Nutrition is, and sort of always has been, all the rage, but it’s only been in the last sixty or so years that such broad dietary epidemics of over-fed and under-nourished have been able to exist and been so prevalent, even though they only exist for a percentage of the world’s population. Now, we can nearly choke on the quantity of fad diets.
Think about it, for hundreds of thousands of years, we humans didn’t really have much of a choice. We ate what was around us, available, and hopefully not rotten or poison. As animals on the planet, we evolved alongside the plants, animals and minerals, at first gathering, and then intentionally cultivating, our ‘diet’. Choosing our ‘diet’ wasn’t typically the norm. To truly think about diet and digestion, a return to ancient Ayurveda makes this crystal clear.
AYURVEDA’S HISTORY
Ayurveda originated between 5,000–10,000 years ago in India and remains in practice today as a licensed medical doctor degree. Its dietary foundations were the only options available 5,000 years ago: organic, local and seasonal vegetables, fruits, spices, lentils, minerals like salt and sometimes meat (depending on location and geography- even the Buddhists in the Himalayas rely on meat products with their 4-month growing season). This can and should remain the foundation of any diet. It’s mirrored in Michael Pollen’s well-known book “Food Rules’’ with his summary, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.”
THE CASE FOR REMOVING PROCESSED FOODS
The primary reason to not eat excessively-processed foods is because the majority of preservatives are just not food. They are chemicals intended to extend shelf-life, but our body didn’t evolve alongside sodium benzoate. We can’t grow butylated hydroxyanisole 320 in our gardens. Our bodies don’t know how to handle many of these chemicals. It’s best to try to live without them.
AYURVEDA IS MORE THAN CARBS AND PROTEIN
But then what? carbs- yes or no? Sugar is ‘natural’- yes or no? All these years, Ayurveda has recognized that we are not what we eat, but what we digest. We can mow down a brilliantly fresh salad with raw broccoli, cabbage and cold beans, but if our digestive fire is too low, we won’t actually be able to digest it, aka ‘transform’ that food properly and it might instead become trash in the body. This trash is also known as ‘ama’. Symptoms include a coating on the tongue, joint pain, brain fog, fatigue, muscle aches, irritability and lack of joy- sound familiar? Eventually, with enough ama present for long enough, the immune system can get confused which can, in turn, result in auto-immune disease. Auto-immune epidemic anybody? Oof!
AYURVEDA IS MORE THAN JUST HEALTH TOO
So what are the transformations of food supposed to be? Ayurveda notes that food should transform progressively into becoming our bodily tissue, the heat of our bodies, the intelligence of our immunity and then consciousness. Ayurveda advises to eat for the quality of consciousness that you seek. (Yikes! As I munch on a donut out of stress! The pressure!) But relax! Ayurveda is so forgiving! Let’s learn this together.
AYURVEDA: GETTING STARTED
Starting on the foundation of local, organic and seasonal, there is no one-diet perfect for every person or a diet perfect for one person throughout their life. Just as we evolved with different foods available in different seasons, our digestive fire also shifts across the year and the lifespan. A strong digestive fire can digest almost anything- bring on the raw food! A fragile digestion needs the pot to be the first stomach and should take warm soups, stews, juices, broth, spices, and cooked foods only. How can you tell? If you have a strong appetite, enjoy food and feel refreshed after eating all foods, you can eat most anything. If you don’t have much appetite, feel full quickly, or feel poorly after eating, then it’s time to dial down your body’s work of eating.
This basic understanding of diet can be immensely supportive in understanding why sometimes white rice or white bread can be ‘medicine’ for a very vulnerable digestion and why salad is not always the best choice for a ‘healthy’ diet. Most importantly, Ayurveda recognizes the critical FIRST step of digestion- listen to your body, especially your belly! Here are all the clues you need to choose the beautiful food that is going to transform the best into making your gorgeous body and brilliant mind.
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CHECK OUT OUR RECOMMENDED SPICES: This is our number one recommended getting-started digestive support. Dr Vasant Lad refers to triphala as a ‘best friend’ in that it can accompany you every day for life. Triphala is three fruits, amalaki, bibhitaki and haritaki, that you take as 1–2 tablets or as ½ tsp in warm water an hour after dinner and an hour before bed to clear the digestion of the day. Take nightly. You can get this directly through the NeuroVeda FullScript supplement site {LINK} that takes good care to get you high quality products shipped directly to your home.
Primer in Ayurvedic Digestion: We are not what we eat, but what we digest. was originally published in NeuroVeda Health on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.