Food habits according to Ayurveda: A holistic guide

According to Ayurveda, the statement "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" implies that if you wish to maintain your fitness throughout your life, you must consume healthy food and a balanced diet at the appropriate time. 

It is essential to eat in moderation and maintain proper eating habits to keep yourself free from diseases and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Hence, let's learn in this article about healthy food eating habits according to Ayurveda.

Table of Contents

Food habits according to Ayurveda

Ayurveda warns that even if you consume nutritious food, eating at the wrong time can cause it to turn into toxins in your body, emphasizing the importance of correct timing in maintaining good health.

Time of eating food according to Ayurveda and good eating habits:

According to Ayurveda, the digestive fire in our body peaks with the rising of the sun and gradually slows down as the day progresses towards sunset. 

To maintain optimal health, it is recommended to consume breakfast, lunch, and dinner within this time frame. 

While intermittent fasting can be beneficial, Ayurveda emphasizes that the ideal timing for meals is predetermined by nature itself.

Ayurveda says you should eat breakfast like a king – You should be picky about your food to include salad, fruits, juices, nuts, and proteins.

Do Lunch like a Commander – Whole grains, lentils, curd, buttermilk, and Chapati rice as a commander needs to be fit and strong, so there is no offense in having a heavy lunch.

And a Dinner like a slave – When it's evening time, humans cannot digest heavy meals as the fire of digestion is reduced with sunset, so you should go for food like soup, small bowl meals, khichadi of lentils and a glass of milk before bed.

According to Ayurveda, some foods are prohibited at night like Radish, Curd, Cucumber, and Banana as these foods are cold in nature. It is indigestible at night so better to avoid it than creating a toxic body.

Follow healthy timings

What should we eat in a healthy food:

According to Ayurveda, your food should be seasonal, pure, rich with important and essential nutrients required for the body, and most importantly fresh fruits, and vegetables.

Green leafy vegetables: It is a great source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and a sort of protein, and they are good for fighting free radicals in your body which improves the health of your cellular tissues. Green vegetables like spinach contain potassium, magnesium, iron, and calcium. It's also good for fighting serious diseases like cancer.

You should include - Spinach, cabbage, broccoli, kale, ridge gourd, green capsicum, snake guard, bitter gourd, and so on…

Lentils: These are a great vegetarian plant-based source of protein fiber and vitamins also called pulses in some regions 1 cup of lentils contains about 15 gm to 16 gm of protein depending upon the type of lentil. It’s easy to digest compared to other protein sources, and research has shown that raw lentils are effective in lowering blood glucose levels. Vitamins like B6, and B12, vitamins A, C, D, E (alpha-tocopherol), and vitamin K are available in lentils.

Some good lentils are – Chickpeas, Whole Green gram, Yellow gram, Black gram, etc.

Salads: If you're taking salads in your every meal it will strengthen your digestion and also a gap of nutrition in your food will be filled, it is very good for your skin and glow, and it slows down our aging cause it produces collagen in our body helps to fight with pimples and wrinkle-causing process.

Salad with meals makes you full, so it will be good in a weight loss journey, and it will fill you with all the nutrients as the addition of fruits and veggies will be balanced in the salad.

It is found to be good for the blood circulation process and clear out toxins in the body as it contains a good amount of fiber and vitamins.

Salads are made of – raw green, kale, spinach, Fruits, cucumber, and chickpeas, and additives that can be according to your taste.

Fruits: As fruits contain a good amount of natural water and sweetness consuming it before meals helps you to eat less, and you can have it between breaks, so it will make your stomach full, and heavy lunch or dinner gets avoided indirectly helps you to weight loss by providing you with nutritious values. 

Fruits keep your body hydrated and fruits before meals initiate a good and faster digestion process.

Fruits are rich in fiber so the passage in the intestine for removing toxins soothes and cleanses bowels, and it is a great source of antioxidants.

These fruits can be a great partner for your healthy living – Apples, Oranges, bananas, Cheeku, Papaya, Grape, Watermelon, avocado, kiwis, strawberries, Pineapple

And so on...

What to include in a healthy meal:  If you're looking for a better well-balanced meal you should look for an Indian one called a Thali which includes whole grain chapati, rice, lentil (Dal), 2 Subji, and a bowl of curd which will fulfill all your nutrition and curd plays a vital role for your gut.

This meal you should prefer for Lunch, for dinner a bowl of salad with a bowl of meal is enough according to Ayurveda and you are on the path of fitness and wellness throughout your life.

Do's and Don'ts

In the bottom line:

These are the healthy eating habits which are concerning Ayurveda. By incorporating it into your daily life you can achieve your weight goals and a healthy lifestyle.

Just keep in mind, Do breakfast like a king, lunch like a commander, and dinner like a slave. And pave the way for good gut and overall physical health and fitness.