If you have studied Ayurveda at all, you may have found yourself thinking “how am I going to be able to do all of this?” This is a common thought for many people who are just trying to find more time in the day to be healthier. The beautiful thing about Ayurveda is its ability to fit into anyone’s life, no matter what that looks like. It acknowledges that everyone is different therefore lifestyles are going to be different!
Rumor: It is Expensive and Time-Consuming
Although you do have to find a small amount of extra time in your day to prepare fresher meals, there are many cost and time effective staples you can always have on hand. Lentils and rice are extremely affordable and something you can make in large quantities. This way, you are cooking once, and eating twice. Preparing meals in a slow cooker, chopping up veggies to have ready to throw into a grain bowl all takes five minutes or less! Having the right spices on hand is important too, that way all you need to do is throw in the right spices for your constitution and you have a meal ready in just a few minutes. Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamon, fennel seed, clove, black pepper, and fresh ginger are some examples of spices you should always have on hand. Ayurveda also encourages you to eat locally and seasonally. Shopping at farmers markets or local grocery stores can sometimes be priced above average. The important thing to remember is that you are getting better quality food when you shop this way. Better quality food results in better digestion and in turn, a better you. Everything you are eating is being turned into cells within your body. Supplying it with proper nutrients is critical and will help keep you from getting sick and maintaining optimal wholeness. It is a small price to pay to avoid paying for doctors fees later in life.
Rumor: You Have to be Vegetarian
This is another common misconception. Although an ayurvedic diet does focus mainly on fresh fruits and vegetables, it does not mean you can't eat meat. Meat is difficult for some digestive systems to process. This is due to the fact that we lack the proper acid in our stomachs to be able to break it down. Proper food combining can aid in this, such as not combining meat with fruits, dairy, or starches as this decreases agni, or digestive fire. However, eating meat with rosemary and vegetables can increase agni. Knowing how meat affects your body is important and this is where you can make the intuitive decision to eat it or not. Animal protein can be a seasonal ingredient as well. Winter months may require you to eat more meat to get more fat into your diet. However, in the summer months you might find that occasional fish with suffice. This is intuitive eating at its finest. Listening to your body and what it needs is important in this area of food. You never have to restrict yourself when following an Ayurvedic diet because that does not heal you. Food is medicine and provides preventative qualities that will benefit you now and later in life.
Rumor: It is Only Indian Food
It is entirely possible to follow an Ayurvedic diet without eating traditional indian food! Ayurveda is a structure that helps you in knowing how to eat and how to listen to your body. It provides principles and guidelines on making the best choices for you and what you need in your nutrition, both on and off the plate. Most Ayurvedic recipes contain ingredients found only in the region of India. But like Ayurveda teaches, eating locally and seasonally, proper food combining, and eating for your dosha can be done through whatever kind of cooking you are doing. There are extremely high benefits when combining certain herbs and spices which make traditional ayurvedic Indian food so good for you. Ayurveda teaches you how to make any food healthier for your lifestyle.
You may already be practicing Ayurveda
You are probably already using herbs and spices in your diets that follow an Ayurvedic diet. Turmeric is in everyones cupboards. Turmeric and black pepper when combined increase each other's bioavailability by 2,000%! You can add turmeric and black pepper to anything; oats, salad dressing, eggs, soups, etc. Drinking herbal teas, adding oil to your food, and natural herbal remedies are all principles of Ayurveda. Some other Ayurvedic practices you might already be doing are oiling your body after a shower, dry brushing, and tongue scraping. Focusing on regionally and seasonal foods is a principle of Ayurveda that many people do everyday!
The main goal in Ayurveda is to teach you how to understand your body as a whole. Not its individual parts, not just your mind, and not just your gut. But your mind, your body and everything else that makes up who you are as whole. The only extra effort that it takes to intuitively eat is having patience for yourself. You deserve to take more time for yourself, especially when it comes to your wholeness! If you would like help in finding a better lifestyle or want to know more about Ayurvedic eating, we are here Monday through Friday to help in any way that you need! We also have a free Find Your Dosha quiz on our website as well, you can find it here. Find Your Dosha Quiz
References:
Idiot’s Guide to Ayurveda, Sahara Rose Ketabi
5.26.2021