Diet-

Diet according to prakriti-

A vata individual should take warm and sweet food articles. A person with pitta prakriti should take cool, heavy, sweet, bitter and astringent food items. A person with kapha prakriti should take food, which is dry, warm, light, pungent, bitter and astringent.

These diet restrictions are to make

• 1. available most of the drug used get absorbed without interference of other food which destroy active ingredients of medicine.
• 2. to keep patient get not indulged in other desires which otherwise destroy the benifits of treatment started.
• 3. to get needed active principals of other food materials which with its presence accelarate the action of medicine in vivo.

Diet & Lifestyle Management

Lifestyle

Life is God's precious gift to us and it is up to us to make the best of it. Health is the most basic and crucial requirement for a fulfilled life. Ayurveda prescribes a daily routine, 'dinacharya' and a seasonal routine 'ritucharya' for good health.

Clean habits :-

Physical and mental purity are pre-requisites for the day's activities. This is achieved through clean habits like brushing the teeth, scraping the tongue, gargling with water which has a pinch of turmeric added to it, bathing, trimming of beard, hair and nails and elimination of body wastes. Meditation enables elimination of mental wastes.

Massage :-

Daily oil massage strengthens the skin and improves its color and texture. It increases circulation, improves vision and resistance to disease. Massage of the head strengthens and calms sense organs.

Exercise :-

Exercise is best performed in the morning. Should depend on your age and prakriti. Only kapha persons should exercise vigorously. Other prakritis should exercise moderately. Exercise is not advisable for the very weak or for those with respiratory or cardiac disorders.

Bathing :-

Bathing within one hour after eating is prohibited.

Purification of surroundings :-

Purification of our bodies and minds should be accompanied by purification of our houses and our surroundings.

Ritucharya

The change of seasons affects the state of our doshas considerably. Hence Ayurveda advocates a seasonal routine to ward off imbalances of the doshas.Vata increases during winter and spring, pitta during summer and kapha during late winter and spring.

Do’s and Don’t’s

• Uninterrupted sound sleep is essential- 6 to 8 hours sleep at night is necessary for complete rehabilitation of wasted energy and reconstruction of broken down tissues for most people.
• Suppression of the natural urges should be avoided. Go to toilet when there is a good pressure for stools. Don't strangulate for the stools as it can lead to the Piles, Fissures, Prolapse of anal canal and many other diseases of ano-rectal region.
• When going for exercise, remember that you should work out until you sweat in armpits and on forehead, not more than this. Because by exerting your body, you are enhancing the wear and tears inside the body.
• When taking bath take care water shouldn't be too hot or too warm!! It helps sooth the nerves, increase and equalise the circulation, promote free excretion through pores and causes general relaxation of all the tissues and organs of the body.
• Only half the capacity of the food is to be filled with solid food, one-fourth with liquid and remaining one fourth left empty.
• Eat in time and eat according to your Doshas. Try to plan your diet according to your Doshas and your Prakruti.
• Foodstuffs that are either too spicy or too acidic should be avoided.
• Go to bed in time. Nights are to sleep and days are to work.Don't sleep in day time. It causes over 46 diseases according to Ayurveda like - obesity, diabetes, arthritis, heart diseases and many more.
• Don't cheat or make any false statements, it makes you to remember everything and once you are over loaded by the useless thoughts, these will lead you to depression, anxiety and many other diseases at your nervous center (Brain).

General lifestyle management

Where we get energy from

The food we eat is used to provide energy for every function in the body, from walking and talking to digesting and breathing.

The main types of food – carbohydrate, protein and fats – are important sources of energy. Current guidelines suggest that we should get:

• about 50 per cent of our energy from carbohydrates (cereals, bread, pasta and potatoes)
• 10 to15 per cent from protein (meat, cheese, soya)
• less than 30 per cent of energy from fats (70g per day for women, 100g for men). Many of us eat more than this a day.

The actual amount of energy you require will depend upon the type of lifestyle you lead. The recommended figures are 2000 calories per day for women and 2500 for men – but you may need less than this if you take little exercise and sit at a desk all day, and more than this if your job involves manual labour.

Water

Good hydration is essential for mind and body, so make sure you drink plenty of water every day. Not all drinks are equal, so if you need to boost your liquid intake, watch your caffeine (and sugar) levels don't creep up.

Sleep

Most adults need six to eight hours of sleep each night. When we sleep, we rest and our body is able to renew its energy. This may be why a good night's sleep seems to improve the immune system, minimising our risk of illness. Getting a good night's sleep influences our psychological wellbeing.

Exercise

Most people think of exercise solely in terms of weight loss, but it also builds muscles and bones, lifts mood and is a great way of beating stress.

Alcohol

Alcohol is high in calorie content and low on nutrition. It contributes to weight gain and if you drink too much, too often, it can lead to all sorts of health problems, such as high blood pressure and liver damage.

Smoking

Smoking causes cell damage, which can lead to illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease. It can also worsen other diseases, such as ulcerative colitis and asthma, and is linked to poor wound healing and premature aging of the skin, the so-called 'smoker's face'.

Smoking stops you absorbing vitamin C and other nutrients. The only way to avoid this damage is to stop smoking and better still, avoid starting in the first place.

Stress

We all have an instinctive stress response that releases hormones into our bloodstream when we are faced with danger. These hormones cause instant mental and physical change in us, giving added strength and endurance so we can fight or take flight.

Instead of using our stress hormones in emergencies, we live at such a pace that many of us activate them all the time – like when we are going to miss a train or someone cuts us up on the motorway. Most tense people don't give themselves sufficient time and space to rest after each stress-filled moment. With no release, your stress hormones keep on working, which is why there are so many people around who lose their tempers at the slightest provocation.