Ayurvedic Nutrition and the Exact Circumstances of Your Life

Why is conscious living important in an Ayurvedic diet?

You’ve heard the phrase, “you are what you eat,” but Ayurveda teaches us that it’s not as simple as that. As well as what you eat, you are also where, when, how and why you eat.

Ayurvedic nutrition is about the relationship between food, your individual nature or your Dosha, and your environment.

As you learn about Ayurveda, you come to understand how nature’s rhythms and the other changes in our lives affect our dietary needs and digestion. When making food choices, as well as your Dosha, you should consider the quality of food, the season it is, where you are, and much more.

Let’s look at some examples.

Season and Location

On a hot, heavy and humid summer day in Florida you might consider eating a cold, light, dry leafy-green salad to balance the influence of the season and location.

Time of Day

The best time to eat your biggest and most complex meal is between 10am and 2pm. That’s because this time of day is dominated by Pitta – fire and water – and your digestive fire or Agni is strongest at this time.

Age or Cycle of Life

As you age, you can maintain some of your health by eating small, frequent, warm, moist and nutrient-rich foods like soup. This is recommended because as you grow older and enter the Vata (air and ether) time of life, your vital tissues will become drier and Agni can grow weaker.

By living consciously and taking notice of both your nature and the influences around you, you’ll be able to use food to serve you in the best possible way. You will experience food as life-giving energy.