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FOOD AND HEALTH D r . G . G . G A N G A D H A R A N

AYURVEDACHARYA

FAIP (USA),PhD, Mstr of Mgmt

(McGill,Canada)

PROFESSOR & DIRECTOR,

RAMAIAH INDIC SPECIALTY AYURVEDA

w w w . v a i d y a g g g a n g a @ g m a i l . c o m

O C T O B E R 1 S T 2 0 1 6

INTRODUCTION

AaharzuÏaE sÅvzuiÏ> sÅvzuÏaE Øuva Sm&it>.

• When the food is pure, then the inner sense gets purified; on the purification of the inner sense,

memory ( of the soul’s perfection) becomes steady.

• It is stated that “àai[nam! punmURlm! Aaharm! ” (su.su 1/28) – the route of all beings is nothing but

food itself.

• The food we choose to eat can have a direct impact on our ability to enjoy life to the fullest. Perhaps

the most obvious positive effect of food is the pleasurable feeling we get from eating a good-tasting

meal. On the contrary, an unwholesome food intake or incompatible meal affects both body and

mind depriving us to lead a healthy successful life.

IMPORTANCE OF DIET

n caharsm< ikiÂTÉE;Jymupl_yte. zKyte=PyÚmaÇe[ nr> ktu¡ inramy>.

Ée;jenaeppÚae=ip inraharae n zKyte, tSmaiTÉ;iGÉraharae mhaÉE;JymuCyte.

(Reference-k,io,4 -5-6)

• There is no equal medicament comparable to good food. Congenial food alone can make a

person disease free.

• Even if there is good medicine and diet is not appropriate, it is of no use. So great physician

proclaims food as a great medicine.

BENEFITS OF CONGENIAL DIET

tuiò> puiòx&itbuRiÏéTsah< paEé;< blm!,saESvyRmaejStejí jIivt< àitÉa àÉa,

Aahardev jayNte @vma*a gu[a n&[am!, tdaTmvan! ihtimt< kale Éu¾It ;Ôsm!.

(Reference-k, io, 4,11-13 )

• Satisfaction, nutrition, patience, critical understanding, enthusiasm, virility, good voice, strength, glow,

life, geniuses and radiance etc. all such qualities in the human beings develop only from diet

• That is why the person desirous of long life should eat diet which is congenial, appropriate in quantity and

time, having six tastes.

ORIGIN OF SIX TASTES (RASOTPATTTI)

úma=MÉae=i¶]ma=butej> ovaYvaNyinlgae=inlE>,

ÖyaeLb[E> ³maуtEmRxuraidrsaeÑv>. (Reference-A, ù, 10,1)

The tastes are formed due to the combination of two primary elements

TASTE ELEMENTS Examples

Madhura (sweet) Prithvi + Ap (earth + water) Honey, Grapes, wheat, dates, milk, sugarcane juice etc

Amla (sour) Tejas + Ap (fire + water) Gooseberry, lemon ,tamarind ,pomegranate, sour curd etc

Lavana (salt) Ap +Tejas (water + fire) Rock salt, Black salt, sea salt, table salt, alkalis etc

Tikta (bitter) Akasa + Vayu (ether + air) Bittergourd, bitter lemon, neem, turmeric,fenugreek etc

Katu (pungent) Tejas + Vayu (Fire and air) Ginger, garlic, asofoetida, chilli, black pepper etc

Kashaya (astringent) Prithvi + Vayu (earth + air) Unripe banana ,lotus stalk, broccoli, pears etc

FOOD GUIDELINES

AwaTmvan! SvÉavs<yaegs<SkarmaÇadezkalaepyaegVyvSwa> sÝaharkLpnaivze;a[a<

SvSWyaSvSWy)lana< hetuÉUta> smIúy ihtmevanuéÏyet!. (Reference-A, iÿ, 10,4 )

• Regarding the wholesome-unwholesome qualities of food, Acharya Vagbhatta has laid down some basic

rules and regulations for taking the diet.

• Even though a man takes wholesome food, he should have to observe the following dietetic rules, to achieve

proper digestion, assimilation and health of the body. Both healthy persons as well as patients should follow

these rules.

Contd……

FOOD GUIDELINES contd……

• These are the seven factors which determines the utility of food, which are as follows:

1) Prakrti - Nature of substances

2) Karana - Processing of substances

3) Samyoga - Combination of different substances

4) Rasi - Quantum of substances to be taken

5) Desa - Habitat of substances

6) Kala - Time as age, seasons and conditions

7) Upayogavyavastha- Dietetic rules

• These factors are most important from the preventive and curative aspect of health. They are to be

examined before food intake and are to be followed during food intake.

SAMKSARA(PREPARATION AND PROCESSES)

Kvict! s<SkarÉeden gu[Éedae Éveidh, É <́ l"u pura[Sy zaleSti½ipqae gué>. (Reference- Éaejn k…tUhlm! )

• Sometimes a change in property can result from the manner in which something is processed. By

processing, the heavy ones become light and vice versa.

• E.g. Old rice that is boiled is light but the same after repeated pounding becomes flattened renders it heavy

and when it is roasted, it becomes puffed rice renders it light .Though these all are the preparations of rice,

but according to various types of samskara they all are having different types of qualities and nutritive

values.

IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL FOOD

ySy dezSy yae jNtuSt¾< tSyaE;x< ihtm!, dezadNyÇ vstStÄuLygu[jNm va AaE;xm!.(

Reference- A,ù, za)

Every geographical places are blessed by nature; so things needed for the inhabitants are provided by the nature itself.

FLUCTUATION OF DOSHA IN DIFFERENT SEASONS

cyaàkaepàzma vayae¢IR:maid;u iÇ;u, v;aRid;u tu ipÄSy ðe:m[ izizraid;u.

(Reference-A, ù, 12, 24 )

Dosha Chaya Prakopa PrasamaVata Grisma (summer) Varsha (rainy) Sharat (Autumn)Pitta Varsha (rainy) Sharat (Autumn) Hemanta (early winter)

Kapha Shishira (winter) Vasanta (spring) Grishma (summer)

FLUCTUATION OF DOSHA IN DIFFERENT SEASONS INFLUENCE CHANGES IN BODY

• Vata undergoes chaya (mild increase) during summer by the use of plants possessing such as lightness,dryness etc. It is especially so, in the bodies of persons possessing such qualities. But during summer,Vata does not undergo profound increase (prakopa) due to the heat of the summer.

• Pitta undergoes chaya (mild increase) in rainy season, because of production of Amla vipaka (sourtaste at the end of digestion) of water and foods. But it does not undergo further increase (prakopa) inrainy season, because of coldness.

• Kapha undergoes Chaya (mild increase) in winter by the use of foods with cold and oily qualities. Butit does not undergo increase (prakopa) because Kapha becomes solidified due to severe cold of thewinter.

• So, activities and food habits can cause increase or decrease of Dosha. At the same time, seasonaleffect also may cause Dosha increase or decrease.

VIRUDDHA AHARA-INCOMPATIBLE FOODS

]Ir< k…lTwE> pnsen mTSyEStÝ< dix ]aEÔ"&te sma<ze,

vayUR;re raiÇ;u sTkví taeyaNtraSte yvkaStwa c. (Reference- A, ù, 9, 9)

• Milk is incompatible with horse gram (Virya Viruddha-Potency )

• Milk is incompatible with jackfruit (Guna Viruddha-Quality)

• Milk is incompatible with fish (Vipaka Viruddha-Post digestive effect)

• Heated curds

• Mixing equal quantities of honey and ghee

• Water of alkaline regions

• Partaking flour made into thick solution with water at night

• Taking barley in-between water intake

• These substances mentioned above cause increase of the Dosas in the body; do not expel them out of the body but remain antagonistic to the tissues and hence

they are termed as incompatibles.

INFLUENCE OF SATWIKA-RAJASIKA-TAMASIKA AHARA ON HUMAN NATURE

Aayu> sÅvblaraeGysuoàIitivvxRna>,rSya> iõGxa> iSwra ù*a Aahara> saiÅvkiàya>.

kqœvMllv[aTyu:[tIú[ê]ivdaihn>, Aahara rajsSyeòa Ê>ozaekamyàda>.

yatyam< gtrs< pUit pyuRi;t< c yt!, %iCDòmip cameXy< Éaejn< tamsiàym!. (Reference: Égvt! gIta 17,8-10)

• Those kinds of food that increase duration of life, energy, strength, which keeps one free from sickness,

well being and joy ,food which are savory, oleaginous, of permanent benefit and congenial to the body,

which are attractive to those in whom the quality of (Satwika) goodness prevails.

• The food which are acrid, sour, salty, excessively hot, pungent, dry, burning,which cause pain, grief and

disease are desired by those who are influenced by the quality of (Rajasika) passion.

• The food which is half cooked and is almost raw, without savour, stinking ,stale and which is left-over,

filthy, is dear to men in whom the quality of (Tamasika) darkness predominates.

INFLUENCE OF SATWA-RAJA-TAMAS AHARA INDETERMINING HUMAN PERSONALITY

• Hence wholesome foods are responsible for the maintenance of the body and on the other hand, if the

unwholesome foods are consumed disease and destruction takes place.

• An ideal food not only nourishes the body but, also the mind. Hence the qualities of mind too are

influenced by types of food consumed.

• Satwika ahara manifests Satwika temperament and thereby sustains the morality of the individual.

• Rajasika and Tamasika ahara contribute towards the growth of the same temperament in the mind,

resulting in a weak personality

CONCLUSION

pTyesit gtatRSy ik< AaE;xin;ev[m!,pTye=sit gtatRSy ik< AaE;xin;ev[m!.

• When diet is wrong medicine is of no use. When diet is correct medicine is of no need.

ivna=ip Ée;jaEVyaRix> pWyadev iblIyte, n tu pWyivihnSy Ée;jana< ztErip. (Reference: yae, rÆ.)

• Only congenial diet can cure diseases but one who does not follow the congenial diet, cannot be

cured by the use of even hundreds of drugs.