Food As Medicine – Eating Properly For Immunity And Health
Food is necessary for every living being on earth. Whether it is animals, plants, or microorganisms, everyone needs food to survive. A well-balanced food consists of protein, fats, carbs, and other vital nutrients which provide energy to the body to support its functions.
What does Ayurveda say?
According to Ayurveda, if food is balanced with different fruits and vegetables, and taken according to the body type, then it will not only promote better health but also support the right development of your mind.
It says that our body digestive function works according to the cycle of the sun. Our digestive system is moderately active when the sunrise. At this time, we can have colorful fruits, juices, warm milk to start our day. In the afternoon, when the sun is at its peak, our digestive system is very active. It can digest almost everything. So we can have anything to eat at this time. As the sun sets, our digestion also weakens, so it is advised to eat only those things which are easy to digest like green vegetables, soups.
What does science say?
There is a quote- “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” It fits perfectly for human beings all over the world.
- Eating breakfast like a king- A king is always an old person of almost 40-50 years of age, his digestive system does not work well so, he eats in moderation but includes all those things which are in high nutrients. Our digestive system works in the same way. When we wake up it needs the energy to start functioning. We can start our day with a healthy breakfast that includes fruits, cereals, eggs, juices, which includes all the essential nutrients to keep us energetic.
- Eating lunch like a prince- The prince is the person who is very young and energetic. His digestion is very active. He can eat almost everything. In the same manner, our digestive system will work. Lunch is the time when our body can digest anything. We can eat whatever we want but it should be healthy too. We can add pulses, rice, curd, chapati, vegetables, eggs, non-veg, etc.
- Eating dinner like a pauper- At the end of the day, when our body gets tired, and we feel exhausted, our digestion also weakens. It will not digest heavy food. So having food like a pauper is most suitable. We can take soups, lentils, cracked wheat(daliya), green vegetables, salads, etc.
Food as medicine
If we maintain a proper diet according to the need of our body it will not only make us healthy and helps to control our weight, but also helps in our brain development an increases immunity in our body against various diseases. Eating three meals a day will keep our body active and provide energy.
- As soon as we wake up, drink a glass of warm water to activate the digestive enzymes in the tract.
- A light breakfast should be done to kick start the digestion process and to give necessary nutrients to the body to work the whole day. Warm cooked food followed by fruits and juices should be included in breakfast.
- Lunch should include two to three kinds of vegetables like paneer, green leafy veggies, some green veggies, lentils, curd, rice, chapati, salad. A variety of wholesome and crucial nutrients should be there on your plate.
- Mid-afternoon snacks can include nuts, sprouts, seeds, peanuts.
- Night dinner should be light. Include vegetables soup, lentils soup, salad, etc. Keep your portion small.
- Keep drinking plenty of water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated.
- Before sleeping drink a glass of warm turmeric milk.
As a doctor prescribe medicines for some disease and we take it on time for better results. In the same way, food should be taken at the same time as medicine to see better results. It will give you a healthy, energetic, beautiful, and disease-free life.