Rakesh Sethi, BS, CAHP
Wellness Speaker/ Author/
Ayurvedic Practitioner
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Posts Tagged ‘Diet’
The Link Between Food Body and Mind
Everyday research is uncovering that there is a strong link between the body and mind or your physiology and psychology; the different foods you eat, based on your mind-body constitution, interact differently with your physiology. There is a strong relationship between the types of foods you eat and the quality of emotions you stimulate in your mind. Use the following as a guide to fine-tune your diet even further beyond what is just healthy the body to what promotes and supports better quality of emotions.
Foods that invoke Enlightened quality of (mind) emotions:
Milk, fresh fruits, whole grains, fresh vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds are all good for supporting the enlightened quality of mind. However, fresh fruits and dairy products (excluding fermented cheeses) are the best in influencing the enlightened quality of mind. In preparation, use little or no onions, garlic, or red chili. Use just enough oil—not too much.
Foods that invoke Egoistic quality of (mind) emotions:
All meats, bleached flour, chick-peas, onions, garlic, and fermented cheeses. In preparation, when you use lots of onions, garlic, salt, and oil, you change the food’s energy to where it brings out more of the egoistic quality of mind.
Foods that invoke Ignorant quality of (mind) emotions:
All old-spoiled foods, bitter and sour foods, deep fried foods, unripe fruits and vegetables, fermented-old foods, intoxicating liquors, foods that are prepared using sour or spicy hot spices, and/or a lot of oil.
Practical Suggestion: How should you use this information? By combining this information with eating foods based on your unique mind-body constitution, you can design your diet regimen and fine-tune your recipes. A word of caution here! Do not try to shift your diet toward the enlightened quality overnight. You must balance your taste, enjoyment, and health in making a slow transition toward the enlightened quality. This gives you a goal to shoot for so you will make a lasting change.
Read more about selecting suitable foods as per your mind-body constitution in the “Health+Happiness=Wellness” book.
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Ayurvedic Diet Adjustments with Your Seasonal Cycle
What is the Seasonal Cycle?
In Ayurveda the year is divided into three main seasons. Mother Nature changes and her seasons follow each other like clockwork. The changes in Nature affect all living beings living on the planet. For some, these changes have beneficial effects, and for some, they do not. It all depends on the season and your mind-body constitution. A proper seasonal adjustment to your diet will minimize the negative effect on your mental and physical health.
How Do Energies Change with the Seasons?
The Vata, Pitta, and Kapha energies change in each season. One of the energies dominates while the other two virtually have no impact during that season. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha each dominate one of the seasons as shown below.
Kapha energy increases in Nature during the spring season. This means that if you have a Kapha constitution, the Kapha energy in you is likely to be aggravated in spring. Pitta energy increases in Nature during the summer season. This increase means that if your constitution is Pitta, the Pitta energy in you is more likely to be aggravated in summer. Vata energy increases in Nature during the fall/winter season. This means that if you have a Vata constitution, the Vata energy in you is likely to be aggravated in fall/winter. The energy that dominates the season dictates what adjustments you need to make to your Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle. In order to keep your balance, you must change to match the change in energy in that particular season.
My point here is that we need to be mindful of changes in outer Nature and make adjustments in our regimen, diet, and lifestyle accordingly such that our inner nature remains in balance.
One of the best nourishing things you could do during fall/winter seasons is warm oil massage. If you do not make these adjustments, you may develop constipation, joint pains, and nervous system related conditions like anxiety, depression, and loss of memory. Discover more about spring and summer seasonal adjustments in the “Health+Happiness=Wellness” book.
As You Change Your Clothing, So Should Your Diet
A good way to remember about seasonal modifications is to observe how you change your clothing. As the season changes to summer, you change your clothing to lighter, cooler, and softer, more calming colors. As the season changes to fall/winter, you change your clothing to warmer, heavier, and darker colors. And as the season turns to spring, you change your clothing to a bit lighter, brighter, but still somewhat warm colors that are not as cool and light as in summer. Work this pattern into your Ayurvedic diet as well. In this case, what you put on the outside is a guide for what you put in the inside.
