Top 5 Myths about Ayurveda & Diet

IT'S NOT ABOUT EATING INDIAN FOOD. :)

It's a practice of being in touch with what your body needs out of food that day. It's about knowing how to give yourself what you need with your food, your eating rhythm and habits.

Here are some other busted myths about Ayurveda and food that may stir up some excitement deep inside. 

YOU DON'T HAVE TO COOK. 

Of course, it's better to cook because there is likely less processed food, and you control the energy, and ingredients, going into your grub. However, healthy eating is a lifestyle, and you have to start where you are. When I  started this journey of being aware of my food,  just not buying any "lowfat" groceries was a big adjustment. Then, I started label reading for ingredients, and kept taking baby steps over years. Now, I'm happily choosing my food lifestyle which is elite. I get much of my groceries from local growers, cook most days, eat mostly organic, fast weekly, and don't utilize much canned or processed foods. It's okay to not start there. Every step counts. You can choose the energetics of your food in restaurants too.  If I'm cold, depleted and dry, I can order in some Pho soup, and it may not be organic, but at least I'm giving my body the qualities it's needing (warm, moist, nourishing, easy to digest). Not pushing myself to cook may also be a healing choice in that moment. You can still practice Ayurveda food lifestyle without being someone that cooks all the time. 

YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOVE INDIAN FOOD (OR SPICES).

My whole family may judge you, but Ayurveda doesn't require ANY particular food. You get to learn the energetics of food. Every food has it's particular qualities, and you learn to pay attention to how foods feel in your mouth, and in your tummy. No matter what you are eating, it has certain energetics. Once you get comfortable sensing the energetics of food - with some education of course - you can apply that to any cuisine. 

YOU DON"T HAVE TO GET FAT. 

My aunties, and their tummy rolls over their saris as they fried yummy things, helps me get why people would think this. After all, Ayurveda is all about ghee, and carbs aren't out of the scene. It's hard to go from the safety of salad, and low carb living into the jungle of "eating all foods at some time." What I've been pleasantly surprised to observe with clients is that they often lose weight without trying, with less food restriction.  Ayurveda looks at the whole picture, not just the food. When we address the depletion that signals our bodies to "hold on to what you can get;" when we really tune in more to our portions and feeling hungry and full; when we step out of cycles of depriving and binging; when we show up to really be present and enjoy our food - so much changes for the better. As we build our digestive capacity (with herbs and eating habits and rhythms), our metabolism increases and we have less build up in the digestive tract. All of this comes together to shift the foundation of your food relationship, and usually results in coming towards your body's natural weight. If you are looking to lose weight, Ayurveda can help. But what's really special, is feeling aligned and happy about, and while, eating.  

YOU DON'T HAVE TO MEMORIZE A FOOD CHART. 

Food charts (Yes, I have one - it's here) are very limited. They present the energetics of individual ingredients in their naturally occurring state. However, the energetics are altered when the foods are prepared. How you change the energetics of food depends on how you are preparing it, cooking it, spicing it, etc. Heck, even your mood and the music playing in the background is going into that creation. Say I look up the energetics of cabbage in a food chart. It will tell me that the energetics are cold, dry, airy, and thus increase Vata. However, the way my mama cooks up cabbage, it ends up an oily, brothy, melt-in-your-mouth, easy to digest stew. That's a completely different energetic coming in than raw cabbage. We want to focus on the qualities of the end product that is going in your mouth, not so much the individual ingredients. 

THERE IS NO "DIET FOR YOUR DOSHA."

While eating less of the qualities that you need less of makes sense, having a static approach to food does not. We are constantly shifting, and our approach to nutrition should shift with us. My food needs are different in the winter versus the summer, in the morning versus the evening, in times of intense output versus ease, during various activity levels, during different moon phases, or hormonal cycles...you get the idea. With Ayurveda, you learn how to tap into what your body is telling you in real time. This happens by learning about your patterns in appetite, digestive symptoms, bowel movements, and tongue observations. This may seem overwhelming, but it's easy enough that my kids have been able to do it since about 4 years old. So, I'm pretty sure everyone can do this with a bit of education and support. Once you learn to decode the mysteries of the gut, you'll know better what food would be a good fit, in that moment. Over time, this becomes more of an intuitive process, and less of an analytical one. Ayurveda is more about your "diet for today" than a set of rules like Paleo or Veganism. So, don't fall for that old type-yourself-eat-this-way Ayurveda myth. 

If what you're reading is resonating, I hope you'll be inspired to learn more about this conscious, self-loving lifestyle. Check out my15 day intro immersion by clicking this lovely link, and get a free copy of my book!.