Ayurveda, the ancient science of life, offers you a comprehensive framework for healthy eating that goes far beyond mere nutrition.

To achieve optimal health, Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of Prana (life force) and Ojas (the most refined product of balanced digestive processes).

While this may be a lengthy post, hang tight as I’ll guide you through 10 of Ayurveda’s core prinicples for increasing prana and ojas through simple adjustments in how you eat - leading you to radiant holistic health 🔆

Before we dive in, let’s review 3 key terms that we’ll be using throughout this post:

• prana

• ojas

• ama

The Power of Prana

Prana is the vital life giving force that animates your body and mind. Prana is present in the air you breathe, the food you eat, the sunlight you absorb, and the environment around you.

In Ayurveda, food is not only seen as a source of nutrients, but more importantly as a means to increase prana. 

Fresh fruits and vegetables (especially when lightly cooked) are rich in prana.

Conversely, processed, packaged, frozen, canned and leftover foods lack prana and contribute to the formation of ama, a toxic by product of improper digestion. To learn more, revisit my post about The Hidden Signs of Poor Digestion.

The fresher, more natural, and organic that your foods are, the more prana they will contain.

How often can you consume fresh fruits and freshly picked vegetables that are lightly cooked?

The Glow of Ojas

Ojas is the essence of vitality and immunity in Ayurveda. It is what gives strength, endurance, and vigor to your body and mind. Ojas is that which sustains your long-term health and resilience.

The formation of ojas is primarily determined by the cooperation of three interconnected processes:

• digestion - breaking down food into smaller components

• metabolization - how your body converts or transforms the digested nutrients into energy and building blocks for growth and repair

• assimilation - the process of absorbing the nutrients from your digested food into your bloodstream and cells to be used throughout your body

When these three processes are in harmony, your entire body is nourished and the waste products from your food are removed, leaving the channels of the body clear and functioning smoothly.

Ojas can be seen in the vibrance and glow that radiates from a truly healthy individual.

The Formation of Ama

Ama is considered a contributing factor of all disease in Ayurveda.

Ama forms when your food is not properly digested, metabolized, and assimilated, leading to the accumulation of larger undigested particles. This accumulation can cause blockages in your body's channels, impairing cellular function, reducing metabolism, and triggering inflammatory responses - like those associated with autoimmune conditions.

To prevent ama, it is crucial to optimize digestion, metabolization, and assimilation of your food.

For a deeper dive, be sure to check out 3 Effortless Yet Effective Ways to Detox from ama and other toxins.

The following 10 principles will help you optimize your prana intake and ojas formation while also reducing ama in your body.

Don’t let the simplicity of these principles fool you; incorporating them into your daily routine will significantly enhance your overall well-being and vitality.

 10 Core Principles for Healthy Eating

1. Eat with Presence and Confidence

First and foremost, you must have confidence in your choices - whatever it is you decide to eat.

Do you feel stressed by all the advice on which foods and products to avoid because of harmful pesticides and chemicals? Do you worry about food and find it hard to feel safe and sure about what you eat?

I've also felt that way many many times.

When you consume food in a state of stress, anxiety or upset, it disrupts the communication between your gut-brain axis.

According to a modern scientific study, stress “ultimately leads to the development of a broad array of gastrointestinal disorders including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other functional gastrointestinal diseases, food antigen-related adverse responses, peptic ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).” 

The state of your mind significantly affects your digestion. When you eat in a calm, relaxed state you greatly enhance your ability to break down your food into its finest particles.

2. Regular Mealtimes

Creating a routine of regular mealtimes is a major key to keeping Vata dosha in balance.

Vata imbalance is said in Ayurveda to contribute to more diseases than any other dosha.

Vata’s nature is irregularity and movement.

When you are on the go and don’t prioritize having breakfast, lunch, and dinner around the same time every day, it disrupts the rhythms within your body as well as your microbiome. This causes vata to become aggravated, leading to a whole range of digestive symptoms and imbalances.

When you eat in regularity, your body knows when to begin preparing for your next meal, resulting in adequate amounts of enzyme production to support the digestive processes.

Establish regular mealtimes and stick to them. Consistency helps regulate your body's biological clock.

For a deeper dive, read my 10 tips to keep Vata balanced when you're on the move.

3. Chew Your Food Thoroughly

Your mouth hosts billions of beneficial bacteria and enzymes.

It is vital that your food spends enough time in your mouth to become coated with specific types of bacteria and enzymes that ensure your food will be completely digested.

Proper chewing also stimulates the production of the specific digestive enzymes in the stomach that are needed to process the exact foods you are consuming. This process facilitates better breakdown and assimilation of all your nutrients.

You have teeth in your mouth… not in your stomach. So chew more!

4. Avoid Multitasking While Eating - Don’t Divide the Mind!

Focus solely on your food.

As much as possible, avoid distractions such as phones, work, or TV during meals. When you ‘divide the mind’ as they say in Ayurveda, your body doesn’t know what enzyme to produce for the food you are consuming.

Say you are watching an intense episode of Law and Order while eating…

As you become emotionally involved in the storyline, your body doesn’t know it’s safe to digest your food. Your body thinks there is a threat and you need to conserve energy as you move into the ‘fight or flight’ response from the drama you are watching. Your digestions shuts down.

Be present with your meals and truly experience the flavors and textures. This will promote proper breakdown as well as absorption of nutrients and prana.

5. Consider the Strength of Digestion According to the Time of Day

Eating in rhythm with the cycles of the day is of utmost importance.

Ayurveda teaches that your digestive fire (agni) is low in the morning upon waking, so your first meal to ‘break-fast’ should be light and kindle your digestive fire for the day ahead.

It’s best to have a light breakfast (between 7-9 am) that is seasoned with digestive spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, clove, turmeric, pepper, or cumin to stimulate agni.

Ayurveda emphasizes having your largest and/or heaviest meal between 12-2 pm. This is when your digestive fire is at its peak. The sun is the highest in the sky and pitta dosha is elevated at that time, aiding in the metabolization and transformation of your food.

Dinners should be lighter and easy to digest.

In the evenings, your internal body processes are slowing down and preparing for sleep. Eating a heavy meal such as steak, pasta, and/or heavy amounts of cheese will bog down your digestion and be processed very slowly. Eating heavy foods or large amounts of food late in the evening puts excess strain on your digestion.

Large meals late in the evening can also lead to disrupted sleep and poor nutritional absorption as the body’s energies are divided among rest/repair and digesting your food.

6. Avoid Overeating

Overeating strains the digestive system, leading to incomplete digestion and the formation of ama.

Ayurveda recommends only eating until your stomach is about 2/3 full and you are satiated.

Engage in mindful eating by being present with your meal and paying attention to the flavors, textures, and aromas of your food. This practice enhances your satisfaction of the food and prevents you from overeating by bringing more awareness to how you are feeling.

Sticking to regular mealtimes will also regulate your appetite and help you avoid excessive hunger that can result in overeating. Serve yourself moderate portions and avoid second helpings unless you are genuinely hungry.

7. Manage Liquid Intake

Limit liquid intake during meals to about half a cup.

Drink water between your meals, not during, to avoid diluting your digestive enzymes and weakening agni.

According to Ayurveda, drinking less liquids at mealtime can also help reduce unwanted weight.

If you are properly hydrating between meals, you won’t need much water or other liquids with your food. Drinking too much with your food disrupts the acid and enzyme balance in your stomach, causing poor digestion and interfering with the absorption of nutrients.

8. Avoid Cold Foods and Drinks

In Ayurveda, consuming cold foods and drinks is discouraged because they weaken agni, your digestive fire. When agni is weakened, digestion becomes sluggish, leading to the buildup of ama, or toxins. This can result in various digestive issues, imbalances, and disease.

Opt for warm meals, warm/room temperature water, and warm herbal teas when possible. Avoid ice water and ice cream when possible, especially around mealtimes.

Cool drinks can be appropriate if you’ve been outside on a hot summer day, but they shouldn’t be consumed with food.

9. Post-Meal Practices: Sit and Walk

Another very simple yet powerful practice is sitting and resting for 5-10 minutes after meals. This sends a signal to your body that the eating process is complete and helps initiate digestion.

When you immediately engage in activity after eating, your body doesn't recognize it's time to digest. This can cause food to ferment in the digestive tract, leading to gas, bloating, discomfort, and the formation of ama (toxins).

After resting for 5-10 minutes, take a short walk (at least 200 steps) or lay on your left side to further stimulate digestive processes.

In Ayurveda, taking a short walk after meals is said to not only aid digestion but also enhance the body's ability to assimilate nutrients. This gentle activity stimulates agni (your digestive fire), promoting more efficient breakdown and absorption of food.

A brief walk also helps prevent the formation of ama by reducing the likelihood of food stagnation in the digestive tract. This practice can alleviate common digestive discomforts such as bloating and gas, contributing to overall digestive health and your sense of well-being.

10. Consider Individual Needs

Ayurveda recognizes that dietary needs vary from person to person.

To learn more about your unique mind-body type and get customized diet and lifestyle insights, consider taking our Ayurveda Assessment. The assessment includes:

• comprehensive 138 question assessment to identify your mind-body type and any imbalances you are currently experiencing.

• 2 hour consultation with the Nashville Ayurveda team.

• customized and comprehensive follow up plan to implement life-changing Ayurveda practices.

We’re here to help you achieve a level of health you never knew was possible!

Remember, each person’s wellness journey is personal and unique. Find what works best for you, and honor your body's wisdom in guiding you toward balance and vitality.

Cheat Sheet of All 10 Principles

These simple practices not only support physical health but also promote mental clarity and emotional balance.

Our hope is that these principles bring you greater wellbeing in all areas of your life.

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** The information provided in this post is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a medical doctor or qualified healthcare provider before attempting any new health practices or routines.