Classical Ayurveda, Part 2

Perfect Balance: Ayurvedic Nutrition for Mind, Body and Soul
by Atreya

(Page 2 of 2)

In Ayurveda there are three main categories or types that help determine the proper diet for an individual. To simplify matters, I call these individual profiles A, B, and C. (In Sanskrit the types are called, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, respectively.) Your unique profile is the most fundamental aspect of Ayurveda. The three main types of people can be further divided into seven main categories or mixes. The percentage of pure types and mixed types is roughly the same in America as it is in the rest of the industrialized world. Most people are a combination of the three types, but a thorough knowledge of the three main categories is essential to understanding the blended types.

Now let's go back and take a look at why Jenny, from our introduction, had success in looking and feeling good in such a short time. There are two reasons-most important, she was motivated to change her health through natural means. This allowed her to follow the suggestions I gave her. Second, she actually did what I suggested. Ayurveda is a system that requires your participation. If you don't feel equipped to take control of your life and make some changes, then Ayurveda will be frustrating for you. Usually this program appeals to people precisely because it empowers them as people.

For Jenny this meant making several small changes to her diet and daily routine to account for the increased stress at her job. She also took several herbs religiously. The combination of all these factors-mental and physical-is what gave her success. Any one of the suggestions that I made alone would not have done the trick, because Ayurveda focuses on all aspects of your life. The result is a completely integrated vision of health and living.

What kind of diet did Jenny follow? Well, Jenny has a classic B profile. Chapter Three will help you determine your own type of metabolism according to the Ayurvedic system. For Jenny this meant she needed to avoid certain kinds of food that would aggravate her metabolism and, with time, her psychology as well. The dietary suggestions that I had previously given her included fresh whole foods and the basic B diet (a diet that generally keeps type B people in equilibrium), which she had been following for about a year. While Jenny is a lifetime B, her recent professional demands were causing her to suffer from a present disturbance of the A principle-which was causing her problems now.

Because of this, I suggested Jenny begin by eliminating foods and properties that disturb the A principle: cold (iced foods and drinks), dry (crackers, dry cereals and cookies), and raw foods (raw vegetables,-salads with oil-based dressings were OK for her). I did this because her present condition was the result of high pressure on the job. Once she had recovered her normal equilibrium, she could return to her lifetime or constitutional nutritional plan.

For her lifestyle I stressed regularity in eating and sleeping times. I also suggested that she devote some time for herself. Jenny had the tendency to try to help everyone else while her own needs were often neglected. I indicated that spending time alone and devoting a few minutes each day doing something she liked would help ease the tension she was accumulating. She was already doing regular exercise, so I encouraged her to use this as a method of releasing stress as well. And I suggested that she try to adopt a more relaxed mental attitude about her career. Luckily Jenny has a good sense of humor and was able to do this to a large extent.

In her specific case, the retention of stress had caused certain hormonal disturbances responsible for digestion and other key metabolic processes in her body. For this, I suggested an herbal formula that I structured for her. I did this to stop the root cause of a metabolic problem. She then took this formula to her pharmacist (who is also a herbalist) and he prepared the formula for her. (Herbs and spices are discussed in Chapter Four.)

In Jenny's case her problems came from her environment (workplace) and so reflected themselves in a psychosomatic manner. Psychosomatic problems are largely related to the A principle and can affect anyone who is under prolonged high pressure or tension. Treating Jenny was more a question of finding out what was disturbing her and getting her to change her professional life and attitudes about her situation whenever possible. Then we could use herbs, diet, and lifestyle to help bring her mind-body back into its normal, balanced state. Please note that I prescribe different combinations of herbs for each person based on his or her unique individual problems. Hence, "herbal supplements" in Ayurveda usually do not mean a premade product that you can buy, although now some good general products are beginning to appear in the stores (see Appendix 2).

Jenny's example shows a typical Ayurvedic approach to individual nutrition and health that is complementary. The dietary advice for her problem was general yet very specific compared to the advice that would have come from a conventional nutritionist. The lifestyle advice was extremely important in supporting the other treatments. Additionally, the use of herbs to balance an obvious malfunction of her digestive metabolism (i.e., gas, bloating, etc.) was a very individual approach.

We are beginning to understand that one size does not fit all when it comes to our nutrition-and Ayurveda is the best system because it provides a framework for specific diets geared to the individual. It is not a mechanical, fragmented, biochemical approach to nutrition. I will not attempt to modernize the traditional Ayurvedic system by using modern medical terms to explain it or by trying to back it up with modern studies-simply because it is impossible. The approach is completely different, and it would be a disservice to Ayurveda to try to do so.

The best reason to try this system is because it works-Ayurveda has been used successfully for such a long period of time that it deserves your attention. There are many other reasons as well, but this is the most convincing and the easiest to prove to yourself. However, in order to live and eat according to Ayurveda you need to know what your individual type is according to the system. The next two chapters will help you to discover and understand your personal metabolism and profile according to Ayurveda. So let's see whether you are an A, B, or C!

Copyright © 2001, Avery Books, a division of Penguin Putnam, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Atreya is the founder and director of the European Institute of Vedic Studies. An internationally recognized teacher of Ayurvedic medicine, he is a practicing herbalist and the author of four books on Ayurveda, including Ayurvedic Healing for Women and Secrets of Ayurvedic Massage. He lives in the south of France.