The Science of Nutrition according to Ayurveda
The science of nutrition called Ahara plays a central role within Ayurveda, the holistic natural healing system which has existed for thousands of years. On the basis of Ahara, it is possible to provide each person with a diet plan based on his or her current state of health. This individual diet plan enables optimal benefits for the digestive system and healthy repair of body tissue
Food can be medicine. To understand how, one has to take a step back and review a basic principle of Ayurveda: The five elements, Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth, exist in all matter in the universe. They manifest in the human body and all living beings as regulatory energies, known as the 3 Doshas – Vata (Air & Space with the principle of movement), Pitta (Fire & Water with the principle of metabolism) and Kapha (Water & Earth with the principle of structure). Every person, every flower, every animal is, therefore, an expression of an individual Dosha mix with special properties. Every food can increase the person’s Doshas or reduce them, having either a positive or a negative effect.
The following factors determine the effects food can have:
- The six different tastes (Rasa): sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent.
- The attributes (Gunas), divided into ten pairs of opposites: heavy/light, oily/dry, cold/hot, soft/hard, static/mobile, slow/sharp, slimy/rough, dense/liquid, subtle/gross, sticky/clear.
- The effect on the human metabolism (Virya), for example warming or cooling.
- The effect within the body after digestion (Vipaka), independent of the original taste.
Example fresh ginger:
Rasa: pungent; Guna: heavy, dry; Virya: warming; Vipaka: pungent, reduces Vata and Kapha, increases Pitta.
Example banana:
Rasa: sweet; Guna: heavy, oily; Virya: warming; Vipaka: sweet, increases Pitta and Kapha.
You can learn more about how foods and herbs effect your doshas in our book “The Art of Ayurvedic Healing”, available in our online shop. It is possible to understand the effects of food and spices on someone’s Dosha mix so that an individual diet can be followed, which supports health and well-being.
Ahara at the Ayurveda Parkschlösschen
The Ayurveda Parkschlösschen, the five-star Ayurveda Detox & Health Resort in Germany, practices the nutritional teachings of Ayurveda consistently and adapts that knowledge optimally to the individual needs of each guest. In this way, the balance of the Doshas is gently restored, the digestive fire Agni is strengthened, and the body is rid of metabolic wastes. A deeper understanding of one’s own personal healthy diet and an adaptation of this diet to everyday life is also taught. Regained vitality, health and enjoyment of life are the tangible results for each guest.
