The century old idiom, “Eat to live, not live to eat,” often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, highlights the essence of intelligent dietary habits that help you sustain a healthy and an active body for the longest period of time. When you dig a little deeper and try to find a correlation between this idiom and ‘Ayurvedic Nutrition’, you would discover a subtle commonness between them.

Ayurvedic nutrition, just like this idiom, emphasizes on the fact that ahara (food) is the sustainer of life. It involves a greater use of intelligence and self-control to achieve what is known as fulfillment. The cardinal principle that underlines ayurvedic nutrition is the belief, “you are what you eat.” This principle governs the dietary plans that are advised by the leading ayurvedic practitioners.

The food that you eat should be eaten with gratitude; it must be fresh, made of quality ingredients and should be cooked affectionately. Each herb or a food item has an impact on the elemental doshas (fundamental bio-elements, mind-body combinations). The central concept of Ayurvedic medicine is the theory that health exists when there is a balance between three fundamental bodily bio-elements or doshas. Different food items have a different impact on doshas, therefore calling for a customized approach towards forming an ayurvedic diet to find the right balance.

Individualistic Approach to discover the right nutrition

One size doesn’t fit all. Nothing is right for everyone, everything is right for someone. This underlying principle is what distinguishes ayurvedic nutrition from other modern nutritional approaches. Individually tailored food program is what is necessary to find a proper diet and lifestyle. Ayurveda is aimed at helping each individual discover what works for them, and not what works for everyone. The former is a realistic approach whereas, latter is a utopian concept not meant for this world.