AYURVEDIC NUTRITION LIVING AYURVEDA CLASS #2 With Maria Garre
Stages of Ayurvedic Digestion • Stage One: Water/Earth – Kapha: Tas5ng, mas5ca5ng food •Stage Two: Earth + Fire - PiBa: stomach acids, enzymes •Stage Three: Water/Fire – PiBa/Kapha: emulsifica5on, alkaline process. •Stage Four: Air/Fire: increased heat and circula5on, enzymes. •Stage Five: Air/Space - Vata: absorp5on of food through villi, lightness in stomach •Stage Six: Earth/Air: further absorp5on, stool in ascending colon, peristalsis
Ayurvedic Digestive Time Clock First Cycle •Kapha: 6 am-10 am •PiBa: 10 am-2 pm •Vata: 2 pm-6 pm
Second cycle •Kapha: 6 pm-10 pm •PiBa: 10 pm-2 am •Vata: 2 am-6 am
Ayurveda classiďŹ es foods according to the energe5c eect it will have on the body, mind and spirit. We look at food beyond the simple categories of carbs, proteins and fats. Ayurveda is interested on the overall eect a par5cular food will have on diges5on, assimila5on and absorp5on as this will impact how the body can u5lize it for proper nourishment on all levels.
Gunas and Food Gunas / Quali5es help us understand food from a very basic standpoint. Through the gunas we can understand how to make simple food choices based on agni and how we feel.
Heavy
Decreases agni. Foods like meat, fried foods, sweets, cheese, peanuts, eggs.
Light
Increases agni. Popcorn, rice, sprouts, grapes, poha, quinoa
Slow
Decreases agni. Usually are oily in nature also. Avocado, yogurt, potato, meat, mushrooms.
Sharp
Increase agni. Spicy in nature like pickled ginger, wasabi, chili pepper.
Cold
Decrease agni. Cucumber, yogurt, milk, cilantro, mint
Hot
Increases agni. Turmeric, alcohol, hing, ginger, mustard.
Oily
Decreases agni. All faGy substances like buGer, oils, eggs, salmon, coconut.
Dry
Increase agni. Saron, mung beans, corn, kale, spinach.
Smooth
Decrease agni. Avocado, ďŹ sh, banana.
Rough
Increases agni. Dried dates, raw vegetables.
Dense
Decreases agni. Cheese, banana, meat, sour cream.
Liquid
Decreases agni. All uid substances like water, juice, milk, watermelon.
SoM
Decreases agni. Many fruits like banana, grapes, kiwi, ghee, strawberries.
Hard
Increases agni. Most nuts can fall under this category like almonds, sesame seeds, coconuts.
Stable
Decreases agni. These substances build the body and are high in protein. like animal meats, beans, dry grains and dairy.
Mobile
Increases agni. Substances have a laxaPve property like citrus fruits. Sprouts, alcohol.
Gross
Decrease agni. These are similar to all stable and heavy substances.
Subtle
Increase agni. The can spread easily into the subtle Pssues like alchohol and drugs.
SPcky
Decrease agni. Things like honey, molasses and syrup.
Clear
Increase agni. Fresh juice, clear broths.
Six Tastes within Ayurveda RASA Ra means to relish, praise or taste; sa means juice, sap or secre5on. Therefore, rasa is the taste associated with secre5ons in the mouth. The moment a substance touches the tongue, the ďŹ rst experience is taste or rasa. Any substance creates saliva5on and thereby taste. In Ayurvedic philosophy the Moon is the mother of water and the Sun the father. Water in the atmosphere is considered cool, clear and without taste. Water molecules interact with the forces of nature (thunder, lightening, the Sun, gases) and combine with the ďŹ ve elements. The six tastes are formed by these permuta5ons. The water molecules containing the six tastes fall to the ground and enter the plants and animal life. It is said that the nectar of the moon creates various tastes in each plant and water is the mother of all tastes. Taste is perceived by the tongue which is the sense organ related to water according to Sankhya philosophy. And hence a dry tongue cannot taste.
Six Tastes within Ayurveda RASA Each taste produces a specific effect in the body. As the tastes are related to the elements and have energe5c quali5es, we can u5lize taste to bring balance and harmony to the body. This is the healing, nurturing quality of food and spices. Every substance is made up the combina5on of the five elements and so the elements are present in all 6 tastes. Fire, Air and Ether elements are light and move upward and move doshic energies to the upper parts of the body. Earth and water elements are heavy and move downward, so these tastes affect the lower part of the body.
Elemental Rasa TASTE
ELEMENT
Sweet
Earth and water
Sour
Earth and fire
Salty
Water and fire
Pungent
Air and fire
BiBer
Air and space
Astringent
Air and earth
Pharmacological and Psychological Actions of the Six Tastes Sweet – earth and water. Cooling, heavy, unctuous. Increases kapha but decreases piBa and vata. Building eect on the 5ssues. Grains, beets, yams. Sweet foods can especially aggravate kapha and cause cold, cough, conges5on, heaviness, loss of appe5te, laziness and obesity. Sugar, milk, dates, yams, maple syrup, licorice, rice, wheat.
Pharmacological and Psychological Actions of the Six Tastes Sour – earth and ďŹ re. Hea5ng, heavy, unctuous. Increases kapha and piBa, decreases vata. Improves appe5te, detoxifying. S5mulates appe5te, improves diges5on, energize the body, nourish the heart, cause saliva5on. Citrus fruits, limes, plums, sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, cheese, lemon, unripe mango, green grapes, fermented food.
Pharmacological and Psychological Actions of the Six Tastes Salty – water and ďŹ re. Heavy, hea5ng, and unctuous. Increases kapha and piBa decreases vata. So`ens and loosens 5ssues. S5mulates saliva5on, laxa5ve, lessens spasms and pain in the colon, maintains electrolyte balance. Seal salt, rock salt, kelp.
Pharmacological and Psychological Actions of the Six Tastes Pungent – ďŹ re and air. Hea5ng, light, dry. Increases vata and piBa, decreases kapha. Improves appe5te and lowers all kapha symptoms. Clears sinuses, improves diges5on, aids in circula5on, breaks up clots, helps with elimina5on, kills parasites and germs. Cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion, relish, radish, garlic, mustard, ginger and asafe=da
Pharmacological and Psychological Actions of the Six Tastes BiGer – air and space. Cooling, light, and dry. Increases vata and decreases kapha and piBa. An5-pyrogenic, restrains skin diseases and fevers. Promotes flavor of other tastes, an5-toxic and kills germs, relieve burning sensa5ons, itching, fain5ng and other skin disorders, relieve intes5nal gas, works on diges5on. Bi?er melon, turmeric root, dandelion root, aloe vera, yellow dock, fenugreek, sandalwood, rhubarb, coffee, spinach, endive, chicory, chard, kale, romaine le?uce and tonic water.
Pharmacological and Psychological Actions of the Six Tastes Astringent – air and earth. Cooling, light and dry. Increases vata aand paciďŹ es kapha and piBa. Healing and constric5ng. Absorbs water and causes dryness in mouth, aids in healing ulcers, and stops bleeding by promo5ng blood clobng. Unripe banana, pomegranate, chickpeas, green beans, yellow split peas, okra, goldenseal, turmeric, beans, lotus seed, alfalfa sprouts, mango seed, arjuna, len=ls, cabbage, pears, and alum.
Rasa, Tongue & Organs According to Ayurveda dierent areas of the tongue are connected to the organs and taste. Ayurveda contends that there are specialized taste buds on the tongue and the moment we put food on the mouth we experience taste due to bodhaka agni. The taste buds in turn become ac5ve and send a message to the related organ. For example, sweet taste is related to the thyroid gland a apical area of the lungs and thus over-indulgence in the sweet taste can lead to thyroid condi5ons or excess conges5on in the lungs.
Tongue + Organs sweet
lungs and thyroid
sour
lungs
salty
kidneys
pungent
stomach, heart
biBer
pancreas, liver, spleen
astringent
colon
TASTE
TONGUE
Sweet Madhura Earth and Water
Sour Amla Earth and Fire
Salty Lavana Fire and Water
Lungs+thyroid
Lungs
Kidneys
FUNCTION Cooling effect, nourishing to 5ssues, anabolic, increase blood sugar, 5ssue repair, energy, vigor, sleep and vitality, decrease Increases appe5te and diges5on, increases diges5ve enzymes, kindles agni, promotes Kledaka Kapha Appe5zer, diges5ve, an5flatulent, an5spadmodic, gives energy, helps acid-base balance, buffering ac5on
EMOTIONS
Love, compassion, greed, aBachment
Agita5on, rejec5on, cri5cism, discrimina5on b/w right & wrong, alertness Increase spirit, faith, confidence, courage, interest, enthusiasm, induce swea5ng,
ORGAN OF DIGESTION
EXCESS
Kapha Stomach Kledaka Kapha and Pachaka PiBa
Increase worms, fat, bacteria, nephri5c syndrome, increases blood thickness
Lower Stomach Kledaka Kapha protects here HCL secre5on, lighter stomach
Makes body pH acidic, produces inflamma5on, acne, rash, teeth sensi5vity
Duodenoum Bile and Kloma Agni, H2O electrolyte balance Pachaka PIBa
Edema, blood pressure, thickness of blood vessels, hair loss and graying, bad for kidney diseases, lack
TASTE
Pungent Katu Fire and Air
Bi?er Tikta Air and Ether
Astringent Kashaya Earth and Air
TONGUE
FUNCTION
EMOTIONS
ORGAN OF DIGESTION
EXCESS
Stomach+ Heart
An5spadmodic circulatory s5mulant, diges5ve, blood thinner, an5bacterial, removes fat
Enthusiasm, vitality, vigor, irrita5on, judgement, aggressiveness, anger, hate
Jejunum Oily quality of bile Samana Vayu from liver and pancreas
Carcinogenic, irritant , bleeding, diarrhea
Pancreas+ liver+spleen
Laxa5ve, an5inflammatory, helps liver, an5pyre5c, helps pancreas and spleen
Aversion, cynical, detachment, loneliness, depression
Colon
Binds stools, improves absorp5on, an5inflammatory, decongestant
Grounding, suppor5ve, depression, brings togetherness, not sharing, separa5on
Ileum absorp5on
Cecum – Colon absorp5on
Nausea, increase osteoporosis, loss of bone marrow, lowers sex drive Clobng, cons5pa5on, spasmodic