Pushpa Dhami
About 60 years ago, German philosopher Feuerbach had exclaimed, “We are what we eat,” a statement made in the context of the stress and turmoil of the German revolution in 1848. It is believed that he was the first intellectual to entertain the thought that the food one eats has a bearing on one’s state of mind. Later, this thought became the aphorism of the hippie culture based on eating organic and healthy food.
The concept of ‘we are what we eat’ is so much ingrained in our minds that we fall for all the fad diets and super foods that flood the social media platforms compelling the already emotionally unstable person to go extreme on their diets and losing on the vital nutrients while opening a gateway for a wide array of disorders. More often than not we may also indulge in excessive eating owing to our unrestrained taste buds and likeness towards our favorite foods which eventually does more harm than any good. To make it worse, the cushy jobs these days keep us glued to the chair for several hours, limiting our physical activity that can add vitality and vigour to our life.
But are we really what we eat? To answer this question becomes more than ever necessary for the clarity and collective consciousness towards mindful eating for a healthy life. Ayurveda which is a 6000-year-old health care system of India emphasises on science, philosophy and spirituality being the necessary aspects for a healthy living. It suggests that we are both what and how we eat. It asserts that the mind is directly influenced by the food preparation, quality of food eaten, appearance, aroma and freshness of the food. These factors influence all the five senses and regulate digestive fire (jathar agni) to aid digestion. Based on these basic principles, Ayurveda promotes selection of fresh food, preparation of food by combining compatible foods and use of herbs and spices to enhance flavour and taste of the food. It also advocates that the quality of the food influences the emotion, mental agility and mental vigour. Ayurveda provides a guide on how to combine different foods for proper digestion and optimum nutrition. Also, it recommends the use of herbs and spices in cooking (Ayuredic cooking) to help the food become more compatible for digestion.
Ayurveda emphasises that a diet must be properly selected and wisely formulated, not only according to the physical conditions of a person, but also taking into consideration the body type or doshas (Pitta, Kapha, Vata). The catabolism of the body is believed to be governed by Vata, metabolism by Pitta and anabolism by Kapha. For a healthy state of health, a balance between the three doshas and other factors should be maintained. Any imbalance between the three causes a state of illness or disease.
According to the Ayurvedic approach, the food can be divided into three basic groups. Satva or light food which includes fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, rice, milk, butter, honey etc. If they are eaten in the right amount, it helps in balancing all three doshas, creating conscious awareness and bringing mental harmony. Rajas or rich food which includes fried food, garlic, wine and coffee, too spicy or too hot etc. These foods stimulate jealousy, fantasy and ego. Although these emotions may appear as negative aspects, some of these emotions are needed to lead a normal life. Rajasic food should be consumed in moderation. Tamas or dull and sluggish which includes leftovers, frozen food, highly processed food, peanuts, certain root vegetables and meats. These foods need more energy to digest and may increase emotions like greed, ignorance and laziness. This food category should be consumed very cautiously.
The adequate time to eat food is also taken into consideration such as Vata people should eat smaller quantities and more frequently meals and the suitable time to do so is at dawn and dusk. Pitta individuals should eat their largest meal at noon (maximum three times) while Kapha individuals, if needed, can skip breakfast and eat lunch as their largest meal. During the process of eating, water taken is very important. Water in small quantity stimulates digestion, and if taken after a meal causes sthaulya (obesity). Water if taken in excess restraints digestion and dilutes nutrients. Therefore frequent intake of water in small quantities is recommended. During meals only one-third of stomach should be filled with water. A calm, relaxed and equanimous mind is recommended to have optimal digestion. It is advised that one may not have overpowering emotions such as anger, stress and sadness etc. while eating as these factors produce irregular and anomalous digestive process and have negative impact on the mind, which exerts all sensory control and perceptions.
However, to understand Ayurvedic nutrition, one must let go of the western point of view where quantity is determined by serving size or portion size or in caloric intake. In 1992 the US Department of Agriculture released the national guide for maintaining good health in the form of a food pyramid. This paved the way for nutritionists, doctors and other health care providers to routinely use this guide to calculate total calories. However, it was adapted on the basis of cardiovascular and cancer risk factors available at the time. The guide recommended the reduction of total fat intake and promoted 6-11 servings of complex carbohydrates including rice, pulses, vegetables, and fruits and two servings of meat or animal products. Over the years and several research findings later, it was concluded that the recommended food pyramid had greatly faltered in providing a basis for a balanced diet since obesity was on the rise. And it continues to become a global pandemic while predisposing various other lifestyle disorders.
In contrast to western dietary understanding and the US guide to diet, Ayurveda states that a diet can be vegetarian (plant based) or non-vegetarian (animal based) and portion size should be customised for each individual according to one’s own needs, body constitution (dosha) and agnibal (digestive power). Also, the quality and properties of food should be taken into consideration such as heavy, light and oily. So, it is important that for a healthy life including all the dimensions like physical health, mental health, social health and spiritual health, we turn to the preventive approach of Ayurveda and Yoga. Ayurveda lays special emphasis on Anna (food) and Ahar (diet) and believes that a peaceful mind, body and soul are directly proportional to healthy nutrition. It does not distinguish food to be good or bad, instead it emphasises various factors that may influence the food, such as its origin, biological properties, seasons, environmental factors, preparation, freshness, and gives a logical explanation of how to eat food and balance one’s dosha based on the physical needs and body constitution. Overall, it accentuates that we are both what and how we eat.
(The author is an assistant professor in the department of health sciences at Final International University, North Cyprus. Views expressed are personal)
