Ayurveda: the 9 rules to follow to eat well

“Ayurveda is based on the science of the 5 elements: Water, Fire, Air, Space, Earth. “We find these elements in everything: plants, animals, emotions, food…” informs Sophie Benabi, therapist in Ayurveda, author of Ayurvedic diet, the big book (Leduc editions)

These elements will constitute the Doshas, the vital energies which are the forces responsible for bodily, physical and psychological functions. We distinguish the Dosha Vata (Air+Space), the Dosha Pitta (Fire+Water) and the Dosha Kapa (Water+Earth). “Ayurvedic food is based on the Doshas and on flavors: bitter, acid, astringent, sweet, salty, pungent. Flavors have an impact on the Doshas” develops Sophie Benabi. “For a meal that gives full satisfaction, that balances the tissues and the Doshas and does not lead to cravings, you have to find these 6 flavors on your plate,” she explains.

Ayurvedic menu foods

Contrary to what is often believed, Ayurvedic cuisine is not strictly vegetarian: it uses, in particular, ghee (clarified butter) to cook, as well as dairy products. You can also eat meat, fish and eggs, but always in moderation, or during periods of convalescence.

On the menu, above all, healthy products: fruits and vegetables, cereals, dairy products, legumes… We only cook and eat fresh foods, never canned foods, ready-made meals or even frozen foods! We try to eat what was cooked the same day, the next day as much as possible, but not afterwards. This does not necessarily translate into complicated dishes, but into good food pairings and spices.

The products are always chosen in season, ideally organic, or at least local. We eat hot, at the limit lukewarm, but not cold, even if it means reheating, because heat is the first stage of digestion, which will thus be facilitated. Some foods have a cooling energy (zucchini, rice, wheat, rose…), others a warming energy (carrot, pepper, coffee…). “The force of the digestive fire is the basis of good health. We are not going to give the person what they are capable of digesting” explains the Ayurvedic practitioner. Thus, if you suffer from gastric inflammation, foods with hot energy will be rather contraindicated.

The first principles to follow

Eat only when hungry (and not by simple desire to eat, or by social habit), copiously, enough to be satiated but without exceeding one’s appetite, without ever “filling up”: in Ayurveda, the rule is that the stomach is filled by a third solid, one third liquid (water but also soups or juices) and one third empty, which allows it to contract more easily. And when you have no appetite, you don’t force yourself to go to the table and you limit yourself to drinking herbal tea: no question of forcing yourself.
Eat in a nice place, calmly, slowly and in full awareness, with joy, without bringing your worries and concerns to the table and of course, never in front of a screen! Eating while doing something else or in bad conditions thwarts the digestive process. The dishes are beautifully presented, to take full advantage of the flavors and textures, scents and their visual aspect, which, again, promotes digestion thanks to salivary enzymes.
Chew wellwhich contributes both to good digestion (the salivary enzymes begin the work of digestion) and to the establishment of the feeling of satiety since one should not overload oneself either but eat just enough.
Eat digestible foods, that is to say which do not cause heaviness or digestive disorders (pain, gas, bloating, nausea, gastric acidity, smelly stools or breath), or feeling of fatigue, or, of course, intolerances or allergies. When a food is not really suitable… we avoid it!
Do not spend hours at the table. Even if they are tasty, meals must remain simple and quick. All dishes are served at the same time.