Food is the medicine and consume it right-All about Ayurveda for health during covid 19
Food, seasons, lifestyle and health. Do these have a connection? Ayurveda says, yes.
According to Ayurveda, what we eat, when we eat, where we eat, how we eat, all have an affect on our health and well-being.
During Covid 19 pandemic nothing more is important than choosing the right food options to keep immunity high and keeping healthy to ward of the virus. Many months into pandemic have taught us that right food and lifestyle choices are the only good choices.
So, how can we make these right food and health choices during pandemic.
Food and health during covid
We are what we eat, they say. Food is not just for taste nor it is for only satisfying the hunger- food is what keeps us alive and agile. Hence in Ayurveda, food is the medicine. Our food decides our health, hence, eating right is the only choice for good health.
During pandemic season when the thrust is most on keeping ourselves healthy right food is what should be the only choice as a prevention against the virus.
Every ingredient used in food; the vegetable, the fruits, the spices, the grains and pulses, our cooking mediums and even the time to eat, all play an extremely important role in deciding our health.
According to sacredseedyoga.com ayurveda uses food as medicine and even goes to prescribe various ways for preparing and consuming food.
A proper functional diet regime is very critical for keeping the body and mind healthy. Charaka Samhita, an ancient ayurvedic text states that a living being is made up of the food that it consumes and diseases are also caused by food that it consumes.
According to ayurvedic nutrition, one needs to consider the effects of both the purifying and rejuvenating qualities of food. It is important to remember that both of these are needed to maintain health and longevity
Different food for different season
Food too has a temperament. It may sound little astonishing, but Ayurveda practice is based on this very basic principle.
Different seasons demands our bodies to be taken care of differently. Likewise, different food for different seasons compliments our body differently.
Each season has a different effect on our body. Our bodies do not live in exception to the nature.In fact,our body is a part of nature. Acting against these natural inclinations can in fact harm our bodies. Therefore, Ayurveda emphasises on Ritucharya, i.e lifestyle according to different Rituor seasons.
Eating against the sync with nature, even if it is a healthy diet can have adverse consequences and may result into compromised immune system-unhealthy weight gain or loss, poor skin or hair quality and increased risk of serious illnesses, according to artofliving.com Ritucharya guide.
Benefits of local food
Consuming local food over the one transported from a long distance is not only for the economy reasons of the local food producers but also for immense health benefits.
Benefits of eating local food are plenty, from nutrition to environmental to community reasons.
Locally grown food is full of nutrition and the biggest advantage it has is that it is grown in local climate and the human body too is acclamatised in the similar temperature. Local food is grown in the climate and temperature which is just suitable for the requirement of the local population.
Local food has the benefit of availability in the season it is harvested hence it can be consumed in the same season it is available. It is due to this reason it has more nutrients instead of the one which is being packaged and transported to be available to the population of other regions to be consumed at any given time of the year.
Other benefit is the availability of those particular nutrients in local food which the local population needs in a particular season for maintaining good immunity.
Food, lifestyle and health
The basic mantra of good health is balanced-locally produced food along with an active lifestyle.
So, what is definition of a good lifestyle?
A good night sleep of 7-8 hours is a must along with a set routine of sleeping and waking up time.
First meal of the day, the breakfast, is a must.
A balanced diet which includes a mix of protein, carbohydrates, nutrients etc which comes from nuts, fruits, vegetables, cereals and pulses etc and not to be missed-well hydrated body.Drink plenty of water.
Last but not the least-get out of the bed and exercise in open. Running, jogging, yoga, sports or any sort of physical workout in the open sky. Get plenty of vitamin D through sunlight, if not, then get the supplement recommendations from your health practitioners.
And yes!! One last thing…..get involved in any sort of hobby. Music, sport, artwork, socialising or even hanging out. Idea is, to be happy.
