Foods that kill healthy Eating

Foods that kill healthy Eating

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सप्ताहार,(Saptahar) seven consideration for food intake in Ayurveda

Filed Under: Basic Ayurveda by Roshan Baskota — Leave a comment

September 17, 2011

According to Ayurveda the factors that depends upon food are energy, long life, health, immunity, happiness and prana (life) . The food that we input in this natural engine helps to fire the Jatharagni (digestive fire) as a result output energy is expressed. Here are the thoughts of 7 consideration of food intake according to Vagbhat.

1. Swabhav (स्वभाव) (Nature)- Food we take varies in nature. For instance, rain water, Oriza sativa (रक्तचावल and साठी चावल), Phaseolus mungo, meat of Turvix sp. are laghu लघु (light) in nature whereas milk, Saccharum officinale, and Phaseolus radiates are heavy in nature. In this way dravya or any food have varieties of nature like, laghu-guru (light-heavy), snighDha-rukshya (oleaginous-dry), Sheeta-Ushna(Cold-hot) etc, which must be considered while taking a food.
2. Samyog (संयोग) (Combination)- Mixing of two or more food is a combination or samyog. The food may not retain the same properties when combined with the other foods. For example although ghee and honey are benifitial for health, it may take away the life if combined in same proportion by weight. So one should always keep in mind the effect of combination of any two foods. Food poisionig is due to wrong combination.
3. Sanskar (संस्कार) (Purification)- To get the best result of food that we take purification is essential. Purification of food or any medicinal drugs in Ayurveda is done through the materials and process like water, heating in fire, centrifugation, storage for long time, with aromatic matters and storage. Sanskar is not just purification, but it can also be helpful to change the properties of foods and drugs.
4. Matra (मात्रा) (Quantity/Dose) – Quantity or dose (esp. for drugs) is important factor. Good food that we take is beneficial only if we take in proper quantity, else it is going to be toxic.
5. Desh (देश) (Region)- Ayurveda has its unique thought in regional food behavior. The food that grow in one region is most beneficial for the living organism living in the same region or area. If the consumer consumes the food grown in the same region it will be most suitable according to Ayurveda.
6. Kaal (काल) (Period of Time)- The nature of food and the nature of environment should be matching. Like we don’t want ice-cream in cold winter, similarly our body donot accept the ushna(Hot nature food)(*hot nature food may be cold while touching, hot here refers to internal nature) food in hot summer season and cold in winter. Also Period of time refers that one should not take heavy food before the digestion of earlier food. One must understand is it the right time for me to eat right food?
7. Upayog (उपयोग) (Consumption Procedure)- In simple while taking food one must clean hand and be hygienic. However In Ayurveda whole the procedure is described as follows:
   a. First take bath
   b. Pray the god through Mantra and puja
   c. Dedicate to god, agni, earth, water…
   d. Get the food only from Elder or teacher.
   e. Never have too hot or too cold food.
   f. Never intake food that contains flies, hair, nail etc.
   g. Always have meal with happy and jolly mind facing East.

In this way these are the consideration According to Ayurveda one should keep in mind before having food.

Pathya Ahara digestable food in Ayurveda

Filed Under: Basic Ayurveda by Roshan Baskota — 1 Comment

September 16, 2011

According to Ayurveda foods that we eat are basically categorized as Pathya (Which is digestable) and Apathya (that is not digestable). A pathya (digestable) diet for one individual may be apathy(undigestable ) for other and vice versa. Two types of diet are categorized as pathya and apathy. However, daily inake or habitual dieting may alter pathya and apathy in indivisual. For example, a person have a glass of milk everyday can digest it easily and is Pathya for him, but one who had never had milk drank suddenly after long time cannot digest milk. So milk here is now apathy.

Now lets talk about general diet according to Ayurveda

And he knew that food was Brahman
From food all beings are born
by food they live and into food they return
Upanishad 3.2

Ahara/ Food has been worshipped since ancient times as the giver and sustainer of life
A statement by Charaka ”the self controlled man can life for a hundred years free from disease through the intake of hita ahara/ wholesome diet.
In Ayurveda the physical body is called Kaya. The sanskrit word Kaya can be translated that the body is a build up of food.
Already 5000 years ago Ayurveda has recognised that the body is the result or an outcome of the food we eat.

Food can be the cause (nidana) of a disease
Food can be the treatment (chikitsa) of a disease

Wholesome food and drinks have good colour, smell, taste and are pleasing to the senses and conducive to health, if taken in accordance with the ayurvedic rules.
According to Ayurveda – complexion, clarity, good voice, longevity, happiness, satisfaction, nourishment, mental/ physical strength and intellect are all conditioned by food.

Ayurveda recognises six different tastes

1.Madhura/ sweet
2.Amla/sour
3.Lavana/salty
4.Katu/ hot
5.Tikta/bitter
6.Kasaya/ astringent

The six different taste are important and should be present in the daily diet. The different rasa/ taste can be used to bring equilibrium to the doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha).

Some of the Ayurvedic rules for food intake:
1. Intake of food should be warm
2. Food should be unctuous
3. Food should be in proper quantity
4. Intake of food should only be after digestion of the previous meal
5. The food should not have contradictory potencies e.g sour and sweet food such as fruit and milk
6. Intake of food should be in a proper place and seated
7. Intake of food should be without hurry or worry
8. Intake of food should not be too fast or too slow
9. One should take the food while not talking or laughing

Food Prayer

Brahmaapanam Brahmahavir Brahmaagnau Brahmanaahutam
Brahmaivatena Gantavyam Brahmakarma Samaadhinaa

Aham Vaishvanaro Bhootvaa Praaninaam Dehamaashritah
Praanapaana Samaayuktah Pachaamyannam Chaturvidham

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Bhagavad Gita Ch. 4 verse 24

The act of offering is Brahman. The offering itself is Brahman. The offering is done by Brahman in the sacred fire which is Brahman. He alone attains Brahman who, in all actions, is fully absorbed in Brahman.

“I am Vaishnavara, existing as fire God in the bodies of living beings. Being associated with ingoing and outgoing life breaths, I will digest all the four different types of food
and purify them.”

9th Annual NAMA Conference - Attendee Registration - Event Summary | Online Registration by Cvent

9th Annual NAMA Conference - Attendee Registration - Event Summary | Online Registration by Cvent

Healing+herbs, article in The Times of India

Ayurveda's western face
The tall and willowy Robert Svoboda, the first licensed western practitioner of ayurveda in 1980 was clearly the star attraction at the conference. The Hindi-speaking, urdu poetry-quoting American Sanskrit scholar, yoga, astrology and meditation expert is a household name in the west.
Canadians Frank and his partner happily meditating in South Goa promptly enrolled for the conference when they learnt, on googling Svoboda, that he would be lecturing at Rishikesh. Ditto, Coen van der Kroon who runs an ayurvedic academy in Amsterdam. A dozen of his students were also in attendance.

Read the complete article in The Times of India:

Healing+herbs

Bewustzijn als basis voor Ayurveda

Ayurveda is een gezondheidssysteem dat zich richt op de totale mens en zegt: ware gezondheid is eenheid tussen lichaam, geest en ziel, waarbij de ziel is geworteld in puur bewustzijn. Willen we gezond zijn dan zullen we dus aandacht moeten besteden aan het innerlijk. Binnen de Ayurveda bestaat echter de neiging om bij een behandeling alleen op het fysieke lichaam te concentreren, aldus de Amerikaanse arts Hari Sharma, die in zijn Indiase roots is gedoken en zo in de Ayurveda terechtkwam. Hoe is deze tendens ontstaan? Ik vroeg het aan Coen van der Kroon, docent en leider van de Academy of Ayurvedic Studies in Amsterdam. Hij woonde eind september een conferentie bij in New York

waar Dr. Hari Sharma een lezing hield over dit onderwerp.

Van der Kroon: 'We kunnen hierbij een onderscheid maken tussen moderne en authentieke Ayurveda. De moderne Ayurveda heeft een regulier medische benadering, dat wil zeggen dat er bij ziekte in het boek met medicijnen wordt gekeken en vervolgens wordt er een medicijn voorgeschreven.
De authentieke Ayurveda kijkt naar de oorzaak van de ziekte, gaat hiervoor terug naar de basis, iemands energiestromen en de gedachten die daarachter zitten, en van daaruit wordt
het praktisch gemaakt. Grappig genoeg wordt in India sinds de onafhankelijkheid de moderne Ayurveda toegepast. De
regering heeft daar een groot aandeel in gehad. In India worden studenten tegenwoordig zo snel mogelijk klaargestoomd als Ayurvedisch arts. Terwijl we in het westen
nu veel meer bezig zijn met: waarom zijn we ziek? Wat is de oorzaak? Wat is Ayurveda op dieper niveau?

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OHMnet - Organisatie voor Hindoe Media Ohm-Vani Artikel

Ayurveda - Live Healthy with Ayurveda Group News | LinkedIn

Ayurveda - Live Healthy with Ayurveda Group News | LinkedIn

Astanga Yoga,Not just physical Exercise

A nice article on Yoga and Ayurveda - on one of the topics we also teach in our Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist and Teacher Training.
Enjoy reading it and consider to come and study these beautiful topics with us at the Academy of Ayurvedic Studies,

Coen van der Kroon

Pranayama Intro