Source: The Aquarian Teacher Textbook Level One Instructor
Each time we eat food, we are creating future selves.
Ayurveda
Food is medicine, can purify, correct imbalances and heal.
Health is a state of balance between body, mind, and consciousness, as well as a state of inner balance between vata, pitta, and kapha
Three Types of Food
Sun foods – > 3 feet above the ground
Elevate the consciousness, and have a quickening, lightening effect on the body and nervous system
Examples: fruits, nuts, avocados, dates, coconuts
Ground foods – within 3 feet above the ground
More energy from the earth, less from the sun, high in nutrients and a great cleanser
Examples: beans, rice, breads, and green vegetables
Earth foods – below the ground
Healing properties, and great energy for worldly business or hard work.
Examples: root foods: potatoes, turnips, beets, gralic, ginger, onions
Qualities of Foods
According to Ayurveda, yogic theory of the gunas can be applied t the foods we eat.
Sattvic: pure essence, etheric quality. Most fruits and vegetables, especially sun foods and ground foods.
Rajastic: energy to accomplish, achieve or create. Stimulating herbs and spices, many earth food.
Tamasic: regressive property of inertia and decay; gluttony, indulgence and laziness. Meat, fish poultry, eggs, alcohol, intoxicating drugs
Tamasic is best Avoided.
Some thoughts:
Propose a sensible approach to eating a balance between raw and cooked foods
Eat food with primary colours: white, yellow, green, red, black
Try primary tastes: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent
Optimum is 75% alkaline to 25% acid.
– Alkaline: fruits, vegetables, beans, yogurt, lemons, buttermilk
– Acidic: meat, eggs, starches, sweets, butter products
To replenish with the mucus, the dairy product can stimulate. If you are allergic to cow products, try soy or goat substitutes. Everyone is unique. Find out what works for you.
Meat takes 3 days to pass through the human system. For optimum health, men need to digest food within 24 hours; women 18 hours.
Guidelines for preparing food
- Prepare your food with love and care
- Eat only in a pleasant, relaxing environment
- Serve the food gracefully
- Take a minute to reflect upon your gratitude fro the gift of the food
- Take the time to eat consciously
Guidelines for healthful digestion and elimination
- Eat to live, don’t live to eat
- Avoid snacking between meals
- Eat only when hungry
- Chew well, your stomach has no teeth
- Stop eating when you’re 75% full
- Rest after every meal
- Don’t eat after sunset
- Eat only what you can eliminate within 18-24 hours
- Once a week, give your digestive system a rest
- If you can’t digest it and eliminate it, don’t eat it
Foods to avoid: white sugar, salt, nicotine, white bread, alcohol, caffeine
