Healthy Ways Via Ayurveda

Ayurveda is an alternative or complementary system of traditional medicine invented in India. The focus is mainly on keeping the body's five elements in balance for good health. Certain foods, eaten in accordance with the four seasons and your particular constitution (or dosha) are also part of practicing Ayurvedic principles.

Oftentimes, going into a new season like the one we're in now, disrupts the body's balance, and if you've been feeling more tired, crankier, or like you're fighting something off, and aren't crazy about popping pills or drinking copious amounts of coffee or Red Bull just to feel awake, maybe Ayurveda can hold some promise for you.

Yoga Journal provides a list of some of the best healing foods suggested in Ayurveda for their ability to "enliven your body, stimulate its repair and rejuvenate." With that ringing endorsement, who wouldn't want to incorporate these into their daily regimen?

For instance, did you know that dates and figs can help repair tissue? They are also good sources of energy. Eat one or two every day.

Ginger is called the "universal medicine." To aid digestion, sprinkle a thin slice of fresh ginger with lemon juice and salt, and eat 30 minutes before a meal.

Mung Beans are extremely nourishing and easily digested making them among the top choice for legumes. Mix them with rice for a balanced meal.

To help clear out toxins in the body, drink warm water mixed with a pinch of powdered cumin and ginger first thing in the morning.

Try these, and the rest of the foods listed here, for at least a week (along with a sensible diet) and see if you feel a little better. Who knows, you might just feel a whole lot better?

Photo courtesy of Lotus Head@sxc.hu.