The Ayurvedic View on Modern Diets
The Ayurvedic and modern approaches to nutrition differ in many ways, starting with the reason why we actually eat! According to our modern-day eating behaviors, we base our food choices on personal preferences, habits, body image, and the desire to look a certain way, or as a way to cope with emotions and stress. Whereas in Ayurveda, eating is viewed as a way to transfer the Prana (vital energy) found in a wholesome diet into the body, to enhance our own vitality and wellbeing.
Besides that, the nutritional factors which modern diets focus on are mainly calories and composition of the three main macronutrients; carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. This approach gives generalized dietary guidelines, and supports the incomplete principle – ‘you are what you eat’. Ayurveda on the other hand gives personalized guidelines based on the Pancha Mahabhutas; ether (space), air, fire, water, and earth, which make up the elemental composition of the food, give it its qualities and decides its effect on the body. The focus is on how we digest our food and the way it affects us after consuming it. Ayurveda follows the principle of ‘you are what you digest’, knowing that undigested food is the root cause of disease formation and accumulation of toxins in the body.
The Ayurvedic dietary guidelines take into consideration the taste of the food (Rasa), its qualities (Gunas), whether it is heating or cooling for the body, pre and post digestion (Virya and Vipak), and on our mind-body type (Dosha).
The Ayurvedic View on Popular Diets
Ever wondered why a certain diet works for some people, but not others? or why it seems to be working for some time and stops after a while?. In the world of diets, one size does NOT fit all. Paleo, Keto, Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, High Carb, Low Carb, or even Fruitarianism…It seems as if a new diet is trending every year, claiming to be the one that’s going to change your life for good!. The truth is that diet culture is only increasing our confusion and stress around food, derailing us from our innate intuition, and turning the instinctive act of nourishing ourselves into a complicated riddle, only some of us seem to have resolved.
The value of Ayurveda is that it provides tools for you to understand the external and internal environments of your body. It gives you an idea of how your unique mind-body type (Dosha) is going to respond to any of these diets, considering your natural qualities, tendencies, and requirements, as well as, other variable factors like climate change and your lifestyle.
Take the Dosha Quiz to find out your mind-body type
The Logic Behind Seasonal Dieting
Ayurveda is about living in harmony with nature and adapting our internal environment to the external environment. This principle also applies to our nutrition. Following the same diet, all year round is a concept that goes against nature and our body’s intellect. Rotating the way we eat according to the changing seasons is not only the right thing to do, but it is also what is going to sustain our internal balance.
For example, a vegetarian diet is considered cooling, therefore, it is the optimal diet to follow during summer. During the drying fall season, our body requires more fats to keep our skin, hair, eyes, and digestive system lubricated, and that’s why adopting something like the Ketogenic diet might be suitable. Our digestive fire is stronger during the cold winter, which means we can digest heavier foods such as proteins and root vegetables more easily, and hence why switching to a Paleo diet can be a good idea. Spring is the season of depleting and detoxing the body, and a light Vegan diet, rich in bitter greens and herbs can be very supportive. Consult an Ayurvedic nutritionist to further optimize and modify any of the abovementioned diets to suit your specific needs.