Importance of Food in Ayurveda (Part -1)

 Food in Ayurveda(part-1)

Importance of food and it's preparation 

By Dr Kavita Vyas, (MD ayurveda) 

 

Food is important pillar of the health 

Importance of Food for health 

The food plays a very important role to maintain our physical and mental health.
food is major source of energy.It is said that ‘food is medicine’-that means if we are careful about our diet then we can avoid so many diseases.Diet  can be an effective treatment in itself.
 (Though dietary results are slower to manifest, over a period of time they are as certain as that of herbs. )
Dietary treatment is usually the safest therapy. Wrong diet is the main physical causative factor of the disease. 
In its constitutional approach or prakrati concept ,Ayurveda emphasizes correct diet for the individual based on his or her body type or prakriti.
Foof is the main factor in long term treatment of the physical body,called in Sanskrit , annamaya kosha , or the food sheath.  
 
       In vedantic philosophy the mind sheath or  [manomaya kosha] is considered to be the essence of food .Uddalaka Aruni, a famous ancient sage explained ‘ the food that is eaten is divided three fold. 
The gross part becomes excrement  the middle part becomes the flesh and the subtle part becomes the mind.[Chhandogya upanishada VI. 4.1.]. 
 There is a saying “Aharshudhou satva shudhihi” –means If we take the healthy diet then mind will also become healthy.
what we eat affects our emotions and can creat a predisposition for both psychological and physical disorders. Just a wrong emotions can upset our digestion, so wrong digestion can also upset our emotions. 
        Sage  Uddalaka Aruni also tells us “the water.,that drunk is divided three fold. The gross part becomes urine,the middle part becomes the blood,the subtle part becomes the life force or [Prana]” .[chhandogya upanishada VI.4.2.]
 Hence what we drink is also nourishes our life force and there by derange our emotions and thoughts. 
 

Ayurvedic principles about Diete 
      According to Ayurveda food care includes -

right preparation of food,
right combinations of food, 
right amount of food, right frequency of meals and 
right times and places for eating. 
Right emotional and mental state is necessary.
Good food taken in a bad mood or ill humor can cause diseases.
 Also important is right  attitude in the person preparing the food, cooking should be done with care and good feelings. 
What should be quantity of food? 
In charka samhita –It is said that one should eat in a proper quantity, according to strength of his/her digestive power. The quantity of Food for a person is that which gets digest in time and do not disturb his/her natural health. One should eat the food which is heavy to digest till ½ stomach get fulfilled, not more than that. Also the food which is light to digest should not be eaten too much, there should be some space in stomach for water and air. 
       Thus when a person takes proper amount of food that food does not disturb his body constituents and it gives strength, health and long life to that person. 
According to Ayurveda(charak) 
Following food items are good to take daily-The rice which grows in 60 days, brown rice,green gram,rock salt,Amla[emblica officinale],Barley flour,pure water,ghee[butter], milk and honey. 
        According to Acharya Charka-One should not eat yoghurt in the night time. 
      One should not eat yoghurt after heating it, one should eat it without heating. 
       One should not eat yoghurt without adding any one of these items-
 ghee[clarified butter],without suger, or without mung legume, or without honey, or without mixing amla[embalica officinale].
If one doesn’t follow the rules about eating yoghurt and eat in whatever manner he wants then it may cause fever, skin disease, jaundice, delusion etc.  

         

Eight Factors about food intake 

Important factors to prepare food
In Charak Samhita –
(Eight factors pertaining to food),
 Eight factors about food are described called as [Ashta ahahra vidhi visheshayatan] which affects our health(give list) 
1.Natural quality of food[or prakruti] 
2.Preparation [karan]-In this how food is prepared? In what vessel it is prepared, with what emotion it is prepared. 
3.Combination [Samyoga]-In
Importance of food and it's preparation 

this ,what other materials are mixed in food preparation all these things comes. 

4.Quantity of food taken[Rashi] 

5.Habitate or [Desha]-Where person is staying that region has to be consider. 

6.Time [Kal]-Which season is there[summer or winter etc] 

7.Rules of use [upyogsanstha]-One has to follow general rules of taking food as described above. 

8.User or [upyokta] - the person who is taking food, what is his prakruti, and what is his physical and mental state. All these are important before deciding menu of meals.(prakriti anusar ahar videos already)

see youtube video on food topic