Abstract

IMPORTANCE OF AHARA (DIET) WITH RESPECT TO DIFFERENT DIETETIC PRINCIPLES IN AYURVEDA

*Dr. Bhanu Pratap Singh and Dr. Om Prakash Dadhich

Abstract

Ahara is one of the Upasthambha described in Ayurveda. Ahara is one of the main factors provided by nature for healthy long life of human beings. In ancient classics much significance has been given to Ahara, for the promotion of health and prevention of diseases. Physical, mental, social, intellectual, emotional and spiritual, these all proportions of health could be balanced by taking genial diet. According to Ayurveda the diet which nourishes both the mental and physical built is called "balanced diet". Apart from this, Ayurveda has described many more dietetic principles about Ahara, like quantity for different individual, manner to take Ahara, manner of serving Ahara, elemental constitution, and mode of preparation, habitat, combination, time and season of intake, body constitution and Agnibala etc.

Keywords: Ahara, Ayurveda, balanced diet, Upasthambha.