Diet
Food is the vital breath of living being, the most essential thing for maintainance of life. Good physical strength, intellect, complexion, cheerfulness, good voice, happiness, contentment are all dependent on food.
There has been a continuous increasing interest towards Ayurveda, specially for guidelines regarding healthy food and food habits and hence needs exploration of the hidden knowledge written in the texts. Consumers desire about the balanced diet and better quality of food.Good quality food contains a high proportion of a valued ingredient and provides the necessary contribution to a nutritionally balanced diet.
Healthy nutrition is served with many functional foodstuffs, fortified foods and dietary supplements introduced in the food market.Public action is needed to promote and protect the health of the population using dietary guidelines and prevention measures for good nutrition.
There are specific dietetic preparations like Yavagu, Krisara, Manda, Peya, Yusha etc which are easily digestible and have curative effects also. Such preparations are advised to be administered to diseased persons and after carrying out certain therapeutic procedures where person needs more nutrition with least digestive load.
In ancient classic Carak Samhita described the food substances according to groups such as:
Suka Dhanya Varga (Group of Awned grains) : This group mainly contains cereals like Sali Rice, Sastika Rice (Oryza sativa), Yava (Barley), Godhuma (wheat).
Shamidhanya Varga (Group of Legumes ) : This group mainly consists of pulses e.g. Mudga (green gram), Masa (Black gram), Rajamasa (kidney bean), Kulattha (horse gram), Canaka (gram), Masura (lentils), Pea, Tila (sesame)etc.
Mamsa Varga (Group of various kinds of Meat) : This is further classified on the Basis of animals' habitats into several groups such as Prasaha (who take their food by snatching), Ambucarina (which move on waters), Anupa (those living in marshy lands), Pratuda (those who eat while striking)as these have got different pharmacotherapeutic effects on body and they are mentioned to be used in specific disorders
Saka Varga (Group of vegetables) : Different vegetables are described with their parts to be used along with their effects on body and hence their use in specific disease conditions. e.g. ripe fruit of Kusmanda (Benincasa hispida) is sweet, sour, light, diuretic, laxative and alleviates all dosas
Phala Varga (Group of Fruits): e.g. Draksa (Grapes), Karjura (dates), Parusaka (Grewia asiatica), Madhuka (Madhuca indica), Narikela (coconut), Jambu (Syzygium cumini), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Tinduka (Diospyros tomentosa), Dadima (pomegranate), Vrksamla (Garcinia indica) are described with their effects on body and hence accordingly their use is advised.
Harit Varga (Group of Salad) : e.g. Ardraka (Ginger), Jambira (Lemon), Mulaka (Radish), Yavani (Trachyspermum ammi), Dhanyaka (Coriandrum sativum), Palandu (Onion), Lasuna (garlic) etc are described along with their effects on Tridosas and the body as a whole.
Madya Varga (Group of Fermented Liquors) : Sura is beneficial for those who are emaciated, suffering from obstruction in Urine, Malabsorption syndrome (grahani) and piles. It alleviates Vata and useful in deficiency of lactation and anaemia. Madira, Jagala, Arista, Sarkara, Pakwasara, Sitarasika, Gauda, Surasava, Madhvasva, Maireya Asava, Madhu, Sura Madhulika, Sauviraka etc the different types of liquors with different actions and uses.
Jala Varga (Group of various types of water) : Basically all water is of one type i.e. the one which falls down as rain from the sky. Water while falling down from the Sky and coming in contact with the moon, the air, and the Sun, gets impregnated with the properties of cold, hot, unctuous, non-unctuous etc. The ultimate properties depend on place and time. The rainwater has, by nature, these six qualities i.e. cold, pure, wholesome, palatable, clean and light. Others (river, well, ponds water etc) impart different properties depending on their source.
Gorasa varga (Group of Milk and Milk Products) : e.g. Milk of cow, buffalo, camel, mare, goat, sheep, she elephant, human characteristics of these milk are well described in Ayurveda. Dadhi (Curd), Takra (buttermilk), Ghrita (clarified butter), Butter etc. are Milk Product with different actions and uses with respect to dose, time and place of living.
Ikshu varga (Group of Sugars/Honey) : e.g. Juice of Sugarcane, Guda (Jaggery), Khanda (sugar), Honey etc fall under this group.
Kritanna Varga (Group of Dietary preparations) : This includes Ayurveda recipes like Peya, Vilepi, Manda, (Liquid gruel);Sattu floor of fried paddy) etc with their method of preparations and effects on body.
Aharayogi Varga (Group of adjuvants of food) : As the name suggests it includes items which are used as adjuvants for cooking e.g. Oils of different sources like Tila (sesame), Sarsapa (brassica), Priyala (Buchanania lanzan). There is no certainty or limitation of the attachment to particular adjuvant of food.
Specifications regarding selection of food item
Cereals and legumes are recommended for use when they are one year old. The old one is mostly rough and light while the new one is mostly heavy.
The crop, which comes shortly, is regarded as lighter.
The legumes, when dehusked and properly fried digest easily.
Meat of animals who died natural death, who are emaciated, too much fatty, too old, too young, killed by poisons, bitten by snakes, tigers, etc should be discarded. Meat of animals other than the above is wholesome and promotes bulk as well as strength of the body.
Meat soup is nourishing and Hrdya (Beneficial for heart). This is regarded as nectar for those suffering from phthisis, during convalescence and for the emaciated and for those having diminished semen and are desirous of strength and lustre.
Vegetable,which is affected by insects, wind and sun, dried, old, off-season, not cooked with fat and unhygienic should be discarded.
Instructions regarding salads are according to the respective items except cooking.
The drinks taken after meals should be contrary to the properties of food not so to dhatus(body tissues).
Dietetic Incompatibilities
The substances which are contrary to deha dhatus (body tissues) behave with virodha (antagonism) to them. This antagonism may be in terms of properties, combination, processing, place, time, dose etc. or natural composition.(Antagonistic as part of food, which is mostly used).e.g
One should not take fish with milk. (Combination of both of them is Madhura rasa, Madhura Vipaka, Mahabhisyandi (great obstructer for the channels), because of Sita (milk) and usna (fish) i.e. viruddha virya (antagonistic in terms of virya).Due to conflicting viryas, it initiates blood and due to mahabhisyandi it creates obstruction in channels.The entire drug or diet, which excites the dosa but does not eliminate it, out of the body, becomes harmful.
For the person in arid zone (Jangala Desa) rough and sharp substances, and in marshy region (anupa desa) unctuous and cold ones are known as antagonistic in respect of place.
If one takes rough and cold etc, in the winter and pungent, hot etc in the summer it is antagonistic in terms of time.
Honey and grhita (Clarified butter) taken together in equal quantity is antagonistic in dose.
The use of sweet, cold etc by a person accustomed to pungent, hot etc is antagonistic in suitability.
Use of diet, drug and behavior which is similar to dosas in properties but adverse to the person’s practice is antagonistic to dosas.
When the edible food items becomes poisonous by particular processing such as in case of peacock’s meat attached to the castor stick, it is known as antagonism in processing.
Antagonism in richness (of qualities) is that if there is immature or over mature or damaged rasa in a substance.
It is antagonism in rules if the food is not taken in clean and hygienic place.
Adverse Effects of Antagonistic food items on body
Antagonistic food is the cause of impotency, blindness, erysipelas, ascitis, insanity, fistula-in-ano, fainting, necrosis, tympanitis, spasm in throat, anaemia, amavisa, leucoderma, leprosy, grahani roga (Sprue/Malabsorption syndrome), oedema, acid gastritis, fever, rhinitis, genetic disorders and even death.
Therapeutic Measures to Eliminate Adverse Effects
These are the measures, which are used to counteract the above and other disorders caused by antagonism. Such as emesis, purgation, use of antidotes. For pacifying and prior conditioning of the body with similar substances.
Diet Design
There are eight specific factors regarding diet, which are to be taken into consideration before designing the diet for a person to derive best of its effects.
Nature of food i.e. basic properties of food e.g. by nature green gram is light and also gray partridge.
Processing : by processing, the heavy ones becomes light and vice versa such as vrihi becomes light when transformed into laja (parched grains) after frying. On the other hand flour of roasted grains becomes heavy when processed to form cooked bolus.
Combination of different dietary items.
Quantity of individual item of food as well as the food as a whole.
Place
Time
Direction of use
User selection of item of food should be done on the basis of suitability or unsuitability to the user.
The prescribed method for healthy eating
One should take food only after the previous food is digested and that too in proper quantity. In Ayurveda the quantity of food differs from person to person which is determined by his/her digestive capacity. Also the physical form of food is given importance i.e. one should take solids and liquids in 1/3 rd amount each of the total capacity of intake and leave 1/3 rd empty for proper movement and tridosas to act upon it.
One should eat warm (freshly prepared) and unctuous food.
One should select the combinations which are not antagonistic.
One should ensure proper hygiene of place before eating alongwith all the favourable accessories.
One should not eat too fast or too slow.
One should eat food with full concentration and avoid laughing and talking while eating.