How to eat right as per Ayurveda, no one-size-fits-all diet

Ayurveda highlights that there is no one-size-fits-all diet that can fix everyone's problems because no two people are alike and no two people have exactly the same nutritional needs.

Health practitioners of ancient science determine what an optimum diet for a person is based on their constitution which is referred to as their dosha type or mind-body type. However, there are some basic rules that everyone can rely on.

According to Ayurveda, increasing the intake of foods rich in prana is the best way to raise ojas, the life force in the body. And foods rich in prana come directly from the earth. Their prana is the result of the fusion of the energies of the sun, the water, and the earth. Some such whole foods are almonds which Ayurveda covets for their high nutritional value and ability to balance vata.

In many medicinal formulations found in the ancient Indian medical system, almonds are called a rejuvenator, tonic, and nourishing nutraceutical product (functional food). It can help with weakness and frailty that comes with diabetes, says Ayurveda expert Nikita Kohli.

You should also make dinner your lightest meal and lunch the heaviest because your digestive fire is at its peak at midday when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. You are more likely to be able to digest and assimilate food at this time. For dinner, eat a lighter meal at least three hours prior to sleep. You should also try to sleep at or before 10 pm. Eating a heavy meal at supper will hinder the rest and repair cycle that happens at night.

Indian families are often seen encouraging children to lick the plate clean. But Ayurveda disagrees and says you should only eat until you are satisfied. If you are about to burp, it is a sign that you are full. Consuming meagre portions and overeating are equally bad. The 70-30 rule says 70% of your stomach should be filled and 30% should be empty.