There are 15 food guidelines in this healthy eating guide. They may seem obvious, and yet over the last few years, we've strayed away from them.
Of all the different facets of health, nutritional food is the most important for vibrant health, energy, and getting back to our natural weight.
"Food Is Medicine.
This Ayurvedic eating guide is listed in no specific order. Pick a couple of the ideas and try them out for a few days. Then, add more of the tips to your new lifestyle...
Most of the food that you eat should be hot and should usually be cooked. This allows your digestive system to easily assimilate the physical and energy aspects of the food. Also, most foods release many different nutrients when cooked. Most people say that cooked food has less nutrients, which is a false statement.
Food needs to be tasty. Each meal should encompass the six general tastes: sweet, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent, and sour. This stops the common action of going to the refrigerator looking for more to eat after a meal. This is why many cultures use spices. Each one contains one or many of the general tastes.
Food should stimulate all your senses. This is why many cultures eat with their fingers. The hands and fingers have an abundance of very powerful nerve receptors that basically can be directly linked to your digestive system. Handling and eating food with your fingers will release digestive juices and enzymes. Also, cooking food, hearing it bubbling, looking at it and smelling it, stimulate those related sensory organs, again releasing the digestive juices. Healthy eating guide continues...
Food needs to be eaten in proper amounts. One thing I have to watch all the time is that "my eyes are bigger than my belly." for ultimate digestive power, we should eat food until our stomach feels three quarters full. This allows the stomach to fully churn and digest the food.
Eat 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables. Today, health care professionals know more than ever about the relationship between good nutrition and good health. In simplest terms, healthy eating is about getting back to basics by following the latest USDA nutritional guidelines. Eating the recommended 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables every day is the best way to get the whole food nutrition you need to stay healthy. But healthy eating takes time and planning.
Food needs to be eaten on an empty stomach. The gastrointestinal tract can only do one thing at a time. Either take food in or move food to the next part of the digestive process. If we eat food before the previous meal has time to digest, this food is then stored as waste and can cause illness and disease.
Foods needs to work together. Our diets today combine different foods in the same meal and can contradict one another in their actions. For example, mixing foods with fruit. Fruit digests quicker than other foods. when eaten with the wrong combination, fruit putrefies, causes gas, and improper digestion of all foods. Eat fruit first. That's why many experts say eat the dessert first if it contain fruit, allowing it to go through the digestive tract unimpeded.
More Ayurvedic Healthy Eating Guide Tips
Food needs to be eaten in a pleasant atmosphere.Eating under stress, for example, can hinder proper digestion. Eating meals why driving or watching TV does the same. If you are watching TV, the gastrointestinal tract thinks you're watching TV, not eating a meal. Same with driving and eating at the same time. It's best to focus on your food when eating.
Chew your food until it's a liquid. Do not eat food in a rush. Do not swallow big chunks of food, particularly meat. The delicate digestive tract cannot break down big chunks of food, and stores it as toxic waste. It takes little energy to digest liquids, and you don't have to eat as much. This idea is great for weight loss.
Eat only food that nourishes you.If you eat a type of food and you feel out of balance, bloated, gassy or agitated, then don't eat this type of food. If the food is not in harmony with you, don't eat it.
Don't eat food that is delivered through a window. Obviously, fast food is a major contributor to the main diseases of our society: heart problems, weight gain, and diabetes. Simply cooking your own food adds nourishment to you. In Ayurveda the say "only eat food form someone that loves you."
Don't eat after dark. Most birds, animals, and humans rest and sleep at night. So does your digestive system. So, it's very risky to our health if we eat food at night. If you do, the body may store this food as toxic waste. If you feel hungry at night, it's best to eat food that is easily digestible, like fruit or well-cooked rice. Healthy eating guide continues...
Eat food that is locally grown. Food is energy. Humans are energy. When food is consumed locally, the energies can easily "blend" together giving harmony to the digestive system. Foreign food is foreign to the body. Healthy eating guide continues...
Eat food that is in season. Our body goes in cycles just like the seasons. Intuitively, our body knows this, and food that is out of season is out of balance with our human cycle.
Use cooking equipment that is non-toxic. Most of the cooking equipment we use today is very toxic: non-stick pans, aluminum saucepans, and even stainless steel contains some aluminum. The equipment I use is non-toxic and healthy: Le Creuset. 15 point healthy eating guide ends.
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