Ayurveda is something that most people have heard of, but only a few have scratched the surface of the complex history that lies behind this ancient practice of medicine.
More than just a selection of ingredients to help improve your physical health, Ayurveda is a body of wisdom designed to support both your mental and physical state and enable you to achieve greater human potential.
The two main tenets of Ayurveda are:
1) The mind has a powerful effect on healing and transforming the body
2) The body is inextricably linked with the mind
In Ayurveda, certain ingredients such as Ginger, Ashwagandha, Turmeric and Cinnamon form the nutritional basis for self-improvement and freedom from illness. While there are more components to the overall philosophy, such as exercise and mindfulness, this is a good place to start. Here’s a look at some of the important superfoods in Ayurveda.
Ginger
Ginger’s delicious taste and versatility in recipes make it a highly prized superfood in Ayurveda. With the ability to soothe pain and ease stomach problems, the raw superfood root, powder supplements or tablets can offer a useful addition to your weekly diet.
Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, Ginger can be used to avoid the long-term effects of swelling that might be caused by injury or damage to your joints and muscles. Ginger also relaxes your intestines and can be used to naturally stimulate appetite and improve digestion, giving your body a better chance of making the most of the nutrients in your diet.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is one of the most important medicinal herbs in Ayurvedic medicine. As an adaptogenic herb, it has long been used as a remedy to stress, anxiety, and mood swings. With this ability to help you cope with the pressures of modern life, it has been known to alleviate insomnia and sleepless nights, offering your body higher energy levels due to balanced energy cycles throughout the day and night.
Ceylon Cinnamon
Cinnamon is an amazing warming spice with numerous health benefits. Rich in antioxidants it can help fight off unwanted free radicals and keep your body in good working order by helping your body’s cells avoid damage.
Superfoods like Ceylon Cinnamon are also great at reducing swelling in a natural way due to its anti-inflammatory properties that could help you avoid long-term health issues like diabetes and heart disease.
Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the world’s favourite superfoods. Even outside of India where Ayurveda originates from, Turmeric is widely used in food and drink recipes to offer many benefits to the body.
It contains the active ingredient curcumin – an antioxidant that demonstrates powerful anti-inflammatory properties that can help with conditions such as arthritis and other joint and muscle related injuries. In Ayurvedic medicine, Turmeric powder is eaten in curries, added to golden milk and even made into a paste as a treatment for arthritis and skin conditions.
Getting started with Ayurveda
Ultimately, Ayurveda isn’t just a quick fix for you various health concerns or lack of a balanced diet. To truly benefit from this discipline, you must uncover a greater awareness of yourself, what you eat and how you think. Much like Yoga, the real benefits of Ayurveda far surpass the simple physical improvements you might be able to achieve, bringing an overall balance to your life.
