Whenever we talk about the Ayurvedic diet, we always recommend eating foods that are fresh and organic. From the Ayurvedic point of view, there are two primary reasons why it's important to eat foods as close to nature as possible.
Digestion
Leftovers and refined, preserved, canned and processed foods are harder on the digestion than fresh foods that are cooked right before they are served. When the food you eat is not properly digested, ama can accumulate in the physiology. Ama is the Ayurvedic term for digestive impurities, which are considered the breeding ground of imbalance in Ayurveda.
Energy
Fresh foods contain prana, or life-giving energy. The more you eat of life-giving foods, the more health and longevity you are likely to enjoy. As foods sit around on supermarket shelves, or even in your refrigerator, they lose some of this life force. Food grown with the aid of chemical fertilizers or sprays is equally diminished in natural life energy.
Ayurveda considers food to be very powerful medicine. Why not make the best use of the foods you prepare and eat by choosing fresh, organic foods filled with prana?
Fresh produce and the Ayurvedic Diet
Many cities and towns now host farmers markets, where trucks loaded with produce from nearby farms drop off their cargoes of fresh fruits and vegetables. Why not make visits to these markets a part of your shopping routine? In most cases, the produce will have been picked the day before, and the fruits and vegetables will be fresh and bursting with flavor.
If you grow your own vegetables, you'll know that the tomato you pick off the vine is far superior to the one you pick off the produce shelf at the supermarket. It's true that you may pay more for your produce, but you'll get value for your money; what's more, you'll be helping small farmers survive and produce specialty items that supermarket chains and agriculture conglomerates don't consider big business.
Modern nutritionists concur that fresh is better. Food that spends weeks in transportation has lost much of its vitamin content by the time it finds its way to your Crock-Pot or saucepan. Supermarket fruits are often artificially ripened (or ripened in transit) rather than on the tree, bush, or vine—where the sun, rain and air coax them to the peak of their juiciness and sweetness.
Of course, farmers markets carry only fruits or vegetables that are in season, but that's part of the adventure! Once you've experienced the nuances of flavor and texture offered by truly fresh produce, you'll be willing to build your menus around what's available. And herbs and spices can always dress up any vegetable with flair.
Food that is certified organic is grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers that are harmful to individual and environmental health, as confirmed by an independent certifying body.
So check out your local farmers market this weekend! You'll fill your shopping basket with prana while supporting your community farmers at the same time.
Once your fridge is full of organic produce, check out our Ayurvedic recipe collection for delicious cooking ideas.
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