The Basics of Ayurveda for Big Results :::

Healthier Eating Guidelines

Why:

How, when, and why you eat is just as important as what you eat.

By eating with the basic healthy eating guidelines, you:

• support a stronger, ‘clearer’, more balanced digestive system.
• burn off fat and ama between meals and overnight.
• prevent over-taxing your system and free up energy
• have a stronger immune system and stronger, healthier tissues

When you eat three basic meals a day with your loving attention, you are honoring the sacred act of nourishment and the food that creates your physical body. You are also creating the time and space to be more deeply satisfied by the food you eat.

How:

Some very simple guidelines to eating in a healthy way :

• Have your biggest meal of the day around noon, when your digestion is the strongest. Just like the fire in the sky (the sun) the fire in our body is the strongest around noon. When you have your majority of sustenance around this time, the body is able to break it down, digest and assimilate it into nutrients for it to become the beautiful, healthy tissues of your body.  Food eaten to late in the body weighs down the body and creates health problems, especially a tired/ groggy/ crabby feeling in the morning.
• Eat fresh foods that are freshly prepared. Fresh, whole, sprouted and living foods contain enzymes to enhance our digestion and assimilation. They also have prana — vital life force energy. High prana foods give us high, clear, vibrant energy.
• Incorporate the 6 tastes — sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent, into every meal. Everyone needs a certain proportion of each taste or food depending on their dosha. Vatas, Pittas and Kaphas can read more in this blog to see their preferred foods and flavors. Different tastes help to balance us on multiple levels: physically, emotionally, mentally, energetically, and more. Having all tastes, and your specific tastes in the right proportion,  ensures your body is more balanced.
• Dine in a lovely atmosphere. You can light a candle, play some sweet music, add a flower to your table, but at the very least sit down in a quiet, settled atmosphere. Eating on the go, while driving or walking, standing up, and otherwise distracted hinders your ability to digest what you’re taking in, let alone enjoy it. Sit down and savor!
• Allow yourself to be ready to receive. Let go of any negative emotions or distractions, say a prayer, blessing or gesture of gratitude and relax to receive your nourishment.
• Be hungry. Cultivate a true, strong hunger. This ensures the body is ready to digest. True emptiness allows for a deeper level of satisfaction after eating.
• Don’t confuse thirst and hunger.
• Fast on water between meals.
• Keep good company and let the conversation be light or minimal.
• Allow your attention to remain with the flavors, scents, textures and deliciousness you’re experiencing.
• After dining, relax for a short while before hustling off. Anyone who has more time, or indigestion issues, can practice laying on the left side of the body for about 10-15 minutes. This helps the stomach digest.

If you’re experiencing digestive issues I can help. Click here to learn more about an Ayurvedic Assessment and schedule a time for us to talk.

Cheers to feeling good. xo

{ Art : “Autumn” – Alphonse Mucha }