5 Simple Ways to Incorporate Ayurveda Into Your Daily Routine

If you are looking to adopt an Ayurvedic diet or lifestyle but do not know where to begin, here are 5 simple ways that will allow you to transition into a healthier lifestyle, smoothly and with ease!

Ayurveda originated in ancient India about 5,000 years ago. It is a holistic method to balance the mind, body, and soul.  

Today, Ayurveda has grown in leaps and bounds all over the world. The medicines, therapies, diets have been incorporated and followed as an alternative therapeutic remedy to a number of ailments. 

We look at following some  simple dietary practices you can incorporate daily, in order to activate the wisdom and energy, already existing inside the body. 

Here are 5 simple ways to enjoy the benefits of incorporating Ayurveda into you daily life:

1. Warm Drinks on An Empty Stomach in The Morning 

The first drink in the morning should be warm water or tea. Coffee should not be consumed as it overstimulates the body. 

According to Ayurveda, it activates the digestive system before consuming food. It acts as a wake-up call for the digestive system. 

A concoction or decocotion of cumin, coriander, and fennel seed tea or CCF tea- a mix of these herbs are said to balance the doshas in the body.  Simmer the herbs in hot water for about 10 minutes before sipping it afterwards.  Any anti-inflammatory herbal drink ( a decoction of haldi water), or simple warm lemon water is a great way to kickstart your systems in the morning. 

2. Soft Food for Breakfast

Breakfast should ideally consist of warm, soft food and it should not be too hard to digest.  It can consist of oatmeal, porridge, or vegetable stew or any other variety, keeping in mind the consistency of the meal. The food has to be absorbed by the body before lunchtime. 

3. Maintain Gaps Between Meals 

There should be gaps between meals for at least four to six hours. It should not be confused with fasting. The body requires some minimum amount of time to digest the last meal before the next one is consumed. As per Ayurveda, the digestive system gets to work each time a meal is taken, and eating without gaps, activates the digestive system each time. As a result, the system is denied the much-needed rest that it requires.

4. Be Aware of The Portions You Consume

The volume of food that you consume at different times of the day is  a key quotient in Ayurveda. Breakfast and dinner should consist of small portions of your  meal while, at lunchtime, the maximum amount should be consumed. This is because the digestive system follows the position of the sun, so even a heavy meal consumed during lunchtime is digested properly.

5. Frequency of Drinking Water

The colon needs to be well hydrated for the proper functioning of the digestive system. Small sips of water should be taken every 20 minutes and ice or chilled water should be avoided. The water temperature should be comfortable for the internal organs so that there is no excess burning of energy. The ideal temperature of the liquid should be a little above room temperature. 

Herbal tea or warm water are alternatives but drinking fluids should be continuous as per the mentioned interval. Here is a tip: if you feel thirsty every 20 minutes, then this could be an indication that your  body is almost always dehydrated.

These 5 basic principles can be initiated to see the effects on the body. If your body responds positively, then the other Ayurvedic practices can also be adopted over time. After all, Ayurveda may be a very ancient process but its health benefits are priceless, especially in our current lives and stressful modern day living.