Ayurvedic Eating Tips

Sometimes, it’s not what you eat, but how you eat. Sometimes, it’s what you eat. Here are some tips for eating well:

Quality: Eat local, seasonal fresh foods. Your current local area knows best what you need for the environment you live in. Trust Mother Nature.

Quantity: Put the sides of your hands together and make a bowl. This is your personalized portion size for a meal. Lunch should be your biggest meal of the day, because your digestion is at its optimum and it’s also the time of day we are most in need of energy. Dinner should be your smallest and most easy to digest meal.
It Depends: Eat when you are hungry or, if you can’t trust your hunger sensor, eat on a schedule that includes three meals a day at regular times. A body that knows what to expect when functions more optimally.

Avoid snacking and, if you must snack (for whatever the reason), don’t eat processed foods and junk. Eat foods that will actually nourish your body, mind, and Prana.
Avoid cold foods and drink, especially ice in your drinks. Cold smothers your ability to optimally digest food. No, it will not help you lose weight, it may actually encourage you to hold weight.
Chew your food well and eat slowly and mindfully. Eliminate distractions, multi-tasking, and stress when you eat. Which leads to…

Eat in a calm and comforting environment. Ideally: don’t eat when you are stressed and emotional.
Eat with gratitude. Give thanks before your meal. Pay attention to the gift that each meal is as you eat it by enjoying each bite. Give thanks afterwards. There’s so much to be thankful for.
Take a short (5-10 minutes) walk after each meal to settle the mind and digest well.
Stop eating at least three hours before bed.
Be sure you’re in bed, ideally asleep, between the hours of 11pm and 4am.

If you’ve got a few of these down, great, you’ve got a head start!! If you’ve got none of these down, great, you’ve got lots of options to choose from.

Practice: choose two to three items off the list above to begin putting in to practice. Satya, Truth, choose ones you know you will be able to stick to and ones that will have the most impact on you and your life. Perhaps choose one that’s easy and one that is a little bit challenging. Don’t choose one that you already know you’ll never be able to keep. Satya, be honest. Next step: Tapas, self discipline, commit to your chosen practice(s) and just keep recommitting, each day, each slip, eat meal, each moment. You got this!