Ayurveda has a theory that anything can be a food, a medicine or a poison depending on ‘who’ is eating, ‘what’ is eaten, and ‘how much’ is eaten. For example, fresh ginger root is delicious in cooking as a food to flavour and help digestion. It is a stimulating medicine that can help clear a cold and induce a sweat when taken as a strong hot tea. If too much is taken it can make you sick causing acidity and vomiting, hence acting as a poison in the wrong circumstances. So there is no strict ‘Ayurvedic diet’ per se, only sage recommendations to help you have the tastiest and healthiest diet helping to lead you towards the best health.

However, eating is considered to be the most important activity that can affect health. Whilst eating is a habit, and for some an addiction, it can be empowering to transform your eating habits to only include healthy foods that are rejuvenating and life-giving. This is a healthy habit. Whilst herbal remedies, massage, exercise and spiritual practice can balance and repair health it is a ‘good’ diet that gives us an every day opportunity to take control of our health.

Generally speaking, Ayurveda considers that the best foods to include are rice, wheat, barley, mung beans, asparagus, grapes, pomegranates, ginger, ghee, milk and honey. It also generally recommends that it is best to avoid habitual use of heavy meats, cheeses, yoghurt, refined salt, processed foods, refined sugar, coffee, tomatoes, bananas, citrus fruits and black lentils.

Ayurveda has detailed practical theory covering all aspects of living a positive health generating life-style to specific medical treatments. You can find more about these ideas a www.pukkaherbs.com Here we are going to look at some of the energetic properties of the most common foods, some simple but delicious recipes and ways to most healthily improve eating habits.

Remember that digesting your food properly depends on:

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The Digestive Fire

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