to this blog.

According to the ayurvedic system, there are seven body types which are dictated by the differing combinations of the doshas. The differing combinations give rise to the various mental and physiological make-up of individuals. It is best to consult an ayurvedic practitioner to determine one’s constitution. Several factors can cause an imbalance in the doshas, which in turn influence one’s frame of mind and state of health. These factors include: diet, exercise, emotions, stress and seasons.

The diet and good nourishment play an important role in an individual’s well-being. The ayurvedic diet goes beyond the mere nutritional content. It factors in preparation of foods, the right combinations of ingredients to avoid the creation of toxins in the body and what types of food are suitable to the constitution of an individual as different food types are responsible for altering any of the three doshas. Therefore, the correct intake of food types and their quantities will restore balance in the body.

When learning about the relationship between food and a body’s constitution and how it affects that individual, it is vital to consider the food’s qualities i.e. if it is a cooling or heat inducing food and whether it is easy or difficult to digest.

Ayurveda places great emphasis on the knowledge that food not only nourishes the physical body, but that it also has an effect on consciousness. Similar to the concept of the three doshas that influence the physical make-up, there are three elements that govern one’s mental constitution. These are referred to as gunas, which are sattva, rajas and tamas.

Therefore, foods can also be regarded as being sattvic, rajasic or tamasic. Sattvic food is a healthy food that is easy to digest; rajasic foods are hot, spicy and addictive, and are known to increase agitation; tamasic food is heavy and includes red meat. Eaten in moderation, tamasic food is actually beneficial to the body.

For an insight into the effect of various types of food, stay tuned.

There are a number of such factors which through the creation of an imbalance in the doshas can contribute to the manifestation of illnesses. An awareness of the excessive demands being placed on the body and balancing of these factors will play a significant role in restoring good health.

DIET: Different foods have differing influences on the three doshas. By simply understanding the effects of each type of food, and therefore eating the right kind of food, one can create harmony and maintain balance. Consuming inappropriate foods will create an imbalance in the doshas which will contribute to the birth of a disease.

EXERCISE: This is a significant factor that can greatly improve or worsen your health. Regular exercise is extremely beneficial, but like all things it has to be done in moderation and the type of exercise has to be borne in mind depending on your body type. The wrong type of exercise for particular body constitutions can have detrimental effects.

EMOTIONS: In Ayurveda, the body and the mind are deeply inter-connected. Psychological and emotional factors have a substantial bearing on the genesis of disease. Each and every thought and emotion has a tangible biochemical effect that influences the doshas, thereby affecting the various bodily organs.

STRESS: Unlike in Western medicine where stress is regarded as a result of e.g. lifestyle, in Ayurveda stress is a major contributory cause to the appearance of an illness. Stress creates an imbalance in the three doshas. It is possible to alleviate symptoms by simply reducing the stress factors in your life.

SEASONS: The seasonal weather patterns has its dominant dosha, therefore presenting its challenges to each individual’s health. An individual with a dominant dosha that is the same as the predominant dosha of the season can aggravate that individual, if allowed to build up over time. By having an awareness of one’s constitution, it is possible to avoid this aggravation.

Other contributory factors include age, misuse of the senses and bad management of relationships. By taking simple steps to balance the doshas, illnesses can be overcome and health can be restored.

The founding premise of Ayurveda is that the same elements which make up the universe make up each individual: Ether, Air, Earth, Water and Fire. A combination of these five elements gives rise to three fundamental energies or doshas: Vata (combination of ether and air), Pitta (fire and water), Kapha (water and earth). These doshas rule both the psychological and physiological processes of each individual, and it is the varying constituencies of these doshas that give rise to the different individualities and personalities.

Vata is the energy of movement. This bio-energetic force governs all activities within the body, including the movement of fluids at the cellular level, as well as electrical impulses along the neurological pathways, the heartbeat and blinking. Vata, like ether and air, is dry, cold, light, subtle and mobile.

Pitta is the force that regulates all the biochemical activities within the body, including hormonal changes. It also governs digestion and metabolism. Pitta, being a combination of fire and water, has the attributes of fluidity, heat, pungency and is sharp.

Kapha is the energy that gives the body shape and structure; it binds the cells together and lubricates our bodily systems. Kapha has the attributes of water and earth and so is heavy, cool, viscous and slow.

According to the Ayurvedic system, an imbalance of the three doshas leads to the manifestation of diseases, while a healthy body has a harmonious balance of the energies.

Consequently, in order to enjoy good health, each individual has to decrease or increase any of the three doshas as required by the body, which in turns demands an awareness of oneself. Thus, Ayurveda is a way of living, requiring conscious effort by the individual to balance all the influencing facets of their life, including diet, responsibilities, code of conduct and even spirituality. A harmonious equilibrium of these external factors will lead to a long and meaningful healthy life.

Diet and nutrition play a highly influential role in the balancing of the three doshas and as such, the practise of Ayurveda integrates a host of dietary recommendations to redress any imbalances.

More on the guide to the Ayurvedic diet will follow shortly.