Having a healthy relationship with food is a journey. And no, it doesn’t have to be complicated! You choose where and when the journey starts and where it will take you.
Through my journey, I begin to understand the real meaning of my choice of what to put on my plate. I believe that what I eat today will play a part in how I feel and how I look (a topic that we will discuss later on) and, most importantly – in how my body feels. I don’t choose to be strict with my choices or follow a “healthy” diet. I found a way of eating that makes me happy and contributes to my physical and mental health.
With such a brave introduction (or so I hope), I would like to share with you some basic guidelines that are a part of my own Ayurveda diet.
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda advises what you should and shouldn’t eat depending on your body constitution or Prakriti. Prakriti is the ratio of three functional energies in the body. Also known as doshas, these energies are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Vata: Air
The Vata dosha is the element of air. A balanced Vata is energetic, creative and flexible. An unbalanced Vata has anxiety, irregular appetite, mild weight loss, constipation, interrupted sleep and bloating.
Pitta: Fire
The Pitta dosha is the element of fire. A balanced Pitta is intelligent and thoughtful. An unbalanced Pitta is angry, jealous, has migraines and is prone to infections.
Kapha: Earth
The Kapha dosha is the element of earth. A balanced Kapha is calm, thoughtful and loving. An unbalanced Kapha has depression, sleepiness and low energy.
Ayurveda diet is about eating for optimal well-being, emphasising that if our nutrition is proper, we will feel balanced, grounded, and be in the most functional shape for our type. As a psychologist, I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to nourish your body and soul.
“I don’t choose to be strict with my choices or follow a “healthy” diet. I found a way of eating that makes me happy and contributes to my physical and mental health.”
Here is a test that you can take to find out about your dosha.
What does it all mean for me?
If possible, follow nutritional advice for people of your Ayurveda constitution. You will learn that there are specific differences between the Prakritis. Vata constitution type, for example, will find it difficult to become a raw foodist. People with a Pitta constitution find it challenging to survive the summer, and sometimes Kapha representatives do not want to eat at all. And you know what’s beautiful? There is no right or wrong in that! It’s only learning what works best for your body out of all the alternatives out there.
Focus on Digestion
A key to healthy eating is your digestion. An unhealthy digestive system can impair your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, store fat and regulate blood sugar. If your digestive system is out of order, you will feel sluggish and heavy even if you don’t eat a lot and eat nutritious food. A poor digestive system can also cause some skin disorders, constipation, diarrhoea, heartburn, etc.
Warm water and food
How can we stimulate our digestive systems? The most straightforward technique is to eat warm food to stimulate our digestion. To help the digestion and elimination process, we need to give it a nudge and signal that our digestive system should wake up and start working. Similarly, when eating, drink warm water and not cold. Warm water helps your digestion and balances the flow of energy within you. After eating, our precious stomach should be one-third filled with food, one-third with water, and one-third with air – the three elements that build our body.
Hunger vs Appetite
Something that I was struggling with is to learn to distinguish hunger from appetite. Ayurveda recommends eating when you are hungry, drinking when you are thirsty. Often we eat out of habit or because we are bored. When you reach out to eat something, consider when was the last time you ate and how big your meal had been. Has enough time passed for you to get hungry? Or are you reaching for food for different reasons, such as seeking comfort, feeding anxiety, or simply out of boredom?
A practical tip is to remember that the volume of food should not exceed what can fit in your palms folded in a boat. It sounds like it’s too little, but that’s the optimal amount your body needs based on your stomach size and what can be digested without losing excessive energy and storing fat. Often when we force ourselves to eat excessive amounts and get into the habit of overeating, we stretch out our stomachs and lose control of getting full with the right amount of food. These days the portion we get served whilst we go out to eat yummy pasta at our favourite Italian restaurant is probably 2 times as much as you should eat per one sitting. It’s a slippery slope!
Eating before bedtime?
I would also advise not to eat 3-5 hours before bed because your digestive system will not have enough time to do the work and rest. If there is not enough recovery time, there is no time to regenerate, and your digestive system burns out. It’s like with a workout – to build muscle, you need to have rest days for recovery. Sleeping is a time that you and your system use to rest and recover, so let’s enjoy it.
Stay present
Please remember to allow yourself to stay present whilst you are eating. Eating is not food; eating is a process that consists of setting up your meal, having your meal and enjoying it. To feel full, we need to enjoy our meal with our eyes – our senses are always connected. Therefore, spend time observing, smelling and tasting your meal and having anything else that could distract the process out of sight.
Control
I find that eating home-cooked food gives you maximum control. You know exactly what this food is made of and with what mood. Food, like water, absorbs the mood and emotions of the one who prepares it. Even if the meal is not ideally balanced for you, it can still be charged with love and will do good for you. If you remember not to overeat and enjoy the moment, it will be a very pleasing experience.
Is eating home-cooked food not an option for you? No problem! You are good to go if it’s a place you trust and know that the ingredients are fresh, with no hidden additives and are whole foods! If you are going out to eat or ordering take-out, know the places where you order from.
No space for guilt
If I had to name one single most crucial thing about a healthy relationship with food, it is to ALWAYS enjoy food without guilt or shame! Even if you just ate a cake. Let your body enjoy happy hormones instead of hormones of stress. We are not designed to be in a constant state of self-discipline and restrict our diet to permanent CANs and CANTs. Why? Because at one point, you over exhaust your mental load and what you thought to be a perfect diet will turn out to be a house of cards that’s very easy to collapse.
If you eat a little bit of everything (of course, it’s better to seek the help of a professional if you know you can’t stick to “a little bit” and do a LOT of everything), it’s easier to learn what you enjoy, what you can live without and what’s the right amount to feel the joy yet not to overeat.
Patience
Through time, once you develop the mindset and technique that works for you, the only times you will consume food differently than you would otherwise are for the times that are worth it and you enjoy it. Often investing time to work with a psychologist/nutritionist can be very beneficial. If you think you have tried everything yet are still not happy with how you feel and look, it’s helpful to seek a professional opinion. You can do deep exploration to find your imbalance and work on it.
There is no one way for all, but there are places we can start. What I shared above is what we can all start to pay attention to!
