In Ayurveda, a basic understanding of the interrelationship between human beings and the environment preface every observation. The body includes the mind and the spirit. Ideally human beings and nature should be in perfect harmony.  Disease in the body is the result of getting things out of balance. 

Imbalances between mind and spirit can be affected by what we eat.

Anna (food) not only means a food that is eaten, but also a food that inspires us.  This is something to think about … inspiring food.

The science of nutrition has developed very rapidly over the past few years.  People in this branch of science are working diligently to give people lists of food they can consume that take into account, their age, sex, health, status, country of origin, food habits and calories.  In a diseased person, whether physical or mental, they tell us what and how much of something we should eat.

Yet Ayurveda has more to offer, right from worshipping the food to the principle of relating the ‘life force’ (prana) of living beings to the attitude towards eating. It has been emphasized that one should worship food and food should be considered as the very ambrosia of the Gods and then eaten. Food is the life force of all living beings.  It nourishes the body, mind and spirit. Food or diet is never considered in isolation. It is always linked to the person who consumes it.  Like every physical matter in the universe food is also composed of the five basic and elemental principles and there may be a predominance of one of the five basic and elemental principles in a particular food.  After assimilation, food manifests its five respective qualities in the body and becomes homologous with the basic tissues of the body.  Thus wholesome food gives us strength and vitality, and sees that the three somatic doshas are in a state of balance.  It is by virtue of this that food has a close relation to health.

Attitude towards eating

Purity of food ensures purity in mind.  Purity of mind ensures steady recollection.  When recollection is secured there will be liberation of all our problems, both physical and mental.

Food as a whole serves three main functions.

• It regulates the body functions and processes and thereby protects the body from disease.
• It provides the body fuel and energy.
• It provides the material needed for growth.  The body continues to change throughout life and constantly wearing tissues need to be recharged and repaired which is what food does.

Ayurveda is eternal and never remains static. Ayurveda adapts to the needs of time. It is the knowledge of, which is important, and not the language or the form in which it is applied. Ayurveda is an intricate system of healing that originated in India over 4000 years ago; it is the science of life.

We are all a part and parcel of nature. Just as the animals and plants live in harmony with nature and utilize the laws of nature to create health and balance for their beings, we, too, adhere to these very same principles. Therefore it is fair to say that Ayurveda is a system that helps maintain a person’s health. It uses the inherent principles of nature to bring the individual back into an equilibrium with their true self. Ayurveda is not a historical relic, which had its relevance in the past. It is important for us now and in the future.

Health does not run any course; rather it is a condition that depends, not only on the resistance and adaptability of the body, but on ones entire personality. We cannot achieve well being of the body and of the mind by eliminating different types of infections, nor can the doctor write a prescription for holistic health. This can only be done by making the best of life’s ups and downs, by adopting a sensible regimen, by relaxing when under stress, by cultivating harmonious human relationships and by finding a meaningful life. Therefore, the onus of getting well and staying well is on the patient, the person himself, each individual. Health is not something that can be purchased. These external healing factors can do no more than help or hinder us. The true healer lies within us and with a higher power. This realization has always been inherent in Ayurveda, from the description of etiopathogenesis to the management of our disease. Our mode of life and our attitudes are the most crucial factors in the occurrence of a disease, as well as the choices we make that determine our way of life. According to Ayurveda, there is no specific drug or any specific treatment that can be used in every patient that has the same disease. We will survive only if we make fundamental changes in our life style and in the way we think. Qualitative values must overweigh quantitative measurements. The universe or the man is more than the sum of its parts. The qualitative values are exceedingly important in Ayurveda, which means that becoming involved with this system of medicine or way of life that will probably require a paradigm shift so we change the way we think. This is necessary step and very important first step for us to take today

Ayurveda advocates simple, natural, preventive and therapeutic measures for keeping and restoring us to good health. In an ideal setting, each person would lead a life that accelerates his or her personal development, ensures pleasant social relationships and makes all of those choices that would ensure a healthy disease-free life