AGNI
Food is one of the three pillars of life; when incorporated in an appropriate way, it gives us enormous benefits to continue a healthy life. According to Ayurveda food is defined as an edible substance which gives nutrition to body. It can be classified into various type of food which can be bitten (hard nuts) into pieces, licked from plate (dips), liquids which can be taken as drink (buttermilk, soup, water) with food and which are soft for eating (rice, breads). Having the appropriate quantity of food i.e. having a proper diet helps to get different benefits which includes healthy life, good complexion and immunity. For our daily activities, it helps in building up of our body and helps maintain our digestive fire too. May be looking at benefits one might think I have learnt this aspect many times but more important is you do not get any of them when you do not have proper food or diet. Yes, maybe you are breathing and alive but not having your full potential at various times of the day. You might not be as immune as you easily catch cold or cough in cold season. These are just examples which can vary from person to person.
However, all these benefits are gained only if person eats
Appropriate quantity according to his/her agni
At a proper time
Following dietetic rules
Agni or digestive fire is among important concepts in Ayurveda. Ayurveda states mandagni i.e disturbed state of digestive fire is cause of all diseases.
Digestive fire gives capacity to a person to digest his/her food and obtain energy. To state it’s importance I would say, we are dead in absence of this fire. And to give another example of Importance of Agni, In India we have a custom to pray to this agni before having meals.
Only when we eat according to our digestive fire we can sustain a good, healthy life. To give you a small example, when we light up a campfire we do not add all logs at same time, instead slowly and steadily we give small twigs and branches to keep it kindled. Same applies for our digestive fire, we should eat in right amount and at right time. Eating small quantity won't really help nor ever big quantity at one time.
Yes! Every person has different digestive capacity thus quantity varies from person to person. Digestive capacity is the capacity to digest the food he/she consumes so, to utilize for above benefits. You can always eat more or less than your digestive capacity but then digestion is hampered to give you low benefits or even bad effects from the food you eat.
Stay Tuned for more on this topic coming Wednesday. You can drop me e-mail on vd.manasijoshi@gmail.com