The thousands of years old Ayurvedic texts give the following wisdom: "If the diet is good and right, it works like medicine. If the diet is wrong and inappropriate, then even the best medicine is of no use."

"Nutrition is one of the five pillars of good health," says Dr Wolfgang Schachinger, Director of Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre Ried. "It plays an equally important role alongside the other four pillars of relaxation, exercise, detoxification and pursuing meaningful life goals."

What dietary advice should I follow?

Today, dietary advice is given in countless books, articles, TV programmes, blogs and internet videos - often completely contradictory. How should one orientate oneself? The basics of Ayurvedic nutrition are correct eating habits and a food composition that balances the doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha. In healthy people, correct eating habits clearly outweigh the composition of the food.

Correct eating behaviour

Eating behaviour is so important because it significantly influences the functioning of the digestive system. Only a well-functioning digestive system can properly digest, prepare and deliver the vital substances contained in food to the body. When food is properly digested and assimilated, it can have a nourishing and strengthening effect on the organism. "Correct eating behaviour can be learned by everyone" says Dr. Wolfgang Schachinger. Our webinar "Happily Slim" (held every year in May) is specifically designed to provide a lasting approach to correct eating behaviour using behavioural therapy methods.

The role of waste products

If the metabolism is disturbed due to wrong eating habits and stress, the food is not digested completely and the vital substances contained in the food cannot be used. On the contrary: undigested residues of food are called Ama (literally: the "uncooked") in Ayurveda and have the effect of harmful metabolic residues and waste products. Ama disturbs the inner balance on the physical, mental and spiritual level and blocks the natural flow of body fluids and information. Ama is the breeding ground for disease and leads to an accelerated ageing process. Bloating, stool irregularities, fatigue, headaches, joint or back pain, weight problems and a disturbed immune system can be the consequences of ama accumulation.

Food quality

So if, due to poor eating habits, the digestive power is not right, even good quality food cannot be used positively by the body. Nevertheless, we should always strive to eat the highest quality food. The best foods are those from (Vedic) organic farming, lovingly prepared with a variety of flavours, well seasoned and visually appealing.

Research confirms Ayurvedic recommendations

The 2016 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to the Japanese researcher Prof. Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi (University of Tokyo) for his research on cell regeneration. Prof. Ohsumi was able to find out that hunger caused by longer pauses between meals leads to the body starting to process and eliminate metabolic residues. This finding coincides exactly with the descriptions of the ancient Ayurvedic texts, which say that the digestive process needs time to run its course completely, undisturbed by the further intake of food.

Three meals a day

Breaks between meals are essential to allow the digestive fire Agni to process all the food that is fed to it. Eating a maximum of three times a day is an important recommendation for adults. Lunch should be the main meal, breakfast and dinner should be lighter.

What are snacks?

"I only eat twice a day and still gain weight and have a lot of flatulence", many people say. When questioned more closely, it turns out that there are so-called "healthy" snacks between meals: Fruit, fruit juices, nuts or muesli bars for energy, crisps against "hypoglycaemia" and chocolate or other sweets as a soul comforter. Particularly heavy dinners and snacks eaten unconsciously or incidentally as part of an evening of television lead to sleep being disturbed and no longer bring the desired restorative effect. All these snacks are unnecessary burdens on the body and sources of Ama.

Hot water for purification

The Ayurvedic recommendation to drink hot water between meals is widely known. Water should be boiled for a few minutes and poured into a thermos flask. A few sips at half-hourly intervals help to improve digestion and flush out waste products - an optimal support for natural cleansing processes. You can drink hot water again and again in short intervals throughout the day for one to two weeks.

Preparation - freshness is the key!

"A freshly cooked lunch gives energy and does not make you tired," says Dr Wolfgang Schachinger, Director of the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre in Ried. "Provided the food is also appropriately light and contains all 6 tastes: sweet, sour, salty, spicy, bitter and tart."

According to Ayurveda, reheated food no longer contains all the vital substances and puts a strain on the body, especially if the reheating is done by microwave. Missing flavours in a dish can easily be supplemented with the Ayurvedic spice blends Vata-, Pitta- and Kapha Churna. These mild curry blends enhance a meal dosha-specifically with the right flavours. You can find out which of the three spice powders (churnas) you should prefer with the dosha test.

If your working hours and work environment do not allow for a freshly cooked lunch, we recommend that you take a self-prepared lunch in a thermos to work at least several times a week (find the recipe for the thermos menu here). With this simple measure you make an important contribution to your health.

5 pillars of health

Healthy eating contributes more to well-being when it is supported by the other pillars of health. Nutrients can be better incorporated into our body tissues when we keep our circulation going through exercise and stimulate our body tissues through activity. Relaxation is just as important as exercise. Adequate sleep and deep relaxation through Transcendental Meditation give the digestive fire the rest it needs for daily regeneration.

Dosha-specific recommendations

Especially in cases of disturbances of the well-being and balance of the doshas, it is important to follow dosha-specific recommendations when choosing food. For example, in the case of Vata disorders such as nervousness and joint pain, the food composition must be different, namely Vata-balancing, than in the case of Kapha-related metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes or Pitta-related digestive problems such as hyperacidity and irritable bowel syndrome. In such a situation, seek advice from a Maharishi Ayurveda-trained practitioner. Useful information can also be found in the book Ayurveda - Basics and Applications by Dr. Wolfgang Schachinger and Dr. Ernst Schrott.

Cooking properly

Cooking as a preparation of food for the digestive system has a high value in Ayurveda. The right menu composition ensures that all food groups are included and thus the needs of the body are met. One of the characteristics of the Ayurvedic diet is the careful and, for us, unusually rich use of spices. Ghee and other valuable oils and fats serve not only as flavour carriers, but also as essential vital substances for a healthy life. Learn the basics of Ayurvedic food preparation in one of our cooking courses!

Summary

In Ayurveda there is not THE diet that applies to all people. For thousands of years, Ayurveda has cultivated a "personalised medicine" when it comes to nutrition, as it also corresponds to the most modern ideas of conventional medicine. All recommendations of Ayurvedic nutritional teachings ultimately serve to get to know the needs of one's own body better and better. The goal of this journey, which every person should take, is: to spontaneously eat right. Then food is always your best medicine.