According to Ayurveda food is medicine and medicine is food. Eating correctly is the most important aspect of Ayurvedic life-style in both the short term and the long term. What is so-called ‘correct’ or ‘compatible’ depends on the individual and as the saying goes ‘one man’s meat is another man’s poison’. Different foods suit different people.
Ayurveda recognizes six main tastes; bitter, spicy, astringent, sweet, sour and salty. Three tastes will help reduce any one Dosha.
After your first consultation you will be given a Dietetic sheet showing the different foods that can be taken. If you are taking food to reduce Pitta you will receive a Pitta Pacifying Dietetic. This means the foods listed will help to reduce and manage Pitta. Sometimes the Dietetic recommended is for a temporary period until a more stable situation has been reached and other times it will be your correct diet for life.
You will be recommended to choose your food items from one of these food lists:
Important rules in regard to food and eating:
* Eat simply and avoid those foods you know cause problems (particularly if your digestive system is weakened by excess toxins and you are undergoing treatment)
* Eat only enough to satisfy hunger and eat whenever you are hungry (this will ensure most food may be digested and not add toxins to the system)
* Eat only when hungry, not according to the clock (your body knows when food is required, learn to differentiate hunger from greed)
* Ensure your last meal is at least four hours before sleeping so it may digest properly
* Do not eat when upset, angry, or exhausted. Cook and eat in a calm, giving and positive state of mind
* Be aware of the taste and texture of the food you eat. Enjoy and appreciate your food, and feel satisfied and thankful
* Chew food thoroughly and properly as this is the first step of digestion and vital so that the stomach can prepare the enzymes necessary to break down the particular food that it will receive
* Stick strictly to those food items recommended on your Dietetics list and eliminate or greatly reduce those foods not mentioned on the list
* Allow your body to adjust naturally to any changes in diet and don’t worry about weight gain or loss as this will stabilise over time to what is natural and suitable to your birth constitution
