Food To Eat Ayurveda Ayurvedic

Food is considered to be Prana, or life force. Food is what nourishes the body. It is important to eat fresh and good quality food. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain living energy. The seeds of plants usually contain the most positive energy.

There are different foods for different seasons. Hot weather dehumidifies the system that causes the blood to thicken and it is good to eat food that has high moisture content. During the winter the body naturally accumulates fat to protect against the cold. When the summer starts the system starts to consume the stored fat.

It is best not to eat food that the system will not digest properly. Dead foods are of a Tamasic (ignorance) nature and include meat and canned foods & vegetables.

Foods According to Constitution
Good foods decrease the humor, and these foods are good for persons with that constitution. For example dry fruits, apples, etc aggravate Vata, therefore Vata people should not take them in excess. Sweet fruits, such as avocados and grapes, are good for Vata people.

Proper Food According To Season
During autumn, wind is high and dry, and Vata predominates. During autumn it is best to eat high protein foods, dry fruits and other foods that increase Vata.

Cold Weather Food
Kapha predominates in the winter, as it brings cold and snow. During this time it is best not to eat ice cream, yogurt, cheese or cold drinks, as these foods increase Kapha.

Food that provide energy and add heat to the system are carrots, greens, onion, potatoes, spinach, squash, sweet peas, tomatoes and turnips.

Good breakfast foods are cracked wheat, oats and tapioca. These foods are especially good if they contain freshly roasted nuts and raisins. Dates and figs are also good additions.

Dairy products and citrus fruits should be avoided because they are sour foods that produce cold in the system. The only permissible dairy product is cheese.

Bananas are good among fruits. Also mango, papaya and pomegranates may be eaten.

An instant heat producer is a teaspoon of ginger, a teaspoon or more of fenugreek and seven black peppercorns.

Hot Weather Food
Hot weather dehumidifies the system causing the blood to thicken. Therefore a person should eat foods with high moisture content and drink more. During winter the body accumulates fat and when summer starts the body automatically consumes the stored fat. Combustion of stored fat releases heat into the system, which produces additional dehydration.

During the summer, people tend to sweat more. Pitta predominates during this time of the year, and it is not good to eat spicy hot or pungent foods, as they will aggravate Pitta.

Fruits are Sattvic (mode of goodness) foods. Seasonally fresh locally grown fruits are the best things to eat in the summer. Fruits are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Some good fruits to eat in the summer are apricots, berries (all types), cantaloupe, grapes, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums and watermelon.

Green leafy vegetable are excellent to be eaten in the summer and provide the body with natural salts, which are lost in perspiration. Cucumbers are especially good, eaten raw with lemon and salt (black rock salt is best). Some good vegetables to eat are: beet tops,
collard greens, cucumbers, mustard greens, pumpkins, radish, rutabagas, spinach, squash,
turnip tops, turnips, watercress and zucchini. Sprouts are good because the heat naturally present in beans disappears when beans are germinated.

Mint is good for cooling the system and it can be used as a garnish (either chopped fresh or dry leaves). It can also be made into a tea, ground into a paste with water or as a chutney (with a few pomegranate seeds and salt.

Summer or Winter Spices
Turmeric and coriander are good spices for winter, but not the summer. Good for the summer is cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, garlic and onion. Garlic and onions can be used in small quantities for medicinal reason, as both kill gas.

Summer Beverages
As much water has possible should be taken in summer. Freshly squeezed fresh fruits and lassi (a yogurt drink) are good summer drinks.

Sour drinks and fruits should only be taken during the daylight hours and never at night.

Lemon juice with cold water and raw sugar provides a lift to the bloodstream and the digestive tract. You can also add a pinch of salt, fresh mint, a pinch of cinnamon or freshly ground black pepper.

Tamarind is a good drink. To make it, first soak a package of dried tamarind overnight in water. When the tamarind is soft, then grind it into a paste with water. A blender may be used. Then filter it through cheesecloth and add water to give it the consistency of apple juice. Add a pinch of salt, a few raisins, sprig of mint and raw sugar. A pinch of cinnamon or a pinch of freshly powdered cumin can be added.

Yogurt is an especially good food in the summer. It should be made fresh from whole, raw milk.

Yogurt
Yogurt provides most of the nutrients needed by the human body. It is good because of its cooling effect, its B-complex vitamins and its general tonic effect. It can be eaten alone or served with a fruit salad.

Yogurt that has the best nutritional value is that which is made fresh at home out of whole raw milk. It is much better to eat homemade yogurt made from pasteurized milk than what is found in stores, which is old and often made from skim milk or powdered milk.

Lassi (How to make)
Churn yogurt with an egg-beater until it is well blended. Foam will rise to the top that contains small particles of butter. Stop churning when yogurt becomes thick and without butter. Add water to give the yogurt the consistency of milk. Rosewater, sugar or honey can be added for taste. Lassi is cooling and refreshing and contains a good amount of B-12 and other yeast-generated vitamins.

How to Make Yogurt
Boil a half-gallon of milk. Once it comes to boil then remove it from the heat and cover it with a cheesecloth or strainer to keep out impurities. Then let it cool almost to room temperature. Once the milk has cooled then add ¼ cup of yogurt culture or commercial yogurt. Cover and keep at a warm (not hot) temperature. You can use a warming tray or put it in an over set on “warm” with the door left well open. Or put it in an oven that has a hundred-watt light bulb in it and let sit for about 8 hours.

Glass is the best place to store yogurt and also good is stainless steel. It should never be kept in aluminum container, because yogurt is acidic and will break down the aluminum into potentially poisonous compounds. Aluminum cookware should be avoided because acidic foods break it down.

After the yogurt has set, remove it from the heat and put it in the refrigerator for at least one day. This stops the reaction of the yeast on the milk before the milk is completely consumed. Yogurt should be cooled at least for one day or its texture and taste will not be good.

When Food Should Be Eaten
Food should be eaten according to the time of day. In general cereal is good in the morning, fruits and juices in the afternoon, and boiled vegetables and pulpy foods in the evening. It is best to eat food within three hours of when it is cooked.

Morning Foods
How a person starts their day is critical, as morning is the Sattvic (mode of goodness) time of day. Therefore only Sattvic foods should be eaten between ninety minutes before sunrise to mid-day.

Most cereals are good, and wheat and oats are especially good, but only small quantities should be taken.

Nut and seeds are good, but should only be taken after being roasted first. Pinenuts (pignola) or almonds don’t need to be roasted. Three to five pines nut can be eaten. Pine nuts are the best nuts and are the only seed that can be eaten whole and raw. They can help with a variety of diseases.

One or two almonds can be eaten after being soaked overnight in cool water. Before eating peel and grind the almond into a fine paste. A few drops of water can be added.

Citrus fruits, which are a Rajasic food, should not be eaten in the morning. Rajasic foods taken at a Sattvic time will create hypersensitivity and anger to those who are susceptible.

Sattvic fruits that can be eaten are bananas, coconut, grapes, guavas, pears and raisins.

The seeds of cantaloupe and watermelon can be eaten, but not the fruit because it is tamasic (because it grows on the ground).

The milk of the coconut is Sattvic and alkaline (take 1/3 of the juice of a medium coconut). It kills stomach acidity and anger if taken as the only morning food for 40 days. Both the juice and meat of the coconut are very healthy.

Afternoon Foods
In the afternoon the body needs foods and juices that have higher water content. From shortly before noon to mid-afternoon the system is at its peak of activity consuming energy at a rapid pace. By late afternoon the system is exhausted. From ten minutes before dawn, the blood gradually loses power.

In the afternoon the body needs food that provides energy with the minimum amount of energy. This is the customary time to take a stimulant, such as afternoon tea.

To compensate for the toxin in caffeine take coffee or tea with roasted nuts in summer and in winter with cucumber, cantaloupe or pumpkin seeds.

Neither yogurt nor fruit should be taken with tea. Bananas and yogurt should not be mixed.

Fruit juices are good in the afternoon during the summer. If activity is not completed it is best to eat only lightly, because action taken when the stomach is full creates imbalance in the body’s gases, which can lead to a variety of diseases.

Evening Foods
By the evening much of the body’s energy is expended and what is left is mainly centered in the head (which is why at night is the time to talk and joke). Because there is not much energy left in the body the food taken in the evening should be light and easy to digest. They later one eats after the dark, the more likely the food is to be improperly digested.

Citrus fruit should be avoided because at night vitamin D and citric acid stimulate the production of urine, and the need for urination can disturb a sound sleep. This is true for all acidic foods, because acid stimulates urination and thins semen.

Some good foods to eat are beans, boiled vegetables, greens, papaya, soups and yeast bread. Warm milk, with either dates or raisins, is good in the evening and helps the morning movement be prompt and clean.

Both yogurt and rice should be avoided. Root vegetables (potatoes, beets) should not be taken at night because they are harder to digest. Foods high in protein should be avoided in the evening. Nuts are best taken in the evening.

Fried foods should be avoided in the evening, as no oil should be used in cooking in the evening. Fewer spices should be used in the evening. Bachelors should avoid all hot and spicy foods after dark.

Incompatible Foods
Certain foods are especially incompatible with each other, such as the list below. Mixing these food together can cause the system to clog up and can prevent absorption by the intestines. This can cause an imbalance in the Doshas, and toxins can be produced.

Milk Banana
Yogurt, Sour Fruits, Bread made with yeast, Yogurt, Kitchari (basmati rice and mung dal), Melons

Yogurt Milk
Melons, Mango (therefore mango lassi is not recommended), Sour Fruit, Banana, Cheese, Starches, Hot Drinks (coffee, tea, etc)

Nightshades Vegetables
Yogurt, Milk, Cucumber, Melon
(Potato, Eggplant, Tomato)

Corn
Bananas, Dates, Raisins

Lemon
Yogurt, Milk, Tomato, Cucumber

Melon
Should only be eaten alone Everything: especially Fried Foods, Cheese, Starches, Grains.

Fruit
Avocado Increases Kapha
Banana Increases Kapha & Pitta
Dry Fruits Creates dryness May aggravate Vata
Mango May cause diarrhea Ghee with cardamom
Melon Causes water retention
Watermelon Causes water retention

Vegetables
Cabbages Produces gas
Garlic Increases Pitta
Green Salad Produces gas
Legumes Produces gas and distention
Onion Produces gas
Potato Produces gas Ghee with peppercorn
Tomato Increases Kapha.

Dairy Products
Cheese Aggravates Pitta & Kapha, Increases mucus and congestion
Ice Cream Causes congestion Increases mucus
Sour Cream Causes congestion Increases mucus
Yogurt Causes congestion Increases mucus

Grains
Oats Increases Kapha and fat.
Rice Increases Kapha and fat.
Wheat Increases Kapha and fat.

Nut and Seeds
Nut Produces gas Increases Pitta
Peanut Butter Heavy with sticking property Increases Pitta. Causes headache
Seeds May aggravate Pitta

Good Foods by Constitution
The following lists are general suggestions according to particular bodily types. A person has to learn for themselves what is best for them. When possible it is best to avoid the foods that are not good for the particular Dosha.

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