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Diet
In Ayurveda
Ayurveda is the knowledge that indicates which activities
and eating habits are appropriate and inappropriate, Auspicious
and inauspicious, what brings happiness and sorrow, as well
as what increases the measure of life itself.
Charaka
Samhita
The Ayurvedic healers usually begin the cure of disease by
arranging the diet that is to be followed by the patient.
So much do the Ayurvedic physicians rely on diet that they
declare that all diseases can be cured by following dietetic
rules carefully along with the proper herbal supplements;
but if a patient does not attend to his diet, a hundred good
medicines will not cure him.
Ayurveda,
India's holistic, integrated, physiotherapeutic medical system
is based upon the universal natural law of balancing the five
elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth) that make up
the physical body. When one or more of these elements go out
of balance because of improper diet and life style, various
diseases and mental disturbances can manifest. Ayurveda explains
that these five elements are kept intact in the body by three
subtle forces called doshas. The key to maintaining physical
and mental health is in keeping these elements and doshas
in harmonic balance through proper diet, herbs and life style,
otherwise early aging and various diseases can manifest. The
three doshas are called Vata (sattva), Pitta (raga) and Kapha
(tama). These three doshas can even be traced back to the
very beginning of creation as representing the three Gods
in Vedic wisdom Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma. Vata is the underlying
subtle force ruling over ether and air, Pitta rules fire and
Kapha is responsible for keeping the water and earth elements
in balance. One or more of these doshas or elements will predominate
in every individual living entity creating seven possible
body types. By knowing which type you are by symptoms the
proper diet and herbal treatment can be established for you.
The
old saying, "One man's food is another man's poison",
is perfectly applicable in Ayurveda, because every food contains
these five elements and doshas in different proportions, and
our ingesting them will effect our elemental balance in a
positive or negative way. Each element by its inherent property,
joins with that which is a part of the body. If to much of
one elementis ingested by a person who already has that element
in a sufficient quantity by inheritance, an imbalance can
manifest. For example, if a person who has more of the Pitta
dosha (fire) eats spicy, sour or to salty foods (which increase
heat in the body,) disturbances related to the fire element
can manifest. The mind can be afflicted by anger, aggression,
impatience, stress, and egotism, and the body can get disturbances
like toxic blood, fever, infections, skin diseases, boils,
liver problems and acid indigestion etc. By eating foods and
Ayurvedic Rasayanas which have a cooling effect on body and
mind, the fire element or heat will be reduced to normal.
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