January 17, 2011
An Ancient Science for Eating Healthy
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Ayuveda--A Science of Life
Considered one of the oldest healing sciences, Ayuveda dates back 5,000 years to India and is becoming more popular in the West. In Western medicine, we treat diseases but there is little emphasis or education about prevention. The basic principle of Ayurveda is to prevent illness by maintaining balance in the body, mind, and consciousness through proper drinking, diet, and lifestyle.
According to Ayurvedic beliefs, each person has a distinct pattern of energy -- a specific combination of physical, mental, and emotional characteristics. It is also believed that there are three basic energy types called doshas, present in every person. Everyone has vata, pitta, and kapha, but usually 1 or 2 are dominant in a particular person. Many things can disturb the energy balance, such as stress, an unhealthy diet, the weather, and strained family relationships. The disturbance shows up as disease. Ayurvedic practitioners prescribe treatments to bring the doshas back into balance.
If you'd like to know your dosha, you can take the quiz.But even without knowing your dosha, there are a few basic concepts anyone can apply from Ayuvedics to their lives for improved well being.
BASIC CONCEPTS FOR EVERYONE
* Eat fresh, local produce, grown organically
* Eat in a settled environment and sit down to eat
* Only eat when you're hungry (some dosha types should NOT have breakfast)
* Stay away from icy cold drinks which decrease digestive fire
* Lunch is the most important meal of the day when your digestive fire is the highest
* Don't eat leftovers
* At each meal, eat an amount that would fit in both hands and not more.
* Stay still and silent after eating for improved digestion. Then take a walk.
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