Quantity of Food

Ayurveda says a person should know how much he should eat. It further says that “Jatharagni(Digestive fire)” is not same all the time and one should eat as much as it gets digested. “Jathargni” varies with season and age. For instance digestive fire is low in elders and kids. Similarly digestive fire is strongest in “Hemant Ritu(Mid Nov-Mid Jan) but not in rainy season. Hence it’s not possible for a person to follow same food regime for entire year.

Rishi charak classified food in four types:

1.   “Bhakshay” or chewable

2.   “Choshya” or suckable

3.   “Lehya” or Lickable

4.   “Pey” or drinkable
    
    Typically one should have Chewable, Suckable or lickable food upto 50% of his hunger, another 25% should be drinkable and remaining 25% should be left for air.

He says morning meal should get digested till evening and vice versa (Ayurveda prescribes meals twice a day). Food items which are “Laghu(Light to digest)” like deer flesh when eaten enough will further increase digestive fire which is not good. Food items which are “Guru(Heavy to digest)” like fish, pudding made in milk, black lentils etc will diminish the digestive fire when eaten enough. Hence both “Laghu” and “Guru” items should not be eaten too much.

A person who works out regularly can digest anything, even the contradictory food items like milk and fish because exercising increases digestive fire.

Dried flesh, dried vegetables and leaves, pork, beef, fish, curd, black lentils should not be consumed continuously.

Old rice, winter harvested crops, “Moong(Yellow Lentils)” , Rock Salt, Goose Berry, Barley, rain water, milk, clarified butter, flesh of wild deer, honey etc can be consumed daily.

Note: “Vata”, “Pitta” and “Kapha” are three doshas of body mentioned in ayurveda which in balanced state keeps the person healthy.

“Vata” is gas or air in your body. If aggravated, it causes joints pain and gas trouble.

“Pitta” is acid and heat in the body. If aggravated, it  causes burning sensation, thirst, over hunger etc.

“Kapha” is cough or lubrication which lubricates the body.

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