Diet Regimen
According to ayurveda, every individual has unique needs for balance. Since diet is one of the most important ayurvedic tools for achieving balance, ayurvedic healers generally design individualized diets for people they see, based on various factors such as age and gender, the doshic tendencies that need to be balanced at a given time, the strength of the body tissues and the digestive fires, and the level of ama (toxins) in the body. That's why Ayurveda is a complete system of healthcare having a traditional system of medicine. There are various factors, which should be kept in mind like the right time to have food, food for different constitutions of person, effect of wrong type of diet on ones life so we should have the idea that what to eat and the right way of eating. A wholesome diet is essential not only for maintaining health but also for fighting diseases. All diseases are caused by aggravation of the three doshas i.e. vata, pitta and kapha which is mainly caused due to the excess intake of improper diet. Intake of proper quantity of food promotes longevity, does not aggravate the doshas, and maintains a proper digestive system
Ayurveda has in detail provided the type of diet a person should intake depending upon his constitution. It is important to note that a person should have a proper balanced diet. Apart from a wholesome diet one needs to observe some basic rules like food should be consumed only after the digestion of the previous meal, as then it promotes proper digestion, appetite and proper manifestation of the natural urges. People should have the knowledge of food and their benefits. One should also avoid bad habits, which are harmful to one's health. In other words a person should lead a disciplined life. In ayurveda, foods are classified into six-taste category like sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. We recommend that you include all of these six tastes at each main meal you eat. Food intake should, contribute to order and coherence in the body. It should aid in keeping a balance so as to maintain immune strength. That's why Ayurveda is referred to as a holistic alternative science.
Our diet is an essential factor for the formation of our body. It is clearly mentioned in 'Charak Samhita' that consuming improper diet in improper way is the main cause of 'Disease'.
According to 'Charak ,"An appropriate and suitable diet in a disease is equivalent to hundred drugs and any quantity of drug hardly compares to good results in disease without following proper dietetic regimen"