Ayurvedic Nutrition – That's What It's All About!

Ayurveda – a term that we know in our Western cultures mainly from the wellness area or in connection with healthy nutrition. However, Ayurveda means one thing above all else: listen to your body and interpret its signals.

Ayurvedic doctors are masters at recognizing disturbance signals from your body and thus diagnosing diseases. These are usually due to deficits or surpluses in the body. Through the use of natural foods, herbs, massages and exercise, we strive to balance this imbalance. According to Ayurveda, with a balanced lifestyle and a conscious diet , you can prevent diseases from arising in the first place.

But to increase your well-being in everyday life with the help of Ayurveda, you do not have to be an Ayurveda expert. Find out what Ayurveda is all about and strengthen your defenses with our practical tips and tricks:

What is Ayurveda?

More than 5000 years ago, the traditional natural medicine Ayurveda originated in India. Alternative medicine includes massages, cleansing techniques, nutrition, yoga practice, and herbal medicine . Since the emergence of teaching, knowledge has been passed down through generations. Ayurveda is also becoming increasingly important in Western culture.

The word "Ayurveda" can be translated as "knowledge of long life". This already suggests what traditional teaching is all about: a long, healthy life. Ayurveda takes a holistic approach and unites body, mind and environment in its teaching.

Furthermore, Ayurveda is known as an alternative medicine that uses natural means to cure disorders and diseases. However, the goal of the holistic health system is to prevent diseases from arising in the first place . This is to be achieved with a balanced lifestyle.

According to Ayurveda, a healthy life starts with nutrition. In contrast to other nutritional concepts, each person is considered an individual organism. So if you are looking for a diet with clear rules, you will unfortunately not find what you are looking for here. Because according to Ayurvedic teaching, not all foods are equally suitable for everyone.

The Three Doshas in Ayurveda – Which type are you?

Similar to TCM , Ayurveda is based on five elements : space, air, fire, water and earth . These in turn are found in the three life energies (= Doshas): Vata , Pitta and Kapha . They are responsible for various processes in the human body. For example, Vata regulates our nervous system, Pitta regulates digestion, and Kapha is responsible for flexibility and stability.

In addition, Ayurveda assigns each person a certain predisposition. That is, usually one or two doshas are more pronounced. Rarely are all three equally strong. Then we speak of the so-called Tridosha.

We have summarized the main characteristics of the doshas so that you can determine which type you are most likely to match:

Vata Types – the Flexible

Element: air and space
These types often have a narrow body shape. Characteristically, they are considered to be particularly creative and lively, but can be very changeable in their emotions. When out of balance, they are prone to stress, exhaustion, anxiety, bloating, and constipation.

Pitta Types – The Fiery Ones

Element: Fire and a little water
Pitta types have an average body shape. They are considered intelligent, hardworking and decisive. Due to their great temperament, they can quickly become angry. With an imbalance, they are prone to indigestion, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Kapha types – the laid-back

Element: Earth and water
Kapha types often have a stockier physique. They are usually calm, grounded and loyal. With a Kapha excess, these types tend to be overweight. Typical clinical pictures of a Kapha surplus include, for example, asthma, depression and diabetes.

Not quite sure which dosha is most pronounced for you? Take the test to determine your constitution and learn more about your type.

Balancing with opposites

In addition to distinguishing the doshas, foods in the diet according to Ayurveda are divided into six flavors (rasas): sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy and tart . If all six rasas are included in your meals, this is called a balanced diet.

Just like the doshas, the flavors are also assigned to the five elements. Accordingly, the doshas and rasas can be assigned to the elements as follows:

In Ayurvedic teaching, the following applies: the same increases , the opposite compensates. For example, if you eat a lot of spicy and salty (also fire) as a Pitta type (fire), you strengthen your Pitta energy. On the other hand, you can compensate for a Pitta surplus by consciously choosing sweet, bitter or tart foods.

This means that the diet according to Ayurveda is very individual and can be perfectly tailored to you with the help of experts. In addition, disorders and resulting diseases are usually caused by an excess or deficit of life energies . Accordingly, a balance can be created by using the right foods and spices.

Living a healthy life with Ayurveda

If you want to treat diseases with the help of Ayurvedic medicine , you need one thing above all: patience. We are used to seeing quick results from Western medicine. When we start taking a medication, we expect the symptoms to go away a few days later.

Since the Ayurvedic healing coast ventures to the cause of the problem, and not only combats the symptoms, it can take some time for improvement to occur. Because in Ayurveda you know that a disease does not develop overnight . The same applies to their healing.

However, no expert knowledge is required to use Ayurveda to support your health and strengthen your defenses. The following basic principles of Ayurvedic cuisine apply to all three doshas, and can easily be integrated into your everyday life:

Ayurvedic nutrition for more well-being in everyday life – it's that easy!

Three main meals a day

Ayurvedic medicine recommends eating three meals a day and refraining from snacks in between. So that new food does not meet undigested food, you should take a break between your meals for about 3-4 hours.

Eating with more mindfulness

Eating consciously brings more mindfulness into your life and teaches you to better interpret the signals of your body . A skill that is increasingly being lost in our Western culture.

According to Ayurvedic nutrition, you should eat slowly and moderately. This also means that when you eat, you eat and do nothing else on the side. Instead, you should focus on and consciously perceive the smell, taste, and texture of your meal.

You should also chew your food well to stimulate saliva production. There are enzymes in your saliva that are important for your digestion.

Supporting the digestive fire

Plan your main meal at noon , because this is the time when the so-called digestive fire or "Agni" burns the most. In addition, raw foods and proteins such as legumes, poultry or fish can then be digested more easily. In the morning and in the evening ,on the other hand, you should choose easily digestible foods .

Hard-to-digest foods include meat, fish, eggs, and fatty foods. But in the evening, just as much yogurt and raw food as salad, for example.

Promote digestion with warm foods

To further support your digestive fire: prefer to eat warm food and refrain from ice-cold food and drinks. In addition, you should avoid alcohol, meat, finished products and acidic foods as much as possible or consume them only in small amounts.

Warm cereal porridge is ideal for breakfast . Easily digestible meals in the evening, on the other hand, are soups or rice with seasonal vegetables, for example. The following also applies: stew vegetables rather than eat them raw.

With the delicious porridges from Verival , you can heat up your digestive fire at breakfast and start the day with Ayurveda.

Regional and seasonal food

Eating Ayurvedic does not mean cooking Asian. Instead, you should rely on regional and seasonal foods from certified organic farming.

Accordingly, the focus of Ayurvedic nutrition is on whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.  In Ayurveda, on the other hand, no artificial sweeteners or highly industrially processed foods are used.

Bring Ayurvedic spice into your life

Furthermore, herbs and spices play an important role in Ayurvedic medicine. On the one hand, they are said to have a healing effect , on the other hand, they support our body in the proper digestion and absorption of food. In the traditional Indian art of healing, it is said that every medicinal plant has an effect not only on the body, but also on the mind.

The main spices in Ayurveda are ginger, cardamom, coriander, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, saffron and cinnamon .

These ten king spices strengthen your immune system and are suitable for all doshas in moderation . They keep bacteria, fungi and viruses at bay, which is why they are used in Ayurvedic medicine. A diet according to Ayurveda should therefore contain as many of these spices as possible.

Finally, we introduce you to two spices that combine wonderfully with Verival porridge :