In this article, we’ll explore the common causes of a child not eating and provide practical tips and advice to help encourage your child to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Whether you’re a first-time parent or a seasoned pro, you’ll find valuable information that can help ease your worries and support your child’s healthy growth.

Possible factors for a child to avoid eating

No child ever wants to stay hungry. Fortunately, little children are still not aware of dieting, so they are not making a decision to stay hungry. So, what this implies is that there is no good appetite. A hungry child is not going to stay hungry. So, if he’s avoiding food, it simply means that he’s not hungry.

So, what are the factors responsible for killing the child’s appetite? Let’s explore

1. Psychological factor

The first reason could be that the child is extremely pampered. If a child knows that if I refuse to eat what is prepared at home, I’m going to be getting all the junk food that I want.

2. Frequent eating

A second reason could be that the child is eating too frequently, like every one or two hours. He continues to eat snacks.

3. Drinking excess water

Another reason could be that he is in the habit of drinking too much water at a time. He’s having too much water, especially before meals or half an hour before meals.

4. Heavy Foods

Sometimes parents try to give the child heavy foods, like lots of cheese or paneer. which they feel will help him gain weight, but they may be a bit too heavy for the child to digest, so this could be killing the appetite.

5. Clearing the bowels

Another factor is: are the child’s motions regular? If he doesn’t clear his bowels regularly, he may not have a very good appetite.

6. Sleep Timing

Is your child sleeping well, or is he sleeping at odd times? Children who sleep during the day for two or three hours tend to have a very low appetite. Loss of appetite can occur when a person does not get enough sleep, sleeps very late at night, and then gets up early in the morning for school.

7. Choice of Food

Another reason is that sometimes children want a specific type of food, such as Dal-Rice or Khichadi, and if you force them to eat something like roti or another food, they may not like It. If you can see the type of food that he wants, the quality that he demands, then that needs to be adjusted all the time. The same kind of food will not make the child very good at eating.

8. Environment

Another reason could be the eating environment. The place where the child is eating, the people he’s eating with—are they pleasant? Or are the people focusing too much on his plate, asking him to eat a bit too much?

Sometimes, he is not happy because there’s nobody around him when he’s eating. The food is served and he’s supposed to be eating alone.

9. Pathological Reasons

Generally, a fever history or stomach issues like diarrhea and vomiting, frequent worms in the stomach are found among children not eating well. These need medications for a while to correct the digestion.

Conclusion

Once you have been through all the simple, logical factors, which can be taken care of at home. And if you still find that the child is not eating well, then you need to consult a doctor. And find out what has caused the problem. Consulting an Ayurvedic doctor can offer numerous benefits for child care. You can visit Dr Hiral Bhatt, who run an Ayurvedic clinic in Navi Mumbai, and can ensure that your child receives safe and effective care that focuses on improving their overall well-being.

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The normal function of the Tridoshas is interrupted, and they worsen in the body, coming from a poor diet and lifestyle. Tridoshas vitiated cause the Dhatus and Malas to become vitiated, which in turn causes several ailments to emerge in the body. Therefore, a person’s health is dependent on the Doshas, Dhatus, and Malas being in balance. Dr Hiral Bhatt is an ayurvedic doctor who specializes in ayurveda. You can visit her to know more about the benefits of ayurveda for your health. She has been practicing ayurveda since almost 12 years.

Aspects of Health

Your health is dependent on various factors of your body, the food you eat, your mental health, and your sense organs. Some of the aspects are: proper nourishment to the body for proper strength; a desire for healthy food that builds appetite, proper digestion, proper sleep causing no nightmares, absence of body pains, etc.

How to Maintain Health According to Ayurveda?

The state of our physical and mental health significantly depends on our diet. A healthy diet can either prevent or treat several common health issues.

• Eat healthy food: You should make it a habit to wash vegetables and fruits properly before consuming. Methods like boiling, steaming, and grilling are far more healthy than frying. One should consume food that has a high fiber content.
• Nutrition intakes: A minimum intake of 50-100 fiber per day paired with lentils and pulses can benefit your health tremendously. Ayurveda says traditional cooking habits are the best to lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Eating habits: Freshly prepared food benefits the body more than any pre-heated or refrigerated food. Do not eat something you made 2 days ago for breakfast or dinner. Avoiding lunch can be a huge problem for teens who are in constant need for nutrition. Taking that into consideration, overeating should also be avoided.
• Water intake: Drinking irregular amounts of water can harm your body. Water must be drunk at regular intervals. Lukewarm water helps in digestion and minimizes the risks of various digestive disorders.
• Liquid intake: Aerated drinks are the worst enemies of your health. Try switching to healthier drinks such as fresh juices, coconut water, green tea, and milk.

Ayurveda places a lot of emphasis on how the seasons affect the body and suggests we adjust our daily schedule to the seasons. Following Dinacharya (daily routine), Ritucharya (seasonal regimens), and Sadvritta (excellent behavior) will help you maintain your personal and social hygiene.

• Maintaining a healthy body externally and internally requires good personal hygiene. Both physical and mental health depend on this rule.
• People with poor personal hygiene give the body the perfect conditions for germs to flourish, making them more susceptible to sickness.
• People with poor personal hygiene may experience social isolation and loneliness from people avoiding them.
• The way a person takes care of themselves depends on their mental health which oftentimes is difficult for people to maintain. Personal hygiene is crucial when you suffer from certain conditions, such as mental disorders, severe depression, or a drug or alcohol use disorder.

Conclusion

Ayurveda says, perfect health is a balance between body, mind, soul, and social wellness. The twin ideas of balance and connectivity are prevalent in all Ayurvedic writings, philosophy, and practice. A person’s social life, physical health, and mental health improve by maintaining a clean physique. Therefore, excellent mental health and the absence of mental stress are essential. Visit the best Ayurvedic doctor in Navi Mumbai to gain a deep knowledge about Ayurveda.

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Dr Hiral Bhatt explains Fermentation is the process by which yeast and bacteria break down starches into simpler substances. In fact, this process is the basis of all food preservation, making sure that foods stay fresh for longer.

Fermented foods are widely consumed in the Indian subcontinent. A variety of fermented foods are consumed daily, including buttermilk, curd and paneer. Whilst the majority of Indian food is vegetarian, fermented foods such as tofu, pickles and soured buttermilk can be used to make sour dishes for non-vegetarians or for those with dietary restrictions.

Qualities Of Fermented Food

Some of the well-known qualities of fermented foods are

• Fermented foods act as a probiotic while also giving out rich taste.
• They contain good healthy bacteria that provide the same health benefits as our own gut flora.
• A number of studies have shown that fermented foods are beneficial to our health in a number of ways, including increasing the absorption of nutrients.

Besides the commonly known qualities of fermented foods, there are some more qualities that, which you may not be aware of.

As Ayurveda says Fermented Foods are agni vardhak i.e. digestives. A food that helps to Kindle the digestive fire by enhancing secretions from glands of the GIT is called an Agnivartak. This can include any type of food, particularly those like fermented foods which contain a significant amount of heat. They are more likely to improve digestion but might also have some effect to imbalance heat. They may also have congestive effects leading to blockages and related diseases on some body types and in some seasons.eg a Kaf body type person in spring season.

For Whom Is Fermented Foods Suitable

When it comes to health, fermented food is all the rage. Fermented food can help to gain weight and improve overall health. This is because fermented foods made with urad daal which is high in protein and the fermentation process makes it easier to assimilate. So it helps those wishing to gain some muscle mass. Pickled foods help the body to absorb all essential nutrients and minerals. So they are an excellent dietary supplement for people with weak digestion, or even a little bit of pickle in a meal will help your body absorb the nutrients from the food better and efficiently.

Fermented food can be highly beneficial for health in some conditions. For people having a heat imbalance in their bodies, fermented foods are not recommended. For example, those with skin conditions, ulcers or high blood pressure should completely avoid consumption. People with certain diseases should also avoid consumption of it because it may worsen the condition. However, Dr Hiral Bhatt suggests that during hot climates, the consumption of fermented foods should be kept to a minimum or completely avoided, otherwise we may experience adverse effects on our health.

Conclusion

As per Ayurveda Doctor in Navi Mumbai effects of all things that we come across in our life are determined by our present state of mind, diet and activity. Fermented foods are never a bad thing to eat but when you want to consume ferments it must be at the right time and in the right place. So, one has to be careful about the state of mind or lifestyle, climate, body type and age of the person who wishes to consume the food that is being fermented. We don’t consume fermented food just because it is good for our health or it is a healthy food. It is advisable to weigh the pros and cons before making it a regular part of diet.

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That’s where Ayurveda comes in. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian philosophy that teaches us how to live in harmony with ourselves and the world around us. The key to good health is always eating the right foods for our body type or Dosha.

Dr Hiral Bhatt is a doctor who specializes in Ayurvedic medicine. She practices at her ayurvedic clinic in Navi Mumbai, where she provides treatments and advice on how to eat correctly according to Ayurveda. We’ll explore Ayurveda guidelines for your food choices and create a healthy diet that’s perfect for you.

What is the Right Food?

There’s a lot of general debate around what constitutes “the right food.” Some people believe that all food should be healthy and unhealthy or disease-free. Others think that food should be analyzed based on its constituent parts (like proteins, carbs, etc.) rather than its overall quality.

Ultimately, the best way to understand food is by looking at its wasily identifiable qualities like heavy or light, warm or cold, dry or moist, specific tastes like sweet, sour, salty etc. These are the ways in which our body communicates with us too. For example at times we feel like having sweet food, at times hot food, sometimes crispy food. Never does our body give signs like I wish to have protein. By understanding these factors, you can make healthier choices for yourself and your loved ones without worrying about disease.

How to Eat Healthy According to Ayurveda?

There are specific rules to follow when incorporating this ancient Indian system into your everyday routine, but you can achieve significant health benefits by following these guidelines.

• Rule Number 1 – Quantity based on stomach capacity

If you’re looking to eat healthy according to Ayurveda, one of the first things you’ll need to do is learn about how the stomach works best. Imagine your stomach as divided into four parts. When you are hungry, fill two parts of your stomach with solid food (heavy food) such as roti, rice, vegetables and dal. This will help satisfy your hunger and create a sense of fullness.

Liquid foods should be had one quarter of the stomach, in small doses: water, buttermilk, or soup. These liquids help nourish your body and create a good mixture in your stomach for digestion of the solid food. Don’t fill up on these drinks all at once; instead, sip them gradually between solid meals. Leave the last quarter part of the stomach empty so that it is able to move and digest well.

• Rule Number 2 – Interval between meals

One of the most important rules is always to leave a gap of six to eight hours for your second meal. This is because prior to that the stomach is not ready nor does the body require any food in between. So avoid snacking on cooked (grains) food in between meals which can cause trouble in digestion. Fruits may be had in between if hungry.

• Rule Number 3 – Quantity based on food type and season

Many people believe that following Ayurvedic dietary guidelines will help them stay healthy. One of the most important rules is to eat heavy food in smaller quantities and light food in medium quantities. This rule applies both during the day and at night. For example, if we eat shrikhand (a type of savory pastry) and puri we should eat them in lesser quantities. However, if we eat rice and dal (a lentil soup), we can eat a medium amount.

Another vital factor to consider when following Ayurveda is the season. In summer and rainy seasons, the digestion capability of any person is lower than in other seasons. Before starting a diet based on Ayurveda principles, these factors are crucial. For example, if your daily eating habit is five rotis, it is important to be aware when this demand changes according to the season and changes made accordingly – you should feel the sensation of fullness and stop when you’ve had enough irrespective of the Quantity had.

• Rule Number 4

Each individual certainly has a different body type and needs different foods. However, a few general rules can help you stay on track. People who tend to put weight quickly should avoid regular consumption of rice and roti made from wheat flour. Instead, try rotis made with barley flour and those who are slim – should eat more rice and rotis made of wheat flour. These tips are just general guidelines – it’s essential to consult an Ayurvedic practitioner like Dr Hiral Bhatt if you have any questions about what would be best for your body type and dietary needs.

• Rule Number 5

According to Ayurveda, there are some foods you should avoid eating daily. These include meat, fish, curd, urad dal (a lentil), sprouts, and radish. While some of these foods can be taken occasionally, limiting them in your diet is best.

While specific diet plans only recommend food like raw salads or gluten-free diets, high protein diet, which may have their benefits or be helpful for particular purposes in the short term, they shouldn’t be followed long-term. This is because your body needs all nutrients to maintain balance and you can only get these from a varied diet.

Conclusion

The key to good health is balance in the mind, body, and spirit. This can be achieved by eating healthy foods tailored to your specific body type or Dosha.

Eating healthy is not only a good idea for our physical well-being but also our emotional well-being. In fact, according to Ayurveda, food provides all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates or proteins to our body, emotions, and feelings.

According to Ayurveda guidelines, eating the right food and maintaining proper eating habits lead to healthier lives. By following these simple measures, we can ensure that we’re getting all the nutrients that our body needs while avoiding unhealthy foods that might contribute to negative emotions like stress or anxiety and diseases. However, you can visit an Ayurvedic clinic in Navi Mumbai and consult with a doctor for further information.

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When it comes to satisfying your kid’s sweet tooth, it’s important to make sure you’re choosing sweets that are good for them. But with all the different types of sweets, how do you know which ones are healthy and which aren’t?

So, what should parents do? Is it better to give your child good sweets that are nutritious and won’t harm their health, or should you stick to bad sweets that are unhealthy but taste better?

As parents, we sometimes struggle to manage our children’s sugar intake. In such cases, ayurvedic treatment in Navi Mumbai may be the best decision for our child’s health.

So, this blog post will discuss the different types of sweets and how they can impact your children’s health. We’ll also share tips on what to look for when choosing sweets for children.

Types of Sweets

There’s no denying that kids love sweets. And as a parent, it can be hard to deny them something they so clearly enjoy. But when it comes to their health, it’s important to ensure they’re getting the right kind of sweet.

There are two types of sweet: good and bad.

Good sweet foods typically contain low sugar content and healthy fats and vitamins. This can include things like fruits, Shira (jaggery juice), honey, Jaggery, Kismish, chiki, dates, yogurt, etc.

Bad sweet foods, on the other hand, typically have a higher sugar content and may contain unhealthy fats or added sugars. And while they may taste delicious at first, these types of sweets usually have unpleasant after-effects like stomach aches or cravings for more sugary food.

Examples of bad sweets include chocolate bars, pasteries, ice cream, biscuits, cake, etc. These should be avoided if possible as they can quickly lead to weight gain and other health problems.

It’s important to notice and identify which type of sweet your child is craving so you can satisfy their sweet tooth without compromising their health.

For example, if your child is craving a candy bar or pasteries, they are probably craving bad sweets. However, you can satisfy their craving with a piece of fruit or a healthy snack like chiki (a South Indian dish made from ground chickpeas and Jaggery).

A piece of fruit will deliver natural sugar, fiber, and vitamins to your kids. So next time your child craves something sweet, think about what kind of sweets they desire before giving in to their request.

By understanding what kind of sweets your kids love and providing them with good sweet options instead of bad sweet ones, you’ll be helping to ensure that they stay healthy while indulging in their favourite desserts.

Why do Kids need Sweets in their Diet?

Kids are in their growing phase, so they need sweets in their diet. Sweet taste contains earth and water element, which are essential for the growth and development of children. Sweet is also crucial for nourishing them; sweet taste contains sugar, a carbohydrate that provides energy to the body.

The Health Effects of Sweets on Kids

There’s no denying that sweets are a big part of most kids’ diets. But what effect do they have on our children’s health? As parents, it’s important to be aware of the health effects of sweets on kids.

Generally, good sweets are okay for kids to consume regularly as long as they’re not eating too many at once or binge eating them later. Some studies even suggest that good sweets may promote healthy weight gain.

However, bad sweets are another story altogether. For example, bad sweets are thought to increase tooth decay risk and contribute to obesity.

So, it’s important to be mindful of what your child is eating and ensure they’re getting the right amount of good sweet foods while avoiding bad ones altogether.

What Should Parents do to Avoid Bad Sweet in their Kid’s Diet?

Kids today are going crazy for sugary foods and drinks. To satisfy their sweet tooth without compromising health, try some traditional homemade dishes that use jaggery, rock candy (mishri), and honey as the primary sweetener. Dishes like Kheer, Shira, and Halwa will be delicious and help your child get more nutrients and antioxidants in their diet.

Try to stick to foods that are naturally sweetened or made with healthy ingredients like fruit and jaggery. Avoid processed foods and artificial sweeteners, as these will only mess up your kid’s stomach over time.

Finally, ensure you provide a variety of healthy sweets, so they don’t get too accustomed to one type of food. This way, they’ll be more likely to enjoy nutritiously-balanced sweets in the future.

In extreme cases, if you cannot manage your child’s sweet diet, ayurvedic treatment in Navi Mumbai may be a good option. This treatment can help your child better regulate their sugar intake and maintain a healthy diet.

At the end of the day, moderation is key when feeding sweets to your children. A little bit here, and it is unlikely to do any harm – but too much sugar can have severe consequences for your child’s health.

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As we know that tea and coffee have become an integral part of our life. Today we can’t even imagine spending a day without it. Obviously, when I start uncovering such a topic, you may not like my points easily.  And you can also be aware of the opportunity to make positive changes in your life by making small changes in your daily habits.

It is our job to make you aware of everything that interests you. Let’s begin with the most basic things. Understanding how a substance works in our body is the key to knowing its advantages and disadvantages.

How would it feel if the name of tea and coffee is taken with alcohol, but it has almost the same effect. Actually, when alcohol or cigarette smoke goes into the body, it acts as a stimulant. And you will be surprised to know that tea or coffee also do the same thing but its effect is very less as compared to other stimulants.

Nutrients and Stimulants

Food and drink mainly fall into two categories.

• The first is Nutrients or Nutrition Givers and,
• The second is a Stimulant or Simulator.

Nutrients nourish the body, increase Pranashakti, or Life Force, and give strength or energy. Examples of this include the sun’s rays, pure air, water, and good food. Whereas, a stimulant does not provide nutrition as they are irritants. The body’s organs function pervertedly as a result of irritation or stimulation. For example, if some dirt goes into your eyes, it turns red, starts itching and water begins coming out. This is what the body does. When stimulants go inside, the body tries to get rid of the irritant. All these types of stimulants such as drugs, alcohol, Cigarettes, many types of medicines, tea, coffee, chocolate, too many hot spices, etc. do not give anything to the body, rather than using reserved energy of the body to give you a feeling of energy.

How do stimulants affect your body?

You might have noticed that when you are very tired and don’t feel like doing anything or feeling hungry, at that if someone offers you hot tea or coffee or cardamom-spiced tea, you start feeling energetic and ready to work again within minutes. Did you ever wonder where this energy came from when just a few moments ago you were exhausted? Well, this is not the actual energy gain but a type of false feeling or stimulation. This type of stimulation causes more harm to the body than good. It is like whipping a tired horse. The horse runs faster for some time when hit by a whip. But can you say that the horse had more strength? You will notice that when the effect ends, the horse will be much more tired because the strength it felt was not actually strength but the body’s reaction to throw out the stimulant. This is why, even after sleeping for the whole night, you don’t feel energetic in the morning until you take tea or coffee. Isn’t it dependency?

When we use such substances every day, then the body is never able to recover. It is important to understand that you can get out of fatigue only by taking rest just as you can satisfy hunger only by eating food. Tired nerves gain power and energy when they get to rest. If they don’t get adequate rest, it becomes more tired and thus, the need for stimulation increases. This can cause many types of nervous system disorders and diseases over the time causing harm to the body.

So, what’s the solution?

There is no harm in taking tea or coffee occasionally. But taking it to deal with your daily fatigue and not paying attention to your fatigue is very wrong. Sometimes we don’t take the time to think, why do we want to do so much? Why do we keep our goals and expectations so high that they can’t be achieved without sacrificing our health or harming our body?

I am not saying that you should not work and become lazy. You should definitely work but you should select your work wisely Based on your capabilities, aptitudes and genuine interests. The most interesting thing is that when you start something and get involved, your capacity starts increasing.

After reading this article if anyone realizes that tea or coffee deserves no place in their life and they want to quit their habit, then there is an easy way for them. It’s advised to never stop it suddenly. As your body is habituated to it, so leaving it gradually won’t cause any problem for your body to adjust happily. You should reduce your intake gradually. So first start by reducing it by one-fourth part like if you were taking tea or coffee 4 times a day, take it down to 3 times a day. Then from the next week, reduce it to twice a day. Doing so, you will be able to quit tea or coffee within a month and you won’t feel the need for it either.

Hope this will help. Thanks.

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In summer, more attention should be paid to the two qualities of heat and dryness. In the season, which the qualities that grow in nature, the qualities that maintain balance should be in our eating , drinking and behaviour. This means we should take food against it. Doing so can prevent common ailments and problems during that season.

Now let’s talk about which food will balance this heat and dryness. It is very easy to know that, Food that contains more liquid or is fluid in nature and cold in potency helps to balance the effect of summer on the body. The food which is sweet in the taste will generally having this property. Another thing is we have to notice that the content of grains in our food. Use same amount of grains throughout the year, but this is not good for health during this season.

In summer taking grains 2 to 3 times a day is harmful to our body. Because this type of food is dry by its nature and to digest dry food body requires more water which is difficult in summer.

So we should intake half the quantity of grains as compared to other seasons or only one time in a day. Instead of grains we should increase sweet fruits, fruit juices, Sugarcane juice, salad, milk, ghee in our food. Nature also provides us sweet fruits or king of fruits mango in the same season. But we are the ones who eat mangoes but will not reduce the consumption of chapati, rice, pulses, and vegetables. Eating enough mangoes, but not reducing consumption of grains causes more difficulties for digestion. Now the body has to digest not one but two types of things, then all these problems arise like indigestion, gas, acidity, pimples. So during summer, why not have one meal e.g breakfast of only mangoes or any other fruit alone?

Let’s see what should be a timetable for having food in the summer.

As we discussed, in the morning breakfast, we can take sweet fruits according to our appetite. For lunch, first we can have a good salad, which includes cucumber, tomato, carrot. Select food which is seasonal, juicy, or which can be eat without cooking, Also the vegetables can be cooked and eaten lightly, with fewer spices. Those who need rice can take small amount. Some sprouts can be taken with a salad. If the stomach is not full, boiled potatoes and Sweet potatoes can be taken. Once a time in a day kheer, lassi, gram, or barley extract can be taken. In the evening, it is better to take something juicy, like one or two glasses of drinks made up of fennel, dates, or raisins. We can have light grains for dinners like Chapati, rice, cereals or vegetables, but in small quantities. Another important thing is we have to keep the quantity of food less in this season as compared to another season. This is because digestion system is weak at this time. Avoid solid foods and eat more juicy foods.

After knowing the food, now let’s talk about the activity.

• Exercise – In this season it is good to do less exercise, those who go to the gym regularly, they have to keep in mind that in the summer season, do not always work as hard because working too hard will lead to sweating and that time body can lose strength by losing water from the body. So we should not make too much effort at this time.
• Sleep during the day – This is the only season when it is better to sleep for a short time during the day while sleeping during the day at any time of the year is detrimental. But in the summer it’s beneficial.

So let’s see once again what is best to take in summer and what we have to avoid. You should have food which is sweet in taste, less spicy or bitter, salty, and sour taste. Eat more seasonal fruits like watermelon, pomegranate, grapes and ripe mangoes, and take the salad. You can take milk, and ghee-based products like kheer, lassi, and sattu. You can also take cold water from a pot, coconut water, neera, sugarcane juice and once-a-day cereal, a little rice, porridge or chapati. Heavy grains, oily foods, spicy foods, hot fast food, millet grains, pulses, etc. need to be reduced.

Basically, foods that is water-based, which will help bring down the agni in your constitution.

So take care of all this in summer, by doing this you will feel less heat, you will not get sick and the mood will also be good.

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Today our question is on a very tasty thing, curd. Many people like curd very much. In Ayurveda, we will find information about many food article and their properties like good things and bad things about food article. So when we know about food article properties we can understand where they can use and cannot be used. That means there is an explanation for everything so you can understand this is the quality of things and we can use it in a better way. Let’s know the quality of curd.

• Curd is sour in taste, it is sourness that creates interest in food and also helps to boost digestive juices in our body. So you must have seen that children who are very choosy in food, if given a little curd in the vegetable or given a little curd in rice, they start eating well because of sourness , it creates an interest in eating.
• The second is its quality, it is warm. Yes, curd is not cold; it is warm by nature, that’s why it should not be consumed during summer season.
• Curd helps to make our body strong like it works better for muscle gain, fat gain etc. It removes the dryness inside the body, it is very smooth in nature, so where there is dryness, it works very well, but where there is a problem of cold, there is a lot of Kaf, therefore curd should not be consumed. Secondly, which we have seen in many Hindi films that curd is auspicious, is considered mangal or shubh. Curd is consumed before doing any good work. Curd is also suitable for reproductive tissues and fertility.

Some rules of consuming Curd

In Ayurveda, there are certain rules of consuming curd to get maximum health benefits out of it. Ayurveda expert Dr Hiral Bhatt shared the curd mistakes one should avoid.

1. Do not eat curd every day – curd is very heavy to digest and not suitable for eating every day. if we eat curd every day there is a chance of blocking small channels in our body. Therefore curd should not be eaten every day.
2. Curd should not be eaten at night – Curd can be taken in the morning or in lunch, but curd should not be taken with dinner. Back to the same thing, curd is heavy to digest; our digestion power is less at night, so curd should not be consumed at night.
3. Do not eat curd in summer – do not add curd to your diet in warm season and in October heat season. Also, avoid intake of curd in the spring season of Feb, March. Back to the same thing, it will block small channels in our body, it is heavy to digest, so do not consume curd during that time.
4. It is also advisable to do not to eat curd for those who have blood disorders or bleeding tendency, impure blood, or heavy Kaf. If someone has skin problems, then they have to stay away from curd especially.
5. Curd, which is properly thickened, is good for eating. The curd which is not properly done is very harmful to the body.
6. We can add some ingredients to curd to neutralize its harmful properties. As curd is warm, we add sugar, ghee to curd, so it could not cause acidity in the body. Honey can be mixed with curd so that children do not get Kaf from curd. What we eat Dahivada, it should actually be a Vada of Mung Dal. Consuming curd with Mung Dal Vada is a very good combination. Sometimes amla powder can be added to it.
7. One more important thing is not to heat the curd. Many people have the habit of mixing curd with hot rice, with some hot vegetables, so it is a very bad habit, do not to heat curd. Along with this, there is some such cooking method in which curd is cooked, and then it is also not right according to Ayurveda.

So hope so you understand the basic things of curd. The right way to have a curd and where to avoid.

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Nature never stays constant. In fact the only thing constant about nature is its changing feature! The seasons follow one another and keep changing. We never have one season throughout the year. While this is mostly good for us, it does require adjusting on our part to prevent seasonal illnesses. 

The best prevention is modifying our food and routines as per the demand of the present season.

So lets learn about what the monsoon demands from us.

I will talk in terms of qualities that we all can relate to, rather than traditional textual terms that may seem alien!

The monsoon is –

WET and COLD

It was preceded by – 

an EXHAUSTING summer.

Good health always means a good, efficient digestion. 

Disease always means an impaired digestive function.

So our aim right now, should be to balance these qualities along with keeping the digestion optimum.

When I say ‘digestion’ think of food cooking over your stove.

Now, wet and cold are not exactly qualities that help with cooking up. So we must balance these with WARM, FIRE STIMULANTS and avoid exposing it to too much WIND.

We also need to have food that is LIGHT or not too heavy. Just as we avoid washing thick heavy clothes during the rains in fear of them not drying up, we must avoid food that is too heavy to digest. A nice tempering (tadka) with ghee or oil and spices like mustard, cumin, asofeotida is an easy Fire Stimulant. Dried ginger powder, pepper powder are also advised.

Regular use of a small amount of honey is beneficial.

To summarize,

We need-

Light (easy) to digest food

Warm food in terms of temperature and qualities 

Fire stimulants like oil, ghee and spices

Actual things to eat

1. Old rice
2. Wheat flour mixed with barley flour for chapatis or
3. Wheat flour mixed with jowar/ bajra (sorghum/ pearl millet)
4. Green gram, well cooked
5. Oil/ghee, spices 
6. Honey
7. Sour and salty taste
8. Good quality traditionally made pickles

We must stay away from-

1. Heavy to digest food – fried food, sweets, bakery food
2. Cold food in temperature and properties – milkshakes, ice cream, fermented food
3. Dampness creating food and places
4. Exertion of all kinds should be avoided. Exercise, physical labour, too much traveling and sexual excess all are harmful as the body is already weak even though you may not feel so.
5. Sleeping during the day is to be cancelled. On those wet, dark cloudy days of heavy rainfall, engage in reading, or catching up on t.v, meeting up friends,  indoor family games etc. But do not spend them sleeping.

The post During The Monsoons appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

Among all our relationships, I feel, our relationship with our food is the most superficial. We don’t care enough to know our food well before we consume it. We have no idea of its inherent qualities and characteristics.

Having some basic knowledge about the properties of the food we eat, will help us eat them correctly and thus gain the life energy it has to offer. If we consume them in a wrong way, we may end up with problems that the food had never really intended to give us. it is similar to how a good mother or teacher knows the qualities of the child they assist and bringing them up in line with those strengths is what makes them a success in their own way.

We don’t even need extensive study or professional training for this. Simple attention to the food and avoiding unconscious compulsive behavior can suffice.

In the last post we talked about, Dals and Pulses. Today, we move on to the King of Fruits…the delicious Mango.

What are the qualities of a ripe mango?

Once we have a nice ripe mango, our stomach feels full. We feel satisfied for quite a stretch of time. This indicates that it has the HEAVY quality. 

It is also COOLING to the body.

Predominantly SWEET in taste. Sweet taste in itself indicates cooling and heavy qualities too.

It is UNCTOUS meaning oily or lubricating.

It is also a pacifier for all the doshas. A TRIDOSH SHAMAK fruit.

How and when should we have the mango?

Now knowing its properties, how and when to have a mango is very easy to understand.

Ripe

A mango should be allowed to ripen well. An unripe mango has properties quite opposite from a ripe one. It aggravates the Pitt dosh and may lead to skin problems, acidity etc.

All by itself 

Being Heavy, the King better be treated like a King. We cannot mix it up with commoners. Better not to combine it with other food for lunch or dinner. Yes, the aam ras puri plans must be cancelled. If you must have it, chapati and aam ras occasionally may be alright if you do not over eat. Gas, indigestion, bloating and burps that keep reminding of the mango happen when it is not able to digest well due to the other food had along with it.

Have it on an empty stomach in the morning for breakfast or in the evening between major meals when the stomach is light. Treat it as a small meal by itself so summer breakfasts can easily be a mango.

Not too many

Avoid having too many at a time. One mango at a time should be good.

Not in the cold

Mangoes being unctous and cooling, are a treat from nature for beating the summer heat. While they act as a tonic in summer, nourishing the tissues, we should stop having them as the monsoon sets in. Similarly, anyone suffering from a cold, fever or low appetite should avoid it till they recover.

What can be had with a mango?

Mango milkshakes are a right combination provided the mango is ripe and all the above is followed too.

Those who may still have difficulty digesting a mango, can add a pinch of sunth or dried ginger powder to it while having.

So, lets know our mango, understand it and then enjoy it with gratitude in our hearts for this wonderful gift from mother nature.

The post The Royal One..Mango appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.