Have You Heard About The Ayurvedic Diet?

Are you tired of searching for the best meal plan? Well, the ayurvedic diet might turn out to be precisely what you need. Several studies suggest that this meal plan and lifestyle can aid you in overcoming disease and lose weight. The secret to this diet’s success is in the ayurvedic way of eating. 

And if you’re wondering what’s this all about, let’s start with the name Ayurveda. This can be translated as knowledge of life, and it was a word used to describe one of the oldest systems of wellbeing known to man. Thus, the ayurvedic diet comes into the picture as a manner of achieving a complete balance between your body, mind, and spirit. This can only boost your physical and mental health, as you will remove every artificial food or preservatives from your life. Keep reading to discover everything you need to know to start the ayurvedic meal plan today!

What is the ayurvedic diet?

An ayurvedic meal plan is a diet that comes with specific guidelines for when to eat, what to eat, and how to eat so that you improve your health. Overall, following this diet means you will eat mainly whole or minimally processed foods. And besides this, you will have to practice mindful eating rituals continually. 

You should know that this diet stands out amongst others as it has as its main characteristic the necessity of eating according to your dominant type of dosha. Dosha is your energy, and you can get it from space, air, fire, water, and earth:

- Vata (space and air): Vatas are often described as creative, intense, or expressive. Attributes include dry, light, cold, and rough.

- Pitta (fire and water): Pittas are often described as intelligent, joyful, and driven. Attributes include sharp, hot, liquid, and mobile.

- Kapha (earth and water): Kaphas are often described as calm, loving, or lethargic. Attributes include moist, heavy, soft, and static.

Based on these characteristics, you can eat the following foods:

For vata is recommended to eat:

- Sweet fruit such as cooked apples or cherries

- Cooked vegetables like asparagus or beets

- Grains including quinoa or rice

- Red lentils

- Dairy products (in moderation)

- Beef

- Eggs

- Fish

- Black pepper

- Coriander leaves

- Vinegar

- Peanuts and pecans

- Chia or flax seeds

- Beer or white wine

- Sesame oil and ghee

For Pitta is recommended to eat:

- Raisins

- Watermelon

- Sweet or bitter vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower

- Dry cereal

- Pasta

- Black beans

- Unsalted butter

- Chicken (white meat)

- Egg whites

- Almonds

- Beer

- Dry white wine

- Coconut

For Kapha it is recommended to eat:

- Astringent fruit like applesauce or prunes

- Pungent or bitter vegetables like celery or carrots

- Granola

- Polenta

- Lima beans

- Buttermilk

- Cottage cheese

- Shrimp

- Turkey

- Dry red or white wine

What are the health benefits of the ayurvedic diet?

You will eat plenty of whole foods

One of the main health benefits of the ayurvedic diet is that you will eat nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. And besides this, you will reduce the amount of processed foods in your meal plan by focusing on fiber-rich ingredients. Several studies suggest that this meal plan can help you diminish the risk of developing heart disease and cancer.

You might end up losing weight

Since the whole purpose of the ayurvedic diet is to implement as many healthy habits as possible, you might end up losing weight. The nutrient-rich whole foods recommended for this meal plan can boost weight loss and keep hunger at bay. As such, your cravings will lessen, and you will end up eating less, but healthier. 

You will become more mindful

Besides what you eat, the ayurvedic meal plan encourages you to adopt a mindful approach to eating. The goal is to keep a close eye on how you feel in the present, by diminishing distractions during meals and concentrating upon taste, texture, and food smell. A remote study revealed that mindful eating could aid you in coping with depression, stress, or even binge eating.

Are there any downsides to the ayurvedic diet?

As mentioned above, there are plenty of benefits one can access by following the ayurvedic meal plan. Still, there are a couple of drawbacks, too. It can turn out to be confusing and challenging to follow, as you might end up not knowing which foods to avoid and which to eat. Also, at first, you might feel like this meal plan is overly restrictive since the focus is on removing any processed foods from your meal plan.

The bottom line

We do believe the ayurvedic diet is one of the healthiest meal plans nowadays because it focuses on creating a balance between body, mind, and spirit. Also, we like that it encourages mindful eating of highly nutritious foods. And even though it might promote weight loss, the ayurvedic meal plan is more of a lifestyle choice than a diet.