Ayurveda the most ancient Indian medical system has golden tips for solving your energy crisis. Ayurveda advocates a diet that is generous in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The ancient ayurvedic texts tell us that these foods are rich in life giving energy, healing powers, fighting body fatigue and have the power of detoxifying the body.
Grains have power:
The ancient seers used a term called as ‘Ojas’, an energy, which is the result of good digestion and creates a sense of lightness in the body, gives a person the inner energy or glow, confers immunity against infections and bestows the individual with bliss.
Long distance runners from Africa have always relied on carbohydrates in grains for long-term endurance and energy. All carbohydrates are not the same. For instance the croissant is high in fat and low in nutrition. Whole grains have lower cholesterol; they also have anti-bacterial properties and actually lower elevated blood sugar levels
Ayurveda considers rye, millet and amaranth as highly nutritious, as they have high protein and mineral content. In fact, these grains are considered so auspicious that they are used during Vedic ceremonies as items for worship.
Rye for instance, contains high proteins, and one cup yields about 15 grams of protein, 9 grams of iron and adequate quantities of B-complex vitamins, iron, zinc and copper which is an important trace element for boosting energy levels and raising the body’s immunity.
Energizing Vegetables and Fruits:
Ayruveda advocates that fresh vegetables and fruits should constitute forty percent of every meal. Green, leafy vegetables are rich in mineral and fiber, and they should be eaten often.
Ayurveda considers fruits as a rich source of energy. Ayurvedic physicians recommend pears and apples, if you are hungry between meals. They recommend papaya, if you feel bloated after lunch.
Ayurveda strongly recommends the generous use of dry fruits, especially raisins. The ayurvedic texts extol the virtue of raisins calling them the best among dry fruits because it has the quality to enhance purity of the mind and pacify the mind and heart. Dry fruits are a rich source of iron and Vitamin B6, and provide magnesium, calcium, zinc and potassium. Raisins aid digestion and elimination when they are soaked in water overnight. One handful per person is a good amount everyday.
Ayurveda also cautions against energy draining foods:
The ayurvedic texts warn us not to eat left over foods or highly seasoned foods and foods that make us sluggish. Ayurvedic physicians were extremely conscious of energy draining foods, which clogged the micro-channels called as Nadis and created an accumulation of toxins.
Conclusion:
We have advanced a lot in this millennium. But our diet practices are abysmal. We eat foods bereft of energy, we consume milk, which is a poison, we eat meat, and we eat tinned, canned and processed foods and do not realize how much harm we cause to ourselves. It is fascinating how Ayurveda, a science that dates back thousands of years warns us of these dangers. It was almost as if our ancient seers who wrote these treatises were aware, what humanity was going to come to in this millennium.
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