Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medicinal tradition that is still a reputed field among practitioners on both the natural and synthetic sides of the medical industry. What is the reason behind it? Well, it is effective, to say the least. Not only that, a long list is associated with the benefits of Ayurveda diet, which makes Ayurveda a force of nature that has no limitations. It provides a broad spectrum of benefits that positively effects your cognitive, mental, and physical health. Though it is clear that Ayurveda is as or even more beneficial than other modern medicinal traditions, it would, however, prove to be more efficient if we take a look at it with a more informative stance.
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What Is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a system consisting of ancient medicinal practices that hold a certain historic significance in the Indian subcontinent. Ayurveda is sometimes considered to be India’s greatest offering to the world. Ayurveda regards physical existence, mental existence, and personality as their units, and it also states that each of these elements can influence the other, and thrive in harmony. This is one of the most fundamentals of Ayurveda.
Every principle of Ayurveda will have an impact on all three aspects and will work cohesively to bring them together. Let’s take a look at a few of its extraordinary advantages.
Health Benefits Of Ayurveda Diet – Start Following This Today
An extensive list of benefits associated with the practicing of Ayurveda is what attracts everyone towards it. Having a positive effect on one’s beauty as well as health, the proper practice of this ancient tradition can help you achieve that healthy lifestyle that you have been hoping to achieve.
Here’s a quick look at its various benefits of Ayurveda diet.
1. Reduces Anxiety
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With a variety of herbal remedies, Ayurveda techniques help in the reduction of both stress and anxiety. Regular practice of yoga has also shown to have a significant reduction in these two factors.
2. Cleanses The Body
One of the basic outcomes of practicing Ayurveda is its ability for internal cleansing that’ll further improve your health. Most of the ingredients that you’ll consume in this particular diet are loaded with fiber, which is a well-known stimulant for the movement of the bowel.
3. Promotes Weight Loss
The same fiber that aids in removing the toxins and cleansing the body from the inside is also responsible for promoting weight loss. Dietary fiber is the non-digestible part of the food, and upon its ingestion, the stomach does an extra amount of work, which makes it take a lot of time. By slowing down your digestive process, these fiber-loaded items keep you filled for a longer period and prevent you from overeating, thus helping you manage your weight.
4. Promotes Healthy Eating
One of the key characteristics of an ayurvedic diet is healthy eating, as the majority of its constituents are whole foods. These food items are rich in minerals, vitamins, dietary fibers, and other potent antioxidants, all of which when combined, make a diet that is beneficial in both health and beauty aspects.
5. Aids In Managing Blood Pressure
The Ayurvedic diet consists of items that are rich in minerals such as zinc and phosphorous. These minerals tend to dilate the inner walls of the blood pressure that completely counteract the effect that salt has on your vessels, which is to constrict it. Thus, by dilating the blood vessels, these minerals aid in maintaining the blood pressure at its normal level.
6. Improves Cardiovascular Health
The dilating effect that the minerals have on the blood vessels not only benefits one’s blood pressure, but it also contributes towards better cardiovascular health. This is because the dilation of blood vessels prevents the accumulation of bad cholesterol in the inner walls, which results in proper circulation of blood throughout the body, including the heart.
7. Promotes Healthy Blood Sugar Level
As we have mentioned, the Ayurveda diet is loaded with whole foods that contain a high quantity of dietary fiber. Being the non-digestible part of the food, the consumption of fiber-rich food results in the slowing down of one’s digestion. Due to a slower rate of digestion, the absorption of sugar present in the food is also significantly slowed. This is the main reason behind how the practice of Ayurveda diet improves your blood sugar level, for it gives your pancreas a significant amount of time to secrete enough insulin (a hormone that breaks down sugar molecules), thus preventing the sudden spiking of blood’s sugar level.
8. Strengthens Immunity
The antioxidant quality of ayurvedic ingredients is essential for keeping you healthy both internally and externally. The work of antioxidants includes the lowering of free-radicals or free oxygen atoms. Thus, it reduces the risk of free radical damage that can lead to mental health issues like Alzheimer’s disease or other neurodegenerative disorders. This factor is responsible for making your body more immune, and in addition to that, antioxidants also prevent the immune cells from getting attacked by free-radical atoms.
9. Helps You Achieve Healthy Skin
The vitamins, which are present in an Ayurvedic diet in an adequate amount, play a vital role in the betterment and maintenance of healthy skin cells. Vitamin E, for example, is a great nutrient that protects the skin cells against the free-radicals. Furthermore, it also increases the water retention capability of skin cells, which helps in keeping them moisturized and nourished at the same time.
Tips For Ayurveda Diet – How To Maximise Benefits
One of the basic principles behind the ayurvedic diet is its meal-plan. An ayurvedic lifestyle is concerned with three basic life-forces or otherwise known as dosha, namely Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. And a perfect balance between all three will help you achieve a perfect mind and body balance, which is all because of the intelligent eating that is promoted by the Ayurveda diet itself.
Let’s take a look at some essential additions that you must do to receive maximum benefits of Ayurveda diet and this ancient practice:
1. Ignore Other Dieting Fads
Every passing month we come across a new dieting fad, whether it’s a weight-loss diet or a muscle-building meal plan, all you need to know is that there is no guarantee if they’ll prove to be a healthy choice for you. An ayurvedic diet, however, as a plan that has been practiced for centuries, appears to be beneficial in every aspect of one’s health.
2. Choose Your Spices Wisely
In an Ayurvedic way of living, spices are not only there for flavor and aroma, but instead, they play a huge role in one’s digestive health. According to Ayurveda, every meal should have an equal amount of sweetness, sourness, and spiciness, thus you need to know that having these three basic tastes in your meal means that an adequate amount of spices are being consumed.
3. Intelligent Eating
There is no doubt in the fact that whole foods, which constitutes of most of an ayurvedic diet, would ensure a healthy living. A balanced diet having appropriate quantities of most nutrients such as fibers, carbs, vitamins, minerals, and protein, well that is all you need to sustain living in a better way.
Food Items That You Should Consider For Each Dosha
As mentioned, an ayurvedic diet is deeply concerned with three life forces: Pitta, which means physical health, Vata, which means mental health, and Kapha, which means the overall balance of both. So, let’s take a look at some helpful additions for your daily diet that’ll help you achieve a healthy lifestyle (for the ease of the reader we have listed the food items that one can eat based on a specific dosha:
Vata
Mental health is an important aspect of one’s well-being. There is no point in being physically fit while being full of anxiety and depression. Thus, to stabilize your mental health and reduce the anxiety, you must have a diet that has the right quantity of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and other nutrients that’ll help you relax your nerve tissues and relieve you from anxiety. Here is a list of few food items that’ll help you in this task:
- Heavy fruits such as bananas and strawberries (rich in antioxidants). Others include Indian gooseberry and noni fruit.
- Grains such as rice and oats help in inducing sleep and relaxes the nerve tissues.
- Protein-rich legumes such as chickpeas and lentils.
- Sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and flaxseeds are an important source of fatty acids.
Pitta
Physical strength and wellness is something that everyone aims for. It is also indirectly linked with a stable mental state. Foods that are full of fiber and loaded with protein have a significant positive effect on one’s mental health, thus the ingredient listed in this category include names that are rich in these specific macro-nutrients.
- Grains such as wheat and barley (must be avoided by people suffering from gluten intolerance).
- Dairy products such as milk, ghee, and yogurt.
- Dry fruits and nuts that are loaded with both fiber and protein.
- Various other legumes such as kidney beans, chickpea, etc.
Kapha
Kapha roughly translates to the overall balance of mental and physical health, thus a perfectly balanced diet, or in other words, has the correct mixture of nutrients all in an appropriate amount. Here are a few food items that you can consider for this:
- Herbs and spices such as turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon.
- Black beans and navy beans.
- Leafy green vegetables, mushrooms, and starchy veggies
- Corn, millet, rye, and buckwheat.
Principles Of An Ayurvedic Diet
As an ancient practice, there is no doubt in the fact that people at that time didn’t just rely on their diet, there was also a system of principle associated with its practice that made it a beneficial plan with no side-effects whatsoever. We have listed a few of these principles that’ll ensure the correct incorporation of the Ayurveda diet into your lifestyle.
- You mustn’t do any physically or mentally demanding task right after eating.
- Eating and drinking are two tasks that should be done while sitting down.
- Each part of your meal should be at a moderate temperature, avoid eating anything too hot or too cold.
- Do not have a meal that comprises of things that are hot and cold.
- Avoid eating snacks in between two meals, and drink a glassful of lukewarm water when craving.
- Your night-time meal should not be heavy.
- Meditate before eating your meal.
- Avoid food items that are over-greasy, and also stay away from the ones that are too dry.
- Do not consume too much water half-an-hour before or after the meal.
- You can sip water while eating in order to aid digestion.
- Wash the utensils before making your meal.
- You must not eat before sunrise or after sunset.
- You must eat only when you feel hungry.
Final Words
In a nutshell, the practice of an Ayurvedic diet is essential in providing you with quality food items that have an adequate amount of all macro-nutrients. Following this diet is effective and simple, and it is perfectly clear that people who are health conscious have already followed this diet at least once in their lifetime. Ayurveda diet benefits our overall system.
