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Your ancestors survived long periods without foods. While regular mealtimes are essential in Ayurveda, snacks are not. Fasting between meals encourages your body to digest fats, and rests your GI tract. It may take awhile before you are comfortable with a feeling of emptiness in your stomach.
If you graze all day, your body will actually forget how to survive fasting between meals. Your blood sugar , and your energy levels will become very unstable. Anytime your snacks are missing or unavailable, blood sugar levels will crash, leaving you hypoglycemic, depressed, and very vulnerable to food cravings. When your energy levels start to crash like this, waiting until dinner might seem like an eternity. Emergency trips to the vending machine and binging are the inevitable result. Snacking makes you dependent on more snacks.
Fasting between meals gives your digestive organs a chance to rest, and improves your body's willingness to digest fats, a more stable source of energy than a late afternoon 'pick me up'.
Why do I get the munchies?
When trying to unravel to mystery of your snack habits, consider these questions:
What kinds of snacks do you crave?
What time of day do you feel the desire to snack?
Having the munchies doesn't always mean you are hungry. Sometimes, unmet needs trigger hunger instead. Start to notice how these discomforts often masquerade as hunger.
Are you thirsty instead of hungry? Thirst masquerades as hunger. Have a little water and then re-assess your hunger.
Are you cold instead of hungry? The sensation of cold makes you want "something." If you crave something to warm you up, try going for hot ginger tea instead of a cookie.
Are you exhausted instead of hungry? If you are at work and your mind is getting tired, you might need a fifteen minute walk to perk up your circulation and freshen up. This will improve your productivity and clarity as well.
Are you tired, bored, stressed, lonely? Food is a tempting way to nurture painful emotions.
What are the Best Snacks for My Body Type?
If you must snack, snack strategically. Eat light foods for your Dosha that are easy to digest. Wheat crackers, cheese, granola and nuts are generally too heavy for snacking.
Vata Snacks
Many Vata people cannot digest large meals and may need to supplement their diet by snacking once a day at a regular time. Vata should avoid snacking on drying foods like popcorn, crackers, chips, granola, dried fruits, and nuts. Avoid heavy foods like bread as well. Ideal Vata snacks are liquid and easy to digest.
Sattvic foods promote awareness and a refreshed mind by nourishing the body without taxing digestion. Sattvic foods do not stimulate desire or nervous energy. They create clarity instead of drowsiness or heaviness.
Ojas is the essence of healthy tissue, immunity, stable energy and happiness. Substances that improve ojas are recommended after long-term illness, debility, emotional and physical trauma, and even sadness.
An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias. Generally, liver tonics are oily, cool, sweet, mildly sour, or contain beta-carotene.
An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals that lead to a chain reaction causing damage or death to cells. Antioxidants terminate these oxidation reactions.
Rajasic foods stimulate desire or nervous energy. Red meat, high protein food, garlic and onions stimulate desire. Rajasic foods include chili peppers, coffee, and anything that stimulates movement.
In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.
Bland means doesn't have much taste. In Chinese medicine, bland taste refers to afood without little macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy.
Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.
Geriatric conditions typically involve low agni / metabolism, poor circulation, weakness & debility, muscle weakening, poor digestion, a drop in sex hormones, and connective tissue degradation in bones & skin.
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a
healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda biocharacteristics.
His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful.
John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda,
offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.
John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel,
as well as public service work in South Asia.
John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem.
His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion.
John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing.
In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots,
and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church.
Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick.
That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well.
Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 6 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.
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