Ayurveda is an ancient science of life/ living. It believes that food is medicine and also quotes that “When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; when diet is correct, medicine is of no need”.
The right diet should be based upon the dosic predominance of each individual and this is the reason why a diet suitable for others may still not be right for us, as each of us is a unique being with a unique combination of body types/dosas. This Right diet is decided upon mainly by the rasa/taste and guna/ quality of food items. Rather than focusing on macronutrients, focus on tastes and Rather than focusing on calories, focus on food qualities.
According to ayurveda, each meal should contain all six rasas/ tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent, and pungent and possess qualities opposite to that of the predominant dosha. The dominance of the taste will again depend on our predominant dosha makeup. For example, A Heavy meal with sour and salty tastes is suitable for a Vata-predominant person, A light meal with more pungency and spice is suitable for a Kapha-predominant person and a sweet meal for a Pitta-predominant person.
Ayurveda believes that we can add life to our years and years to our lives by following a good eating routine. Cooking and eating fresh food is equally important as leftovers are considered less sattvic than fresh foods and have to be avoided whenever possible. But, nowadays, our busy lifestyle has made us to eat on the go, eat while working, skip meals or eat “junk” foods. So, avoiding processed food and learning to eat well at home are the first steps to be taken to attain good health.
