Food for 'The You'

I always feel that it takes 'out of the box thinking' to make Ayurvedic knowledge contemporary in a user-friendly manner for new-age users and consumers. In the era of medical pluralism, people are easily exposed to sources of information coming from various directions. At times the information is contradictory which leaves the reader confused. The common man needs quick tips instead of a long explanation, yet he expects that those tips should arise from a strong scientific base. Most of the practicing vaidyas deal with this situation in daily practice.

While watching a video of Ms. Rujuta Divekar (I am a big fan of her, simply because, she is the first celebrity who talks on Indian Foods and Indian Foods only) I noticed the similarities of some guidelines in Charaksamhita stating the methodology and rationale of food consumption for a healthy and diseased person. I could not hold back myself from sharing the shloka and the video with you. Fortunately, she has used the word traditional foods, though not Ayurveda. 

In this video, titled Mental Meal map, after general guideline, she talks about how to calculate one's portion size - Aharmatra. Not only that, but she has also matched it with current knowledge of proteins, carbs and has pointed out societal needs.

1. तत्रेदमाहारविधिविधानमरोगाणामातुराणां चापि केषाञ्चित् काले प्रकृत्यैव हिततमं भुञ्जानानां भवति- उष्णं, स्निग्धं, मात्रावत्, जीर्णे वीर्याविरुद्धम्, इष्टे देशे, इष्टसर्वोपकरणं, नातिद्रुतं, नातिविलम्बितम्, अजल्पन्, अहसन्, तन्मना भुञ्जीत, आत्मानमभिसमीक्ष्य सम्यक् ॥२४॥

2. आत्मानमभिसमीक्ष्य भुञ्जीत सम्यक्; इदं ममोपशेते इदं नोपशेत इत्येवं विदितं ह्यस्यात्मन आत्मसात्म्यं भवति; तस्मादात्मानमभिसमीक्ष्य भुञ्जीत सम्यगिति ॥२५॥

(चरकसंहिता विमानस्थान १/२४-२५)
3. त्रिविधं कुक्षौ स्थापयेदवकाशांशमाहारस्याहारमुपयुञ्जानः; तद्यथा- एकमवकाशांशं मूर्तानामाहारविकाराणाम्, एकं द्रवाणाम्, एकं पुनर्वातपित्तश्लेष्मणाम्; एतावतीं ह्याहारमात्रामुपयुञ्जानो नामात्राहारजं किञ्चिदशुभं प्राप्नोति ॥३॥
(चरकसंहिता विमानस्थान २/१)


How Much Should I Eat? by Rujuta Divekar