Relationship between food habits and mental health

In Ayurveda there is also a strong relationship between food and health as said “We are what we eat.  

“Food is one of the most potent medicines known to mankind and the foundation of any Ayurvedic regime.  

The type of food a person eats depends upon his three gunas or three mental qualities- Sattva, Rajas &Tamas. 

Sattva: is the essence of life to peace & spirituality. 

Rajas: stands for activity and motion. A rajasic person has diversion to greed and material luxuries. 

Tamasic: shows dullness & lethargy. 

Sattva-is a state of purity of mind and peace which heals the body & increase the body’s immunity. 

 Simple foods are fresh juicy fruits and vegetables. Food like grains (rice, whole meal flour), raw unsalted nuts and seeds, organic dairy products which are from grass fed cows and without hormones, organic legumes like moong dhal. Consuming a wholesome diet with seasonal fresh vegetables and vegetables is the key to sattvic food. 

Food, which is unrefined, not over cooked, or greasy and with fresh herbs and spices which are eaten according to one’s subtle energy. 

Rajasic food are bitter, sour, salty, pungent, and hot. They increase the speed and excitement of the human being.  

These foods are vegetables, cereals, lentils and grains like wheat, rice and corn which are cooked and fried with oil. Sometimes this type of meal could be heavy to digest and cause different gut issues like bloating, distension and IBS. 

It is the foundation of motion, activity, and pain. 

Tamasic foods are dry, old, decaying, distasteful and unpalatable. They consume a large amount of energy while being digested in the body. Tamasic food is the foundation of ignorance, doubt, pessimism, dullness, and lethargy. Foods that have been strongly processed, canned, frozen and are stale or incompatible with each other like meat, fish eggs and liquor or alcohol. 

These foods make the body prone to inflammation and growths like cyst, tumors etc. 

The proper balance of a person is to attain Sattva which can be achieved by following Ayurveda diet and lifestyle with proper ayurvedic treatments. 

Next Topic; Ayurvedic Tridoshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) 

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