Food And Ayurveda – The Interview

 

 

 

An internationally recognised author of several books on ayurveda; a speaker on ayurveda, yoga, meditation and other contemplative practices; an ayurveda wellness guide and consultant from Chandigarh. Yes, the list can just go on and on. Besides, all these, she is also a writer on various issues related to health. She is also a columnist for leading national and international dailies and an editor and a preventive healthcare coach too. Through her writings, lectures and workshops, Dr. Krishan helps people live holistic life by offering them solutions to issues created by present day stressful life, through ancient wisdom of Ayurveda. She assists her clients in providing remedial support for their mind, body and soul, after understanding their unique needs.

This is Dr. Sonica Krishan and she was recently presented with the “50 Outstanding women in Healthcare – Global Listing” citation by the World Health and Wellness Congress and Awards. She has also bagged the International Women’s day award -2017 and ‘Award of Honour’ 2018. Today, she is the proud author of approximately 500 blogs in her website www.drsonicakrishan.com. She also regularly updates her audience through educative videos that are uploaded on her YouTube channel.

Some of her published books include – Herbal Healers, Home Remedies, Healing through Ayurveda, Healing through Ayurveda Herbs in your Kitchen Garden, Healthy Living through Dosha Healing (Ayurveda)

Here, in a short email interview, Dr. Sonica Krishan tell us more about the relationship between food and ayurveda.

 

 

• What do think is the connection between Ayurveda and food?

Ayurveda, the ancient science of healing from India is vastly spreading wings to harmonize health and wellness. And definitely this scenario does focus on the persistent connection between Ayurveda and food. This is because Ayurveda suggests that the food is broadly classified based on its properties and its effect on digestion. The properties of food would generally concern and integrate a few distinct elements of the diet concerned. These are –

Rasa (taste)

Guna (natural property of the food)

Virya (potency of the food – hot or cold)

Vipaka (effect post-digestion)

Prabhava (pharmacology)

Anupana (mode).

 

 

 

• What do think are the healthy foods that can be had on all seasons?

There are a wide variety of foods that can be taken to maintain your health and longevity during all seasons. For example ghee or the clarified butter, honey, mung pulse, natural herbs like garlic and ginger, many kitchen spices and condiments like carom seeds, fennel, asafoetida, turmeric etc. Yet, it needs to be understood that according to ayurveda, while the right type of food promises strength, wellbeing, longevity and life of the individual taking it, as it invigorates the agni or the gastric fire. On the contrary, if food is not taken in proper manner, then whatever the nutritive benefits it may contain, the body remains unable to derive them.

 

• What is going to be the revolutionary change in the food sector in the future?

As an ayurveda expert, I do focus on preventive health which according to me has the solution for up-surging life and wellness in one and all. For this reason, the precise utility of diet as specified in our ancient text needs to be followed. This amounts to the appropriate and discreet rules and regulations laid down in our ancient holistic text in relation to having a meal. Apart from this, ayurveda stresses on a few practices that needs to be followed while taking food like maintaining proper hygiene, offering ritual mantras or prayers, eating with mental contentment and delight, having food that is easily digestible and following a diet that bestows the qualities of being nutritive, unctuous, warm and light. All this needs to be considered and inherited fundamentally. And the food sector in the future would definitely undergo the uprising in providing the food in their most natural and healthy condition.

 

 

• Diseases like cancer are on the rise. Do you think food has a role to play in it?

Yes, unhealthy foods and diet options like taking together incompatible foods, tobacco use, alcohol use, unnatural diet, processed foods and also physical inactivity are some of the prime influences that not only impede healing but also triggers the risk of an attack of cancer. Eventually, many researches have shown that curcumin in the natural herb of Turmeric or Haridra does have anti-cancer effect

To protect ourselves from cancer we need to be aware and conserve our Agni or the digestive fire that takes care of the entire process of digestion. When this digestive fire burns brightly and vigorously in our stomach, we can enjoy perfect digestion. Yet on the other hand, when ama (undigested food/ toxic matter) builds up in the body systems, particularly the stomach region, this certainly attacks and nullifies the agni. Thus, the body loses its usual ability to digest food.

 

 

• Since today we are running a race against time, is it possible that food can replace exercises in the future?

It is believed, and rightly so, that any imbalance that sets in our system (body and mind) is mainly due to two main factors – Diet and Lifestyle. Of these, diet comes foremost! Therefore we need to understand and follow the conventional and methodological suggestions that are mentioned in the ayurveda texts. These need to be consciously interpreted and followed for our own well-being and self-awareness. And although, food is not a replacement for exercise, the precise understanding and following the ayurveda art of eating food can create magic.

 

 

• A word of advice to the younger generation regarding their eating habits?

I would generally make the younger generation a lot more aware about wellness and preventive health. This is because many lifestyle diseases like heart problems portraying as killer number one, followed by diabetes, obesity, arthritis, and cancer etc are becoming very common these days. The younger generation needs to understand that the root cause of health lies in “Aahar-Vihar” i.e. diet and lifestyle. Here, diet comes first and foremost and hence they should focus on what to eat, when to eat and how to eat. Eating mindlessly without focusing on food is harmful and needs to be discouraged. Also, while eating food, the entire attention should be on every bite. The process of eating should neither be too fast nor too slow. One should eat food in a relaxed manner and with full contentment. Food should also be had under hygienic conditions too.

 

 

 

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