Why is the Ayurvedic diet important to follow?

Suchitra hails from Haryana in India. She has grown up eating chapatis, paranthas, seasonal vegetables, and non-vegetarian foods. A few years ago, she developed rashes on her skin. She went to a dermatologist who recommended a steroid cream to apply daily and antihistamine tablets to swallow whenever rashes occurred. She followed the doctor’s advice, but the rashes wouldn’t go away.

Suchitra couldn’t understand what was happening to her. Her skin had lost its sheen, and it had darkened. One could tell she had lost her enthusiasm. After about eighteen months, one of their friends recommended that she consult an Ayurveda specialist. She found her way around and registered an appointment to consult with me.

After her pulse examination and evaluation, I noticed that she had elevated bile and liver enzyme secretions, which caused gluten allergy. This meant that her body would throw up a reaction every time she consumed chapatis or paranthas. It was important to study the root cause of her symptoms. It pointed towards her lifestyle, food habits, and emotional distress. The body, which at one time could digest wheat, had changed. The same food was poison now. Not only wheat but even garlic and certain other vegetables such as brinjal and bitter gourd were also aggravating her symptoms, which she was unaware of. A treatment plan was to be prepared to put certain grains and cereals on the avoid list.

Our emotions create food cravings. Most people are either ignorant or give in to their food cravings. Unhappiness draws you to eat more sweets, as people say they have a sweet tooth. Anger draws you to eat more garlic, chicken and red meat. Fear creates a craving to snack frequently. These actions affect our internal organs.

The first step in preparing the Ayurvedic treatment plan is to arrest or reduce the symptom even before treating it. The correct way to achieve this objective is by removing all those food products and ingredients, such as grains, cereals, dry fruits, vegetables, fruits, dairy and junk foods, which aggravate the symptom. We are not fixing the issue if we do any treatments without correcting the diet. We are only suppressing the symptoms, which is not a cure.

For a complete cure, we need to start you on the right diet for your body. Your participation is important in restoring your health.

— Dr Mahesh Krishnamurthy