10-те най-важни Аюрведични правила за хранене

 

Написано тук е директно предадена информация от учителят ми по класическа Аюрведа. Авторът на тази статия е напълно наясно, че някой от правилата се разминават със съвременните научни достижения. Аюрведичните методи са използвани и доказали правотата си през хилядолетията до днес, което ги прави незаменими.

1: Храната трябва да се консумира гореща – Топлата храна е незаменима за правилното храносмилане и отделяне. Правилно приготвена и топла храна се усвоява много по-лесно от тялото. Топлата и сготвена храна трябва да доминира на трапезата ни, като суровите и свежи салати трябва да са не повече от 30% от общият обем.

2: Храната трябва да е сочна и мазничка – Сухите и твърди храни като сандвичи или сухи печива без сос са особено трудни за храносмилане. Те предизвикват допълнителна сухота в тялото и затрудняват отделянето, оставяйки токсини и отпадъчен материал.

3: Храненето трябва да е на малки порции – Тъй като големината на стомаха, е колкото двата юмрука на човека, е важно да се хапва не повече от 2/3 от това количество. 1/3 трябва да се оставя празна, за да извърши правилно храносмилане и усвояване на веществата.

4: Храна може да се поема само след като предишното хранене е напълно храносмелено – Всеки сам може да усети дали храносмилането е приключило и дали стомахът е празен, но като ориентир обикновено са нужни около 3 часа между основните хранения.

5: Храните трябва да се съчетават според Аюрведичните правила и включват всичките шест вкуса : На всяко хранене трябва да присъстват и шестте вкуса (сладко, солено, кисело, горчиво, стипчиво, люто).За съчетаването на храните можете да прочете повече в статията ни за “Несъвместимите храни според Аюрведа”

6: Аюрведична вегетарианска храна – Месото и животинските продукти не се изключват от Аюрведа, но се  препоръчва млечно-вегетарианската диета като важна за здравословното хранене. Особено важни са кравето мляко и млечните продукти от хуманен източник. Повече за ползите от млякото можете да прочете от статията ни 5 Аюрведични тайни за кравето мляко.

7: Храненето трябва да става в седнала поза в подходяща среда –  Приятна, тиха обстановка, без телефони и телевизия. Без да се бърза и никога на крак между другото.

8: Хранете се със средно темпо достатъчно – Не бива да се храним твърде бързо, нито много бавно. Да не се препълва устата, защото трябва да се сдъвче добре, да се умокри със слюнка и да се усетят всичките й вкусове и аромати. 

9: Докато се храни, човек не бива да говори – Нужно е да се концертираме върху храненето и да се насладим на цялото преживяване с цялото си съзнание.

10: Умът трябва да е спокоен! – Най-важното правило! Докато се храни човек трябва да е спокоен и благодарен. Изпълнен с топлина и добрина. Това е целта на всички практики и молитви преди хранене.

Дано това знание бъде полезно и Ви даде насоки за храненето от мъдростта на Аюрведа.

Methods for stress relief according to Ayurveda

Energetic centers in the body – CHAKRAS

We all live in a modern world, full of stress creating factors and events that are simply unavoidable. There are many techniques and strategies to relieve or completely eliminate stress factors. Many are really simple and easy – they are the ones that work the best and have a deep, healing effect on the human body. In this post, only the most effective lifestyle – food – therapy methods to de-stress in harmony with Ayurvedic knowledge and practices will be outlined.

1.Water – water has amazing qualities to absorb stress and emotional burden even grief or a broken heart. When under stress it is recommended to splash your face with cold, clean water as many times as you can (every hour or even every 30 min if possible). Also drinking plenty of room temperature water helps to reduce the stress hormone levels. All this in combination with nice, relaxing bath (shower is not as effective as bath with rose petals) daily if possible will be very effective in dealing with stress. Even washing dishes can be your de-stress therapy for the day. It is advisable for everyone to make a habit of drinking and using water to de-stress and improve the immune system and overall health and happiness. The old saying when something bad happens makes more sense now “Drink a glass of cold water and all will be OK again”

2.Gardening and walks in the nature – Working in the garden, planting and watering flowers is very effective stress therapy. It is being used all over the world even modern doctors suggest this with great success. Small, manageable size garden with herbs, veggies and flowers is a must. Walks in parks, trails and in the forest is also very effective and should be done weekly or as often as you can.

3.Plant based / vegetarian diet – Ayurveda has particularly strong position on being vegetarian (lacto vegetarian – having only milk and cheese from animal products as they do not kill the animals. For more information on Ayurvedic vegetarianism please see: Ayurveda – Vegetarianism). It has been proven that meat increases the levels of the stress hormone and testosterone adding to already stressed out body. Well balanced and properly cooked vegetarian diet is the key for longevity, health and happiness.

4.Breathing techniques / Bastrika – Proper breathing is essential for many other health aspects as well as for stress relief. Just bastrika alone can be used to effectively eliminate anxiety and de-stress the body and the mind. Bastrika is a series of breathing exercises that are simple to do and takes only few minutes. (example: take a deep breath trough the nose while pressing on the left nostril inhaling from the left one – then press on the right nostril and exhale trough the left. Repeat 8 times with increased intensity, then relax for a moment. Do the same inhaling trough the left nostril/exhaling trough the right for another 8 times. This is very effective to normalize the blood pressure in the head and reduce stress and anxiety)

5.Meditation / Prayers – Meditation is accredited to be the most efficient way of relieving the body from stress and negative emotions. However it is increasingly difficult to meditate if you are highly stressed and unable to calm the mind and sit for 45min (see more on . Prayers are also very effective and have similar effect as meditation (not as powerful) but can be used from everybody who has any religious beliefs. Please note that Ayurveda is a science that has no religion!

6.Singing / Playing musical instrument – From ancient times it has been well known that music has a special effect on the mind and relaxing music (preferably classical or folk music without lyrics)can be used with profound effects. Singing however is the most effective therapy and should be done by everybody daily for at least 15 min. Only melodic, harmonious music with beautiful poetic lyrics is beneficial. Most modern pop/rock/rap/techno etc… music is creating more stress and anxiety.

7.Love / Laughter therapy – Love is a universal therapy that cures everything  Love does not mean sex – but it is this beautiful warm feeling in your chest when you are happy and content. Laughter is used to develop a special therapy technique that is very effective against high stress life styles. Reading comical books or watching comedies can be effective as well – please feel free to express your emotions and laugh freely…

8.Pets / Tree hugging therapy – Having a pet is also very effective, the bigger the animal is the better it works. The most effective animal to relieve stress is the cow. Tree hugging is a therapy made popular by Mahatma Gandhi when he started the Chipco movement. Large trees have very strong vibes and are able to remove negative emotions and restore balance temporarily. To be effective tree hugging should be done daily for 30min to 1 hour.

9.Holidays / Vacations / Change of living environment – Having a holiday and being on vacation works miracles for some people. To be effective one should allow the body to rest and participate in creative activities avoiding alcohol, large crowds and loud music…

10.Oiliation therapies / Massages / Shirodhara – Oiliation therapies are used in Ayurveda to promote health and well being as well as to relieve stress. One of most effective therapies is Full body massage (Abyanga) in combination with special oil pouring therapy (Shirodhara – warm sesame oil is poured continuously over the forehead for 40min.). These are very effective therapies to restore clarity of the mind, memory and eliminate stress.

11.Herbs for the Mind – Brahmi is the single most effective and widely used herb for the mind. You can also use Vacha, shankapushpi, fennel and tulsi (secret basil). Hot milk is also very effective as a medicine taken before bed at night.

12.Proper elimination – Ayurveda has a strong emphasis on proper elimination. Daily bowel movement is absolutely essential to deal with stress and can cause many illnesses if not taken into account. Urination and sweating are equally important and special attention should be taken to keep track of all of them, as this is the body’s own mechanism to tell us if something is not right.

NOT ADVISABLE STRESS RELEIVE METHODS:

1.Overeating and indulging on food – most common practice is to eat a bar of chocolate or box of sugary candies when someone is under heavy stress. Many people develop eating disorders like chronic overeating and obesity trying to deal with stress using food. Not effective and detrimental to health both mental and physical!

2.Smoking tobacco – Tobacco decreases the levels of stress hormone only temporarily, so it is partially effective and mostly done in a social manner that can help to relieve stress too. However the long term effect is very detrimental to health and is very addictive.

3.Drinking alcohol and use of recreational drugs – Using alcohol to get away from daily troubles is only effective if done a few times per year and the body will pay the price of dealing with toxins after that. It is a bad practice that is prohibited in Ayurveda. Glass of wine or beer can be tolerated if the person is healthy. Use of any Drugs is a big NO!

4.Sex and sexual practices – If done with a beloved partner and in moderation sex can be a very beneficial stress therapy. Moderation however means once a month during summer and once a week during the cold winter months. Any out of the ordinary sexual practices will disturb the doshic balance and therefore are not advisable.

5.Screaming at your own people to de-stress – please don’t use your closest one’s to de-stress, there are many ways you can do that without putting the load on them.

6.TV / Computer games and virtual reality – Living in a virtual world is becoming a problem now. Too much TV, computer games and internet should be avoided as they add significantly to the stress levels.

I hope this article has been informative to you and I would like to thank you for reading.

http://www.ayurvedaforlife.info

Milk – good or bad?

There are many publications on the milk and most of them are true and correct, however here are some secrets that are very little known and will make you think again:

1. The Secret of the hot milk: Milk has to be boiled first and consumed hot. Cold milk will cause allergies and create mucous (due to aggravating Kapha dosha). Most tests are done on cold milk… When milk is boiled in a non teflon, non aluminum pot all potentially harmful bacteria are killed. Heat the milk until it begins to rise and is bubbling vigorously, than let it settle and drink while still very hot (like a hot cup of coffee).

2. The secret of which milk is best: Cow’s milk is most beneficial and is the best option for all vegetarians to get their protein, calcium, iron and many more much needed nutritions. Goat’s milk is good too, but it is very astringent and will cause constipation if taken on daily basis.

3. The secret about mixing milk with fruits: Please don’t mix milk with fruits – this is incompatible combination and will cause build up of toxins (AMA) in the body. You can enjoy hot cup of milk with organic cocoa, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves or any other flavor of your choice. Just be cautious with the sour tasting spices as they may cause the milk to curdle in your stomach.

4. The Secret about lactose free milks: Soy milk, Rise milk and Almond milk are not a substitute to cow’s milk. Soy milk however has been linked with number of allergies and is blamed for the rise of Diabetes cases in the resent years.

For getting the most out of your hot milk drink please keep in mind that milk should not be mixed with:
*** Meat, yogurt, cheese, fresh fruits, fresh veggies, sour foods and ice cream ***

Milk is best taken on its own with nice biscuit, cookie or as Indian tea (chai).

Hot cow’s milk is considered to be rejuvenative, rehydrating, mild laxative and mild aphrodisiac. It known for thousands of years to be the secret for long life and good health. If possible, milk is best consumed within few minutes after it was milked from the cow still fresh. Best tasting milk is boiled in a clay pot, but it is hard to clean and wash, so glass or cast iron pots are very good options as well as stainless steel.

Thank you for reading this post. Now, please enjoy your hot cup of milk…

10 Most Important Ayurvedic Rules of Eating

The following information is a direct passing on of Ayurvedic knowledge. The author of this publication is aware that some of the advice here may be contrary to some modern dietary research. Today’s science has a different approach from Ayurveda and it will take it some more years to get there…

Rule 1: Food must be hot – Warm meals are essential for healthy digestion. Always include fresh salad if available in the amount of no more than 30% of your whole meal. Meals of just salads or fruits are not sufficient on its own and should be accompanied with properly cooked food.

Rule 2: Food must be unctuous, moist and oily – Dry foods like sandwiches and dry roasted meals are very difficult for the digestive system to process, always include warm, moist food in your daily diet.

Rule 3: The food should be taken in proper quantities – Because the size of your stomach is about the size of your both fists closed and fitted together, one should never eat more than 2/3 of that quantity. 1/3 of the stomach should stay empty as it is needed for proper digestion.

Rule 4: The food should be taken only after the previous meal is fully digested –As a general rule the next main meal should be consumed at least 3-4 hours after the previous meal.

Rule 5: The foods should be compatible and include all six tastes – In every meal one should have all six tastes (sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter and astringent) and make sure the foods are compatible to be consumed together. More on incompatible foods…

Rule 6: Ayurveda is promoting 100% Vegetarian diet – That means no meat, no fish and sea animals, no eggs and no mushrooms. The cows milk and milk products are highly beneficial foods if taken properly. More on why milk is important…

Rule 7: Food should be consumed in the right environment – dining should be in a pleasant, calm environment in the absence of loud noise, music, TV, radio or any other distractions in a comfortable sitting position on the floor or a chair.
Rule 8: Food should be consumed in moderate speed – Not too fast but not exceedingly slowly as well. Do not overfill the mouth with food as it is critical to chew well and moisten the food with saliva to aid digestion.

Rule 9: While eating one should neither talk nor laugh, and must concentrate on the food – Try to notice and taste all the flavors and to fully enjoy your meal.

Rule 10: While eating the mind should be calm – Thanks for the food and try to feel your heart filling with warmth and goodness that will create the right environment for the body to benefit the most from the food.

I hope this article has been informative to you and I would like to thank you for reading.

www.ayurvedaforlife.info
1/11/2011