Ayurveda is a type of medicine traditionally practiced in India for 5,000 years that emphasizes a balance of spiritual, physical and emotional energies. Ayurveda philosophy approaches disease from a holistic perspective: If illness occurs, the diet, activities, exercise, relationships and past emotional trauma are examined and the solution is often a multi-level approach, involving the use of herbs, massage, meditation and dietary changes.
Doshas
Doshas are energy patterns that influence physical, emotional and spiritual health. A healthy state is achieved when the doshas are balanced. Disease occurs when poor nutrition, a stressful event, unbalanced lifestyle or inactivity cause one or more doshas to shift and disease results. One or two doshas are usually dominant in each person. Vata is responsible for movement and circulatory health. Pitta effects food consumption, digestion and metabolism. Kapha regulates growth, maintenance and the immune system.
Kitchari
Stepping away from a varied diet is often beneficial for digestion, according to Ayurvedic tradition. For one or two days, during a stressful event, illness or a voluntary cleanse, relinquish intake of your normal diet for the simple, calming and cleansing kitchari, a mung bean porridge served warm that improves dosha balance and overall health. The ingredients provide all essential nutrients, according to "The Yoga Journal" and include yellow mung beans, ginger, coconut, cilantro, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, turmeric, salt, clove powder, ghee and basmati rice.
Vegetarian Diet
Eat vegetarian foods to stay healthy. Ayurveda traditionally promotes consuming only vegetarian foods because they do not put stress on the digestive system and the kidneys. Vegetarian foods provide all essential nutrients and keep the doshas in balance. High-protein foods often require the metabolic system to exert more energy than normal in processing them, which leads to imbalances that often manifest as disease.
Energizing Diet
Ayurvedic physician Robert Svoboda recommends consuming a mild diet for increasing energy and vata movement. Particularly, avoiding cold foods, such as ice cream and cold water, and heavy spices and fattening foods. A diet that consists primarily of mildly spiced medium-temperature soups and eliminates sugars and caffeine helps the doshas re-balance. Svoboda recommends the diet for chronic illnesses, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
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