In the ancient days,
the qualities of each and every food preparation and
their effect on the tissues of healthy as well as
diseased individuals of various constitutions were
studied in detail. Hence we find references of
dietary factors as etiological factors, which
trigger off, subdue, as well as aggravate many
disease processes.
In almost all diseases Ayurveda has advised the
avoidance of certain food items, which have a
tendency to aggravate the disease and consumption of
certain food items that have a beneficial effect on
the recovery from the disease.
Intake of food very slowly (vilambit ahar) leads to
increase in consumption. Food also becomes cold and
hence tends to act like poison, in the process it
does not get easily digested.
Food also should not be consumed hurriedly
(atidrutam ahar) accompanied by excessive talking,
laughter and the person should not engage mind on
other things while eating, as all these leads to the
food passing into the wrong passage thereby delaying
the digestion process. The food in turn does not
stay in the alimentary tract for the required time
and the person is denied of the experience of good
or bad qualities of food.
Thus diet is important for maintenance of health.
However, if one does not use his discretion
regarding selection of food in relation to place,
time, constitution etc. as given below, the same
diet can give rise to disease by vitiating the
doshas.
- Diet and Place: Eating hot and pungent
food in continental climate (Jangala desh) or
eating fatty and cold food items in maritime
climate would increase pitta and kapha doshas
respectively.
- Diet and Season: Eating hot and pungent
food in summer or cold food in winter would
increase pitta and kapha doshas respectively.
- Quantity and Quality: Eating heavy food
items in excess or too less quantity of food of
light items would increase kapha and vata doshas
respectively.
- New Tastes: Eating food to which one is
not habituated would also cause sudden imbalance
of doshas.
- Constitution and diet: If a person with
vata constitution eats dry food, person with
pitta constitution eats hot and pungent food and
person with kapha constitution eats fatty and
sweet food, in excess; it would result in
increase of the same dosha in the body.
- Diet and digestive power: If a person
with weak digestive power eats heavy food items,
it leads to formation of ama (impaired
functioning of body heat).
- Diet and srotorodha (obstruction of the
body channels): Diet, which increases doshas
and simultaneously damage tissues, leads to
obstruction of the body channels.
- Dietetic incompatibilities: Like for
e.g. eating a combination of milk and fish will
result in increased amount of doshas in the
body.
- Eating raw food items in excess: Raw
food items, which are difficult to digest such
as green leafy vegetables, would increase vata
dosha in the body.
- Psychological incompatibility: One
should not eat food items, which one does not
like.
- Stale food: One should not eat
fermented and putrefied food or food which is
not freshly prepared.
- Time: Eating food at irregular hours or
eating food when not hungry makes a person prone
to disease.
If the diet is consumed taking into consideration
the above factors, one can lead a healthy and
disease-free life.
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Healthy
Living
