Ayurvedic Diet: 8 Summer Superfoods for Yogis

Food is one of the basic amenities of living and the most important part of our lives. But we tend to diminish its importance at many times due to one or the other reason. We skip our meals or eat food in a hurry, or at wrong times, but have you wondered why we do this? It happens due to unawareness- unawareness of the self, body, its need, food, and requirements. With Yoga and Ayurveda practice, a person ignites self-awareness and realizes what is right or bad for the body.

The role of diet in Yoga Therapy

Yoga is one popular and the most reliable healthcare therapy in today’s time. To achieve a healthy body and stable mind yoga always has your back. But many of us don’t know that food and balanced diet is an integral part of yoga journey. A yogic diet can be followed by anyone, yogi or non-yogi, beginner or advanced level practitioner to have a healthy and ailment-free living.

Yogic diet helps a person build stamina, refill the energy level, enhance the practice, stay fit, and strengthen the overall body. Yoga also makes you indulge in mindful eating and all this body- food awareness comes from the reference of Yamas and Niyamas. When you dig deep into the practice and attain the knowledge about food, you find the relevance of Ayurveda in the yogic diet.

Ayurveda and Yogic Diet

Ayurveda is a vast concept that focuses widely on the diet, understanding of the food, and its direct effect on the overall health. According to Ayurveda and Yoga, both categorize that everything in the universe is made up of Gunas or properties- Rajas, Tamas, and Sattva.

Rajas- A property of motion as this food is stimulating and agitating. Few examples include onion, garlic, coffee, red pepper, and many more.
Tamas- It is a property of inertia. The Tamas food is heavy and has no or fewer nutrients. Eating this kind of food induces lethargy, makes you feel low on energy food like junk food, spicy food, alcohol, processed, tobacco, soda beverages, fast food, tea, coffee, and many more, are the great examples of Tamasic food.
Sattva- Sattva or Sattvic food is balanced, pure, fresh, and high in nutrients and vitamins.

As mentioned, food is the centerpiece of Ayurveda and yogic diet is recommended and based on the Doshas-Vata, Pitta, and Kapha Dosha that help to know how the food choices affect people with different doshas and constitutions.

Vata- People with Vata dosha are suggested to consume warm-moist nutritious food that focuses more on sweet foods like fruits, root veggies, dairy products, seeds, and most grains, and then on sour and salty tastes.
Pitta- People with pitta dosha are asked to avoid spicy pungent, over hot, sour and dry food. Eat more of sweet, bitter, heavy, cold, and astringent food.
Kapha- People with Kapha dosha should consume food that emphasizes on spicy, astringent, and bitter tastes. Avoid salty food and heavy milk. Instead, go for low fat.

Summer Superfoods

Yoga helps us develop a sense of self-awareness and this helps to make the right food choices. Summer is almost here and the season is known as the season of the Pitta Dosha. According to Ayurveda, it is suggested that people with pitta dosha must eat less spicy food. Consuming right food is rejuvenating, detoxifying, immunity boosting, and digestion enhancing as well.

Water-based fruits and vegetables

According to Ayurveda, we all must keep our bodies well-hydrated and fuelled up. Drinking water all day long is great and consuming water-based fruits and veggies also help a lot. You can have watermelons, cantaloupe, pineapple, berries, lemon, cucumber, Asparagus, and peaches. These foods reduce the chances of dehydration, keep you fresh and filling.

Cooling Ayurvedic Herbs

Ayurvedic cooling herbs are a great way to keep the body cool and fresh. Consume Ashwagandha to reduce inflammation in the body, Brahmi to soothe the body and reduce stress, Holy Basil or Tulsi to cleanse and detoxify the body, Indian Gooseberry or Amla to provide nutrients, and Mint and Coriander to keep the body cool and remove excess heat from the body, especially from the digestive system.

Dairy Products

Dairy products like yogurt, buttermilk, lassi are amazing to consume in the summer season. Packed with nutrients and anti-inflammation properties, these keep the body cool, reduce the digestive fire, decrease stomach acidity, and maintain an overall health.

Alkaline Vegetables

Our stomach secretes gastric acids that help us during the digestive process. Due to our unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle, these acids increase in the body and lead to acidity. In order to reduce the acidic refluxes, you can consume vegetables like white onion, garlic, beetroot, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, sweet potato, carrots, Kokum, etc.

Sattu

This food item is made of Bengal gram that cools down the body instantly. Consisting of fibers; Sattu is great for digestion and for people with diabetes. So don’t forget to add Sattu on your summer grocery list this season.

Coconut

Coconut water is something we all swear upon in the summer season. Refreshing, cooling, and filling, coconut water reduces the chances of dehydration, rejuvenates the body, and provides the required nutrients to the body.

Grains

Grains like oats, brown rice, ragi, and barley are amazing to consume in the summer season. Rich in fiber, these grains are light to digest and good for your heart, manage a healthy weight, cool down the digestive fire, balance blood sugar level, and make you strong.

Clarified Butter Or Ghee

Many myths are associated with ghee or clarified butter. But as per Ayurveda, Ghee is really healthy for our body. Loaded with healthy fats, ghee keeps us moving, maintains joint mobility, and aids in digestion.

The ancient and traditional practice of healing and medication, Ayurveda is a great diet planner that helps to consume the right food according to a particular body-type, aliment, season and requirement. Our diet plays an important role in maintaining a healthy body, so eat good- think good, and feel good.

Author Bio: Manmohan Singh is the managing director of Rishikul Ayurshala, Ayurveda Training Institute in Kerala, India. By passion, he is a blogger and yoga lover. He writes content about yoga, Ayurveda, healthy lifestyle.

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