Week 8: The Ayurvedic Diet Flashcards
What is Ayurveda?
Traditional Indian Medicine
What is ayureveda derived from?
ancient indian system of healing derived from the Sanskrit words Ayus (life) and Veda (knowledge)
What does Ayurveda emphasize?
healthy lifestyle system that emphasizes good health and prevention and treatment of illness through lifestyle practices (such as massage, meditation, yoga, and dietary changes) and the use of herbal remedies
What type of medicine is Ayurveda?
it is a holistic medicine which considers the whole person - body, mind, spirit and emotions - in the quest for optimal health and wellness
What Ayurvedic dietary guidelines include?
- choosing appropriate foods
- combinations of foods
- cooking methods
What is diet used for?
balancing the doshas
What are the three doshas?
Vatta, pitta, kapha
what makes up the three doshas?
the five elements of nature which include earth, water, fire, air and space (ether)
What are the three doshas related to?
relate to many things such as a persons physical body and personality
How does someone apply Ayurvedic diet?
eat foods to balance the doshas and given guidelines based on predominant dosha
- doshas help ayurvedic nutritionists to know which foods are right for a person and which foods need to be avoided so that the doshas are balanced.
What kind of foods is the Ayurvedic diet based on?
whole foods
- For all doshas it encourages eating fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes
How does Ayurvedic diet ensure a proper state of mind?
belief that human has three states of mins which interact with the doshas and decides the psychosomatic constitution of the individual and certain foods follow under these three states of mind
what are the three states of mind?
- Sattva
- Raja
- Tama
Sattva state of mind
pure state of mind
Raja state of mind
agitated, passionate, emotional
Tama state of mind
intertia, ignorant
What type of state of mind foods are encouraged?
sattvic foods the purest of the foods
What do sattvic foods promote?
though to be pure and balanced offering feelings of calmness, happiness and mental clarity
What do Sattvic foods include?
dairy, vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, seeds and nuts
What type of state of mind foods are discouraged?
avoid rajasic and tamasic foods, which include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, fermented foods, mushrooms, stale food and alcohol
What needs to be balanced in Ayurveda foods?
balance the taste and energies of food
- tastes should be balanced
- hot and cold energetic properties of food should be balanced
How do Ayurvedic tastes differ from scientific method?
Ayurveda
- sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent, pungent
scietific method
- sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami
What are challenges to following Ayurvedic diet?
- can be confusing and difficult to follow
- diet can be restrictive
- may require significant dietary modifications
- pregnant women at risk
- Determining predominant dosha can be subjective
- Determining which foods to eat for your dosha can be subjective
- No scientific evidence
How is confusing the follow ayurvedic diet?
specific food lists for each dosha but also many additional rules to follow such as digestibility of foods, spiritual food categories
How is confusing the follow ayurvedic diet?
specific food lists for each dosha but also many additional rules to follow such as digestibility of foods, spiritual food categories
What ayurvedic diet book was released for pregnant women?
india government booklet “Mother and Child Care” published in 2013
Who published “Mother and Child care?
the booklet was released by the government funded Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy, a part of the governments ministry that promotes traditional and alternative medicines
What does “Mother and Child Care” say about diet for pregnant women?
to avoid eggs, and non-vegetarian food and thoughts of desire, anger, attachment, hatred and lust - should follow a sattvic diet
garam masala
ground spice blend in Indian cuisine
What is the problem with the reccomendations for pregnant women in “Mother and Child Care”
A lot of poverty in India and a lot of the pregnant women would not have the ability to get the proper medical attention if needed.
- Sattvic diet could lead to protein deficiency and anemia, especially low income families.
- Book is based on Hinduism dogma and goes against recommendations.
- Medical doctors have advised otherwise the quality protein is important to get iron especially get women to have better delivery and healthy baby.
What is included in ayurvedic remedies?
medicinal and herbal preparations
Who is interested in Ayurveda medicine in Canada?
What are some concerns over Ayurvedic NHPs?
Who is particularly at risk for metal toxins?
children, pregnant women and breast feeding women
What are some common heavy metals in some ayurvedic medicines?
- lead
- arsenic
- mercury
What does Health Canada do in regards to NHPs such as ayurvedic medicines?
Has a Natural and non-prescription Health Product directorate
What does the NHPs directorate do?
- monitors NHPs sold in Canada
- maintains a database of the licensed NHPs in Canada
- Collects info about adverse effects
- issues public warnings about problems
- recalls unsafe products
What must NPHs have to be sold in Canada?
What do Health Canada’s rules not cover?
- Do not cover NHP’s bought in other countries or from internet pharmacies
- does not regulate whole plants or herbs or products made by a practioner
Ayurveda training in India
practitioners receive state recognized training in recognized programs or institutions
- may practice in North America
Ayurveda training in Canada
no national standards for certification, training or licensing of ayurvedic practitioners in the US or Canada. Practitioners are not regulated anywhere in Canada
- Usually self taught
How to apply ayurvedic nutrition as a dietetic
- respect culture
- understand through client perspective
- Identify commonalities to leverage