Why does Ayurveda Stress on Eating Right?

How many times have we skipped breakfast because we’re getting late for work? How many times have we rushed through a meal just because we have to be somewhere else quickly or catch a movie? How many times have we ordered a pizza just because we’re too lazy to cook? Lots of times, right? We can even say that all this is a part and parcel of our everyday lives. Well, we may not even realize it without constipation and acidity hitting us, but yes, eating right is something that is extremely important for us.

Nutrition, like we mentioned before, is one of the three pillars of Ayurveda. The Ayurvedic text - Charaka Samhita, though centuries old, stresses on eating right, which can lead to proper nutrition for the body, especially the dhatus. The age-old science says that it is very important to eat right, and improper eating is one of the biggest reasons for diseases to occur. Eating is not something we do as a favor to our tongue or stomach; we do it as it gives us life! We cannot live beyond a few days without eating now, can we? It is an act that affects us not only physically, but mentally as well. That is the reason why food has the power to change our mood and temperament!

Ayurveda says that a person’s diet should bear factors such as:

• The time when the food is consumed - When to eat?
• The sequence in which the food is eaten - What to eat?
• The quantity of the food that is being eaten - How much to eat?
• The way in which the food is being consumed.
• Whether or not incompatible foods are being eaten - the pairing of the food.
• The predominant Dosha or Guna of the person.
• The quality or Guna of the food.
• The location of the person or the ‘Desha’.
• The ‘Kaal’ or the season.
• Whether or not all the six tastes or ‘Rasas’ are being consumed.

Yes, to eat right, we have to ensure that all these factors are being understood and adhered to.

To eat the right kind of food is one thing, but to make sure it gets digested properly is something that we can ensure only by doing everything right – the slightest problem or an issue in even one of the above-mentioned factors, and the entire effort might just go waste with the food not being digested properly. This can lead to the formation of Ama or toxins in the body, which can lead to their own set of problems.

Another reason why Ayurveda stresses on eating right is because of our metabolic fire or Agni - which is responsible for breaking down the food and converting it into energy. Eating a poor diet or eating in an untimely fashion can diminish the Agni - which means that it will not be sufficient for proper digestion. A weak Agni can also lead to weight-gain as well as fatigue - especially after a meal.

Everyone is different, and each one has a different body type. That is the reason why what is good for one person may not be good for another. We need to understand what our body likes and what it doesn’t - same goes for the mind. All we need to do is just listen and observe carefully - the clues are all out there for us to see clearly. Monitoring our diet can go a long way in ensuring that we live a hale and hearty life.

Now that you know why it’s important to eat right, let’s now elaborate more on When, What and How much food to be eaten in detail.