According to Ayurveda, every food is a remedy and every remedy is food. For this reason, there is a vast knowledge, endowed with great wisdom of all the preventive and curative potential of different foods.
There are also many Ayurveda proverbs for health some of them are as follows.
- When diet is wrong medicine is of no use.
When diet is correct medicine is of no need.
~Ayurvedic Proverb
- When diet is wrong medicine is of no use. When diet is correct medicine is of no need.~Ayurvedic Proverb
- Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food. ~Hippocrates
The “Agni”, in Ayurveda, is the digestive power, the digestive fire, guardian and protector of the human integrity of the human being. Involved in the enzyme system and metabolism, nutrition of body tissues, maintenance of the immune system, vision, the perception of light, heat, color, etc., the preservation of life, vigor and vitality, and in the color and brightness of the skin.
It is also related to intelligence, understanding, and understanding, with the acquisition of new information, with decision making, discernment, closing processes, etc.
Ayurveda considers that the “Ama” is the product of the accumulation of toxins, undigested food, and retention of waste products, due to the presence of an altered digestive Agni. The housekeeper blocks the absorption of food with the consequent involvement of body tissues and the appearance of diseases such as arthritis, allergies, cancer, etc.
When Agni is balanced, the processes of digestion, absorption, and elimination are normal. Each of the doshas has different manifestations when the Agni is unbalanced.
- Vata-People of the Vata constitution has an irregular Agni that manifests as a variable appetite and the appearance of indigestion and bloating, accompanied by feelings of anxiety and insecurity.
- Pitta-Pitta people have a very potent Agni and for this reason they cannot skip meals and have an important appetite. Unbalanced Agni will manifest itself with the appearance of acidity and/or diarrhea.
- Kapha-Finally, people with a predominance of Kapha have a weak Agni. Because they often eat more than their body requires, the unbalanced Agni will manifest itself with slow digestion and the appearance of allergies, congestion, and obesity.
Ayurveda offers us an ancient knowledge about the use of spices both in cooking and for the treatment of diseases. The use of spices and condiments is a fundamental contribution of the knowledge and wisdom of Ayurveda for health.
Spices are easy to obtain and prepare, as well as being economical. They are medicinal plants that are used to alter the characteristics of various foods in order to make them more digestible and reduce their possible negative effects. They also have their own therapeutic properties.
Whereas in the West people in general use only salt and a few more herbs to add flavor to the food, losing much of what we can get from them.
An old Ayurvedic proverb points out that “the first pharmacy is in the kitchen.” Without a doubt, spices, within this scheme, are the first medications.
Spices can help to meet three fundamental objectives
- They improve the digestive power, increasing the Agni and avoiding the side effects of the use of food inappropriate for the constitution itself and/or for inappropriate combinations
- The scientific works that have been done with almost all of them show that they have important antimicrobial actions, limiting or preventing the growth of parasites, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Columbus, when he “discovered” the American continent, was actually looking for an alternative way to reach the East Indies and be able to bring the famous spices from them. Let us think that in this context, spices not only added flavor to food but also helped to preserve them, at a time when there were no facilities for conservation (such as refrigerators today).
- Many of the spices are grown on the slopes of the mountains. For this reason they provide the person with minerals that are required in low concentrations but that are in any way essential for a good state of health.
Ayurvedic diet to correct everyday digestive disorders
- For weak digestion you can mix equal parts of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds. With them an infusion is prepared using 1 tablespoon of the mixture for each cup of hot water.
- For gastritis it is recommended to use a decoction of Ginger boiling for five to ten minutes a 2-3 Tulsi leaves for each cup of water. The suggested dose is one cup 3 times a day.
- Chamomile -an infusion of flowers-, 1 cup 3 times a day.
- For indigestion, ½ teaspoon of the bay leaf powder is placed in a cup of hot water and allowed to stand for 10 minutes and then a pinch of cardamom is added. This infusion is taken after meals.