Diet and Lifestyle

“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use.
When diet is correct, medicine if of no need.”
–Ayurvedic Proverb

Diet and Lifestyle are the foundation of good health.  When imbalance starts to accumulate, it is easy to ignore it (or to be persuaded to ignore it).  When we do that, imbalance becomes aggravation and spreads (swelling, inflammation, stuck gunk/ama) and now we’re starting to feel physical symptoms.  Next distortion of tissues starts to happen and we have a problem.  Sure, people no longer think we are hypochondriacs, but it’s a lot harder to come back from distortion of tissue.

STARTING POINT:
Notice when imbalance starts to accumulate.
Have a solid routine of good diet and good lifestyle to fall back on.

It’s a lot easier to cultivate that good diet and good lifestyle (routines) when life is pretty stable.  It’s a lot harder to cultivate good habits when life is crazy.

Whether life is stable or crazy, begin now.  Start with one or two of the suggestions below and tweak to make concrete and measurable.  Suggestion: don’t try to do it all.  Start with the one, or two, that will make the most difference and that you will actually do.

TIPS TO BALANCE DIET AND LIFESTYLE:
–Eliminate the big baddies: processed food, fake foods, and the like. I usually tell people, if you have to defend it, it’s not a food.
–Add in lots of colors and varieties (Color is the New Cool) of whole foods.
–Cook your food so it’s easier to digest.
–Eat seasonally.
–Know your dosha and tweak your seasonal eating to where you know you are likely to go out of balance.
–Eat just three meals a day, lunch being your biggest meal.
–If you must snack between meals, try fruit and nuts.

–Your morning routine is the most important of the day.
–Your morning routine starts at bedtime.
–Set up a bedtime routine that helps to slow down your body and mind for bed, set yourself up for the morning, go to bed early (there are lots of excuses, but for good health, be in bed by 10pm).
–Wake up early.
–Don’t just brush your teeth: take time to care for all five of your senses.
–Stretch and relax.
–Don’t rush.