Ayurveda – a term that we in our Western culture mainly associate with the wellness sector or with healthy nutrition. However, Ayurveda means one thing above all: listen to your body and interpret its signals.
Ayurvedic doctors are masters at recognising your body's malfunction signals and thus diagnosing illnesses. Most of the time, these can be traced back to deficits or excesses in the body. The use of natural foods, herbs, massages and exercise is used to try to balance out this imbalance. According to Ayurveda, with a balanced lifestyle and conscious nutrition, you can prevent diseases from developing in the first place.
But you don't have to be an Ayurveda expert to improve your well-being in your everyday life with the help of Ayurveda. Find out what Ayurveda is all about and strengthen your immune system with our practical tips and tricks:
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda, the traditional natural healing system, originated in India more than 5,000 years ago. This alternative medicine includes massages, cleansing techniques, nutrition, yoga and herbal medicine. Since its inception, the knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation. Ayurveda is also becoming increasingly important in Western culture.
The word ‘Ayurveda’ can be translated as ‘knowledge of long life’. This already suggests what the traditional teaching is about: a long, healthy life. Ayurveda takes a holistic approach and combines body, mind and environment in its teachings.
Ayurveda is also known as an alternative medicine that uses natural remedies to heal disorders and diseases. However, the aim of this holistic health system is to prevent diseases from developing in the first place. This is to be achieved with a balanced lifestyle.
According to Ayurveda, a healthy life begins with nutrition. In contrast to other nutritional concepts, every person is considered an individual organism. So if you are looking for a diet with clear rules, you won't find it here. According to Ayurvedic teachings, not all foods are equally suitable for everyone.
The three doshas in Ayurveda – what type are you?
Ayurveda, like TCM, is based on five elements – space, air, fire, water and earth – which in turn are found in the three life energies (= doshas): vata, pitta and kapha. These are responsible for various processes in the human body. For example, vata regulates our nervous system, pitta digestion and kapha is responsible for flexibility and stability.
In addition, Ayurveda assigns a certain predisposition to each person. This means that usually one or two doshas are more pronounced. It is rare for all three to be present in equal strength. This is referred to as tridosha.
We have summarised the main characteristics of the doshas so that you can determine which type you most closely resemble:
Vata types – the flexible ones
Element: air and space
These types often have a slim build. They are considered to be particularly creative and lively, but their emotions can be very changeable. When they are out of balance, they tend towards stress, exhaustion, anxiety, bloating and constipation.
Pitta types – the fiery ones
Elements: fire and a little water
Pitta types have an average body shape. They are considered intelligent, hardworking and decisive. Their strong temperament means they can quickly become angry. When there is an imbalance, they tend towards digestive disorders, heart disease and high blood pressure.
Kapha types – the relaxed
Element: Earth and Water
Kapha types often have a stockier build. They are usually calm, grounded and loyal. With an excess of Kapha, these types tend to be overweight. Typical ailments associated with an excess of Kapha include asthma, depression and diabetes.
Not sure which dosha is most pronounced in you? Take the test to determine your constitution and learn more about your type.
Creating balance with contrasts
In addition to the distinction between doshas, Ayurvedic nutrition also categorises foods into six flavour types (rasas): sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. If all six rasas are included in your meals, it is considered a balanced diet.
Just like the doshas, the flavours are also assigned to the five elements. Accordingly, the doshas and rasas can be assigned to the elements as follows:
| Members | Doshas | Rasas |
| Earth | Kapha | sweet, sour |
| Water | Kapha, a little pitta | sweet, salty |
| Fire | Pitta | salty, spicy |
| Air | Vata | bitter, spicy, tart |
| Room | Vata | bitter |
In Ayurvedic teachings, the same increases, opposite balances. For example, if you eat a lot of spicy and salty foods (also fire) as a Pitta type (fire), you will increase your Pitta energy. On the other hand, you can balance out a Pitta surplus by consciously choosing sweet, bitter or astringent foods.
This means that Ayurvedic nutrition is very individual and can be perfectly tailored to you with the help of experts. In addition, disorders and the resulting diseases usually have their cause in an excess or deficit of the life energies. Accordingly, a balance can be created by using the right foods and spices.
With Ayurveda to a healthy life
If you want to treat illnesses with the help of Ayurvedic medicine, you need one thing above all: patience. We are used to seeing quick results from Western medicine. When we start taking a medication, we expect the symptoms to disappear a few days later.
Since Ayurvedic medicine tackles the cause of the problem and not just the symptoms, it may take some time for improvement to occur. Ayurveda knows that an illness does not develop overnight. The same applies to its healing.
However, you don't need expert knowledge to use Ayurveda to support your health and strengthen your defences. The following basic principles of Ayurvedic cuisine apply to all three doshas and are easy to integrate into your daily routine:
Ayurvedic nutrition for more well-being in your daily life – it's that easy!
Three main meals a day
Ayurvedic medicine recommends eating three meals a day and avoiding snacks in between. To ensure that new food does not come into contact with undigested food, you should leave about 3-4 hours between meals.
Eating with more mindfulness
Conscious eating brings more mindfulness into your life and teaches you to better interpret the signals of your body. This is a skill that is increasingly being lost in our western culture.
According to Ayurvedic nutrition, you should eat slowly and in moderation. This also means that when you eat, you eat and do nothing else at the same time. Instead, you should concentrate on the smell, taste and texture of your meal and consciously perceive it.
Furthermore, you should chew your food well to stimulate the production of saliva. Your saliva contains enzymes that are important for your digestion.
Support the digestive fire
Plan your main meal at midday, because that's when the digestive fire, or ‘Agni’, is at its strongest. It's also easier to digest raw vegetables and proteins such as pulses, poultry or fish at this time. By contrast, you should choose easily digestible foods in the morning and evening.
Foods that are difficult to digest include meat, fish, eggs and fatty foods. In the evening, however, you should eat yoghurt and raw vegetables such as salad.
Warm food aids digestion
To give your digestive fire a little extra support, eat warm food and avoid iced food and drinks. You should also avoid alcohol, meat, ready meals and acidic foods or only consume them in small quantities.
Warm porridge is ideal for breakfast. On the other hand, soups or rice with seasonal vegetables, for example, are considered to be easily digestible meals in the evening. Another rule of thumb is to steam vegetables rather than eat them raw.
With the delicious porridges from Verival, you can start your day in an Ayurvedic way by heating up your digestive fire at breakfast time.
Eat regionally and seasonally
Eating Ayurvedically does not mean cooking Asian food. Rather, you should use regional and seasonal foods from certified organic cultivation.
Accordingly, the focus of Ayurvedic nutrition is on whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes. Artificial sweeteners or heavily industrially processed foods, on the other hand, are avoided in Ayurveda.
Add some Ayurvedic spice to your life
Furthermore, herbs and spices play an important role in Ayurvedic medicine. On the one hand, they are said to have a healing effect, while on the other hand, they help our body to properly digest and absorb food. In traditional Indian medicine, it is said that every medicinal plant not only affects the body but also the mind.
The most important spices in Ayurveda are ginger, cardamom, coriander, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, saffron and cinnamon.
These ten king spices strengthen your immune system and are suitable for all doshas in moderation. They keep bacteria, fungi and viruses in check, which is why they are used in Ayurvedic medicine. So a diet based on Ayurveda should include as many of these spices as possible.
Finally, we would like to introduce you to two spices that go wonderfully with the porridge from Verival:
- Turmeric: A classic Ayurvedic spice. It is known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and is also used, for example, in the treatment of acne. A touch of turmeric in your breakfast porridge will give your skin that extra glow. Or start the day with our delicious turmeric latte recipe.
- Cinnamon: regulates blood sugar levels and keeps them constant. Add a little cinnamon to your Verival breakfast for an extra kick and to prevent hunger pangs in the morning.
