Diet
Food is the vital breath of a living being, the most essential thing for maintenance of life. Good physical strength, intellect, complexion, cheerfulness, good voice, happiness, contentment are all dependent on food.
Good quality food contains a high proportion of a valued ingredient and provides the necessary contribution to a nutritionally balanced diet.
As mentioned in Ayurveda, 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 or after carrying out certain therapeutic procedures, where person needs more nutrition with lesser digestive load.
The ancient Ayurveda text, Charaka Samhita, describes food substances based on groups such as:
1. Group of Awned grains (Sukadhanya Varga): This group mainly contains cereals like Oryza sativa or rice (Shali Chaval), rice harvested after sixty days (Shashtika Chaval), Barley (Yava), Wheat (Godhuma).
2. Group of Legumes (Shamidhanya Varga): This group mainly consists of pulses. For example, green gram (Mudga), black gram (Masa), kidney bean (Rajamasa), horse gram (Kulattha), chick pea (Chanaka), lentils (Masura), pea (Satina), sesame (Tila), etc.
3. Group of various kinds of meat (Mansa Varga): This is further classified into several groups on the basis of the animal characteristics, such as those which take their food by snatching (Prasaha), those that move on water (Ambucharina), those living in marshy land (Anupa), those which eat while striking (Pratuda). This classification is based on the different pharmacotherapeutic effects on body and they are mentioned to be used in specific disorders.
4. Group of vegetables (Saka Varga): Different vegetables are described with their parts to be used, along with the effect they have on body and hence their use in specific disease conditions. e.g. Ripe fruit of Benincasa hispida (Kushmanda) is sweet, sour, light, diuretic, laxative and alleviates all doshas.
5. Group of fruits (Phala Varga): e.g. Vitis vinifera (Draksha), Phoenix dactylifera (Khajura), Grewia asiatica (Parusaka), Madhuca indica (Madhuka), Cocos nucifera (Narikela), Syzygium cumini (Jambu), Emblica officinalis (Amalaki), Diospyrosto mentosa (Tinduka), Punica granatum (Dadima), Garcinia indica (Vrikshamla), are described with their effects on body and hence accordingly their use is advised.
6. Group of salads (Harit Varga): e.g. Zingiber officinale (Adraka), Citrus limon (Jambira), Raphanus sativus (Mulaka), Trachyspermum ammi (Yavani), Coriandrum sativum (Dhanyaka), Allium cepa (Palandu), Allium sativum (Lasuna), etc., are described along with their effects on Tridosha and the body as a whole.
7. Group of Fermented Liquors (Madya Varga): Alcoholic drink (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, Arishta, Sarkara, Pakwasara, Shitarasika, Gauda, Surasava, Madhvasva, Maireya Asava, Madhu, Sura Madhulika, Sauviraka, etc., the different types of liquors with different actions and uses.
8. Group of various types of water (Jala Varga): 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, pond water etc.,) impart different properties depending on their source.
9. Group of milk and milk products (Gorasa Varga): e.g. Milk of a cow, buffalo, camel, mare, goat, sheep, she elephant. Curd (Dadhi), Buttermilk (Takra), Clarified butter (Ghrita), Butter, etc., are milk products with different actions and uses with respect to dose, time and place of living.
10.Group of sugars/honey (Ikshu Varga): e.g., juice of sugarcane, jaggery (Guda), sugar (Khanda), honey etc., fall under this group.
11.Group of dietary preparations (Kritanna Varga): This includes Ayurveda recipes like liquid gruel (Peya), paste-like gruel (Vilepi), gruel water (Manda), flour of fried paddy (Sattu), etc., with their method of preparations and effects on body.
12.Group of adjuvants of food (Aharayogi Varga): As the name suggests, it includes items which are used as adjuvants for cooking e.g., oils of different sources like sesamum oil (Tila Taila), mustard oil (Sarsapa Taila), castor oil (Erand Taila), oil of Buchanania lanzan (Priyala Taila), oil of Carthamus tinctorius (Kusumbha Taila). There is no certainty or limitation of the use of particular adjuvant with food.
Specifications regarding selection of food item
1. Cereals and legumes are recommended for use when they are one year old. The old one is mostly rough (Ruksha) and light (Laghu) while the new one is mostly heavy (Guru).
2. The legumes, when de-husked and properly fried, digest easily.
3. Meat of animals who died a natural death, who are emaciated, contain too much fat, too old, too young, killed by poison, bitten by snake or tigers, etc., should be discarded. Meat of animals other than the above is wholesome and promotes bulk as well as strength of the body.
4. Meat soup is nourishing and beneficial for heart (Hridaya). 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.
5. Vegetable, which is affected by insects, wind and sun, dried, old, off-season, not cooked with fat and unhygienic should be discarded.
6. Instructions regarding salads are according to the respective items except cooking.
7. The drinks taken after meals should be contrary to the properties of food not so to body tissues (dhatus).
Dietetic Incompatibilities
The substances which are contrary to body tissues (deha dhatus) behave with antagonism (virodha) to them. This antagonism may be in terms of properties, combination, processing, place, time, dose etc., or natural composition. For instance:
1. One should not take fish with milk. Combination of both of them results in sweet in taste (Madhura Rasa). Post digestive effect of sweet (Madhura Vipaka) is known to be a great obstructer for the channels (Mahabhisyandi), because of cold nature of milk and hot nature of fish. It is unwholesome to take diet and drugs having cold potency in combination with those of hot potency (Viruddha virya). Due to conflicting potency (viryas), it vitiates blood and it creates obstruction in channels. The entire drug or diet, which excites the dosha but does not eliminate it, out of the body, becomes harmful.
2. For a person in arid zone (Jangala desha) rough and sharp substances, and in marshy region (Anupa desha) unctuous and cold ones are known as antagonistic with respect to the place.
3. If one takes rough (ruksha) and cold (sheeta) items, in the winter and pungent, hot items in the summer, it is antagonistic in terms of time.
4. Honey (madhu) and clarified butter (ghrta) taken together in equal quantity is antagonistic in dose.
5. The use of sweet diet (madhura aahar dravya), cold (sheet) diet by a person accustomed to pungent, hot diet is antagonistic in suitability.
6. Use of diet, drug and behaviour which is similar to doshas in properties but adverse to the person’s practice is antagonistic to doshas.
7. When the edible food items become poisonous by particular processing such as in case of peacock’s meat attached to a castor stick, it is known as antagonism in processing.
8. Antagonism in richness (of qualities) is when there is immature or over mature or damaged rasa in a substance.
9. 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 (Napusankata), blindness (Andhyata), erysipelas (Visarpa), ascites (jalodar), insanity (Unmaad), fistula-in-ano (Bhagandar), fainting (Murcha), necrosis (Atikshaya), tympanitis (Karnashoth), spasm in throat (Galagraha), anaemia (Raktalpata), indigestion (amavisha), leukoderma (Shrivatra), leprosy (Kustha), Sprue/Malabsorption(Grahaniroga), oedema (Shoth), acid gastritis (Amlapitta), fever (jvar), rhinitis (Shvathu), genetic disorders (anuvansik roga) 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. This includes emesis, purgation, use of antidotes, etc., 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.
1. Nature of food i.e., basic properties of food e.g., by nature (Prakriti) Here, green gram is light (laghu) and also gray partridge.
2. By processing, the heavy (guru) ones becomes light (laghu) and vice versa. For instance, rice (vrihi) becomes light (laghu) when transformed into parched grains (laja) after frying. On the other hand, flour of roasted grains becomes heavy (Guru) when processed to form cooked bolus.
3. Combination of different dietary items.
4. Quantity of individual item of food as well as the food as a whole.
5. Place.
6. Time.
7. Direction of use.
8. 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
1. 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 tridoshas to act upon it.
2. One should eat warm (freshly prepared) and unctuous food.
3. One should select the combinations which are not antagonistic.
4. One should ensure proper hygiene of place before eating along with all the favorable accessories.
5. One should not eat too fast or too slow.
6. One should eat food with full concentration and avoid laughing and talking while eating.
Dietary Regimen (Pathya-Apathya)
According to Charaka Samhita, suitable diet (Pathya Ahara) is such diet which has beneficial effect over the body and mind of an individual without causing any untoward effect. Every fundamental principle in Ayurveda, such as Seasonal Regimen (Ritucharya) and Daily Regimen (Dincharya), mentions Suitable Diet (Pathya) or Unsuitable Diet (Apathya). Each disease condition also has a specific Suitable Diet (Pathya) or Unsuitable Diet (Apathya) specified.
The doctor's prescription for treating Suitable Diet (Pathya) usually involves sticking to a tight diet or eliminating certain foods. It speeds up recovery and improves the effectiveness of treatment. Suitable Diet (Pathya Ahara) results in healthy bodily development and Unsuitable Diet (Apathya Ahara) leads to diseases.