Balanced Diet According to Ayurveda and Yoga

A Dissertation Submitted by Aarthi Khoani
Under the guidance Of Dr. H R Nagendra And Dr.R.Nagarathna
Towards the partial fulfillment of Master's Degree in Yogic Sciences
Vivekananda Yoga Mahavidyapeetham
(A Deemed University Recognized by UGC)
Of
Swami Vivekananda yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (sVYASA)
"Eknath Bhavan" 19 Gavipuram Circle, Kempegowda Nagar, Bangalore-560019, India

Abstract : This report contains the concept of Diet and Nutrition according to the ayurveda and yoga. It tries to examine balanced diet according to ayurveda and yoga and also with modern concept of diet. Balanced diet fosters the development of body wisdom it is said in the east that "he who would attain enlightenment must first conquer the palate" diet, like any other area of one's life, if approached in the right spirit, can become a means of growth and personal enfoldment.

From ancient eastern perspective, according to the ancient Upanishads scriptures of India, "food is Brahman (consciousness)" the divine reality. Consciousness is potentially much more capable of influencing the way the body and functions and the ways it handles food than food itself, it is wise to recall the cyclic or like spiral interaction between what we eat and our consciousness. Such diet and drinks whose color, smell, taste and touch are pleasing to the senses and conducive to health, if taken in accordance with the rules; represent the very life of living beings. The effects of using such diets and drinks can be perceived directly. If consumed according to rules, they provide fuel to the fire of digestion, Promote mental and well as physical strength and complexion and they are pleasing to the senses.

Diet plays a vital role in the maintenance of good health and in the prevention and cure of the disease; the right kind of food is the most important factor in the promotion of positive health. Man has developed different patterns of eating based on the habit, familiarity regional availability, cultural practices, social status, and knowledge of relationship to health and according to their economic conditions. Modern medicine nutrition and dietetics as a science was developed towards the end of 18th century, which has understood many things does not know about the mind-nutrition interplay Which has discovered much is not in regard to dealing with the mental nutritional interplay, this is like system huge, unresponsive machine, it grinds on turning out biochemical and physiological data, oblivious to the possibility of settings its sights in a new direction. Modern doctors and dieticians talk about the contents of food like vitamins, fat, protein, minerals etc. But our scriptures talk about the quality of food and clarify all food into three types: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. According to ayurveda, food takes the prime position, as it is unavoidable necessity for the growth of the body strength and immunity. Hence, if one has to be healthy , one should be more diligent in the food one eats. Ayurveda gives us the guidance regarding proper food and appropriate style life to gain stability of health.

Summary & Conclusion : At the set out it should be borne in mind that there is a difference between ancient and modern food and diet, since there is a great difference between ancient and current life styles, values, habits and thinking etc. Westerners are preoccupied with the nutritive value of food that is consumed and food items are analyzed on the basis of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Balanced diet arrived at on the basis of increasing or decreasing qualities of food according to the individual. It means their height and weight. It can be said that western dietician have focused their attention only on physical health. On the other hand Indian thinkers have not only considered food value in terms of nutrition but also tried to analyze the food value from the point of its sources, season and environment. Aharatattva (nutrition) forms an important part of ayurveda. The nutritive value of hundreds of palatable substance of various classes and their digestibility are described in great detail.

Wholesome food described as the class of which help the harmonized body elements to retain their state of equilibrium and the discordant body elements to gain equilibrium. This monograph aims at presenting the traditional understanding of the nutrition practices that are fast disappearing. The section on the basic tenets of ayurveda explains the role of food as one of the key factors towards holistic health. The different dimensions of panchabhutas concept and the tridhatus and saptadhatu theory emphasize the vital link between nature and man and the highly individualized approach in achieving nutritional balance as against the universal approach advocated by the western concept. The approach to nutrition and nutritional adequacy emanates from an ecological understanding of human body and food. The approach to nutrition components is of whole pack of the philosophy of holistic healing in the ancient medical system ayurveda, we find a sound approach to nutrition. The basic texts of the science of food and nutrition in the ayurvedic system are an integral part of the philosophy and consciousness of an individual's relation to the universe. The principles of the nutrition are inseparable from the understanding of vibrant of it.

The spirit of the system of medicine combines philosophy with science and is such, that the subtle. Process of life cannot be studied by modern scientific methods. Ayurvedic perspective is based on the conceptual framework of the pancamahabhutas system of conceptualizing mind, body and their interaction in dynamics factors whose interaction produces the psychosomatic entity of person. It takes cognizance of the complex substances and properties which analysis in a lab cannot establish, thereby appreciating the richness and individuality of natural phenomena and their influence on the body. The system based on homeostatic theory approaches towards maintaining the ecological balance inside the cell draws from experiential situation and rely experience of taste and reaction of food. Where as modern concept is analytical and has greater precision in breaking down the individual components of food and its relevance to health. Emphasizes on the accuracy, dependability and predictability that can be applied in general. Decades of lab research have been successful in identifying certain components of food but many aspects of intricate inter- relationships between molecules have not been established. Our scriptures recommend 'yuktahara' not only balanced diet, but also an appropriate diet. The Indian's journey of life starts with annamaya kosa (sheath of food or gross body) but transcends it in order to reach Anandmaya Kosa.

According to Ayurveda the proper food when taken in proper method nourishes the person both physically and mentally and it is the food through which person attains positive health. Unfortunately this holistic approach to dietetics and perfect health has not been given due importance at present. Improper modernized food habits have made the person victim for various diseases, of rapidly changing culture. We eat our food as our food eats us, providing not so much nourishment as a breeding ground for toxins. This modern food dilemma is forcing all of us to become more conscious of our diets; we must learn to grow our own food, to support local and organic gardeners, and to become politically active on environmental matters. If we compromise it we are only jeopardizing our own health and happiness; raising our food consciousness and food discrimination is an important part of any ecological strategy for saving our planet.