Concept of Diet in Ayurved

Diet, by definition, is the sum of the food consumed by organisms. All organisms including humans eat to survive. For a healthy life however, it is important to consume the right kind of foods. Ayurved believes that the health of a person is defined by a healthy digestive system. And the health of the digestive system depends on healthy eating habits.

To understand the concept of diet in Ayurved, it is important to :

a) know the nature of the food we consume, which, as per Ayurved, is determined primarily by 8 factors (अष्ट आहारविधि विशेष आयतन).

b) Next, it is important to follow certain habits while eating to ensure good health.

c) We must also incorporate all the six Rasas or Tastes for a complete diet.

And finally,

d) one must preferably consume food in alignment with their Prakriti (or as per the dominant Dosha).

In the following articles, we explore each of these aspects deeply: