Ayurvedic Nutrition European Ayurveda Resort Mandira Styria in Austria
Ayurvedic Nutrition European Ayurveda

Tasty Ayurveda:

AYURVEDIC THE PATH TO HOLISTIC WELLBEING STARTS WITH NUTRITION

Nutrition is central to Ayurveda. Since diet plays an essential role in maintaining good physical and mental health, we at the Ayurveda Resort Mandira in Bad Waltersdorf serve the freshest, tastiest dishes based on Ayurvedic principles, but tailored to the European palate and using local produce. Our Mandira Ahara Ayurvedic cuisine is available in four nutritional levels.

Light and easily digestible, your Mandira Ahara Ayurvedic cuisine meals cleanse and detoxify, providing optimal support during your treatment programme. And they taste amazing, too! Our chef, Markus Lengauer, is a master at conjuring up mouthwatering Ayurvedic dishes using top-quality ingredients.

Ayurvedische Ernährung Ayurveda Resort Mandira Bad Waltersdorf Steiermark Mandira Ahara

MANDIRA AHARA AYURVEDIC CUISINE: REGIONAL NUTRITION BASED ON AYURVEDA

Nutrition based on Ayurvedic principles doesn’t necessitate the use of exotic foods. The real emphasis in Ayurveda is that food should do us the world of good. That’s why we developed the concept of Mandira Ahara Ayurvedic cuisine. Taking into account the basic principles of Ayurveda, it is geared towards European culinary preferences and habits, using foods commonly grown in Europe. This is entirely in line with Ayurvedic philosophy, which teaches that our bodies find it easiest to digest foods grown in the soil on which we were raised.

We therefore believe that we must make the most of the delicious food grown regionally and locally. And there is plenty of room for culinary experimentation: our kitchen team channel their enthusiasm and creativity into combining Indian and Austrian traditions, marrying produce from Styrian farms with Indian ingredients such as chickpeas and lentils.

Mandira Ahara Ayurvedic cuisine is meat free to ensure the digestive system is not subjected to any unnecessary stress. Also, a vegetarian diet supports detoxification and is particularly conducive to inner clarity and energy. Ayurvedic nutrition is available in four stages and adapted to your specific programme and needs.

basic principles of Ayurvedic nutrition

Essentially, Ayurvedic nutrition is about eating mindfully and in moderation to meet our individual requirements. We should consume the freshest, highest-quality foods possible, taking our time to enjoy meals that have been prepared with care. Ideally, we should dine in a calm and pleasant atmosphere without distractions.

Light, hot meals

Ayurvedic cuisine favours easily digestible, warm, cooked foods. Raw foods are only occasionally recommended. Avoid large quantities of cheese, fish, meat and fatty foods. You should also observe a gap of three to four hours between meals, with minimal snacking, to support the digestion process.

The right combination matters

Eating the right combination of foods is key. Animal proteins (meat, fish, eggs) and dairy products should not be consumed together as this creates metabolic waste (Ama). Grains and potatoes are best served with vegetables or salad, while rice counts as a light food and can be combined with anything.

Herbs and spices

Herbs and spices are a staple of Ayurvedic nutrition. In India, where they are considered sacred, spices are used liberally since, aside from their superb flavour, herbs and spices are prized for their healing power. In Holistic Ayurveda, we have developed recipes that make use of local herbs that correspond to their Indian counterparts in terms of their healing efficacy.

basic principles of Ayurvedic nutrition

Essentially, Ayurvedic nutrition is about eating mindfully and in moderation to meet our individual requirements. We should consume the freshest, highest-quality foods possible, taking our time to enjoy meals that have been prepared with care. Ideally, we should dine in a calm and pleasant atmosphere without distractions.

Light, hot meals

Ayurvedic cuisine favours easily digestible, warm, cooked foods. Raw foods are only occasionally recommended. Avoid large quantities of cheese, fish, meat and fatty foods. You should also observe a gap of three to four hours between meals, with minimal snacking, to support the digestion process.

The right combination matters

Eating the right combination of foods is key. Animal proteins (meat, fish, eggs) and dairy products should not be consumed together as this creates metabolic waste (Ama). Grains and potatoes are best served with vegetables or salad, while rice counts as a light food and can be combined with anything.

Herbs and spices

Herbs and spices are a staple of Ayurvedic nutrition. In India, where they are considered sacred, spices are used liberally since, aside from their superb flavour, herbs and spices are prized for their healing power. In Holistic Ayurveda, we have developed recipes that make use of local herbs that correspond to their Indian counterparts in terms of their healing efficacy.

Ayurveda Ernährung maßgeschneidert im European Ayurveda
Ayurveda’s golden rule: nutrition is determined by constitutional type

Ayurvedic teaching places a great deal of importance on each person’s individual constitution. When it comes to nutrition, ‘one man’s meat is another man’s poison’! The optimal diet doesn’t look the same for everyone, rather it is determined by individual type. Ayurveda teaches that the three vital energies, Vata, Pitta and Kapha, are present in everyone. People generally fall into one of the three categories depending on their dominant energy (Dosha). With the right diet, the Doshas can be brought into balance. According to Ayurvedic teaching, a person’s specific Dosha type determines the right diet for them.

Ayurveda Ernährung maßgeschneidert im European Ayurveda
Ayurveda’s golden rule: nutrition is determined by constitutional type

Ayurvedic teaching places a great deal of importance on each person’s individual constitution. When it comes to nutrition, ‘one man’s meat is another man’s poison’! The optimal diet doesn’t look the same for everyone, rather it is determined by individual type. Ayurveda teaches that the three vital energies, Vata, Pitta and Kapha, are present in everyone. People generally fall into one of the three categories depending on their dominant energy (Dosha). With the right diet, the Doshas can be brought into balance. According to Ayurvedic teaching, a person’s specific Dosha type determines the right diet for them.

Ayurvedic nutrition for Vata types

Vata types tend to be flexible and dynamic, but prone to anxiety and stress. Vata types should eat regularly to restore balance. Warm, comforting meals balance tension in the Vata Dosha. Sweet, sour and salty tastes are recommended.

Ayurvedic nutrition for Pitta types

Strong Pitta types are assertive and full of energy, but can come across as dominant and irritable. Pitta types can cool their fiery temperament by consuming cool or moderately warm foods and drinks. They should reduce their intake of spicy and sour foods, and instead choose sweet, bitter and astringent dishes.

Ayurvedic nutrition for Kapha types

Kapha types are patient, reliable and maintain emotional stability in stressful situations. An excess of the Kapha Dosha sometimes creates a tendency towards idleness and weight gain. A suitable diet for this type is light, ideally warm foods and drinks, and spicy, bitter and astringent foods. Kapha types should avoid rich, fatty meals and cold foods.

Strengthening the Agni: digestion in Ayurvedic nutrition

Ayurvedic teachings tell us that good digestion is the key to health, and that nutrition can strengthen digestive fire (Agni). To fuel the Agni, make sure you eat Dosha type-appropriate dishes. It is advisable to leave a gap of a few hours between meals, as undigested food causes digestive problems.

We should also eat in harmony with our biorhythms. The digestive fire is at its strongest at midday, so make lunch your main meal. In the morning, however, when digestion is weak, enjoy a light breakfast, for example warm porridge.

Ayurvedic nutrition
Ayurvedic nutrition
AYURVEDIC NUTRITION PHILOSOPHY

Guests embarking on an Ayurvedic journey at the Ayurveda Resort Mandira enjoy a somewhat different full-board experience. The resort’s Mandira Ahara Ayurvedic cuisine combines Indian and native herbs with regionally sourced products to make delicious vegetarian dishes that are integral to Ayurvedic healing. The Mandira’s CEO, Christina Mauracher, has spent many years studying the Ayurvedic diet and answers some of our most pressing questions.

Ayurveda distinguishes six tastes – sweet, sour, salty, pungent (spicy), astringent and bitter – which are generated by a food’s dominant element and that have aggravating or pacifying effects on the person, depending on their dominant Dosha. An Ayurvedic diet boosts your Ojas – or essence of vitality – which strengthens the body‘s defences and vital functions. Metabolism and digestion are also important for a strong Ojas. This is where the Panchakarma and Rasayana treatment programmes can be extremely helpful.

Ayurveda accepts meat as food and even recommends it as therapy for people who need physical and mental stamina, or who are convalescing after prolonged illness. The guidelines are that you should choose quality over quantity, paying attention to welfare standards. Fish and poultry are preferable.

Carbohydrates, which are central to the Ayurvedic diet, are converted into sugars as soon as you start to chew. These sugars are polysaccharides, which consist of several complex sugar chains and, together with amino acids and fats, are vital to all physical functions and many mental functions. However, refined sugar and white flour are not part of this group, so you should avoid them and opt instead for whole carbohydrates such as wholegrain flour.

We are each born with different constitutions or Doshas. The individuality of the Doshas is determined by the elements. Vata, for instance, is dominated by the element of air, while fire dominates Pitta and Kapha is controlled by water. According to Ayurvedic teachings, good health requires the Doshas to be in balance. This equilibrium is affected by our diet and lifestyle, and the foods we eat are also each dominated by the elements. Sweet foods (carbohydrates) are associated with the elements of earth and water, sour foods with the elements of fire and earth, and so on. A balanced, Dosh-aappropriate meal should therefore contain opposing elements. Broccoli soup, for example, is bitter, astringent and sweet. Adding spices make it hot and salty.

The first step is to get to grips with basic Ayurvedic principles and implement them at every level of our lives, including nutrition, ensuring that everything we do works with our constitutional type. When you live in line with Ayurveda principles, health and happiness can be achieved through lifestyle and nutrition. It’s up to us to make the right decisions. Our intuition tells us what is good for us and what is not, and it is up to us whether we choose to ignore or heed our inner voice. To change our eating habits, we first need to arrive at this insight before embarking on a thorough study of nutrition.

We again refer to Ojas, the primal life force. By aligning our diet along Ayurvedic principles, we can attain the best possible Ojas. The results are enhanced zest for life, improved sex drive, and deep emotional and psychological contentment. A balanced intake of the six tastes brings about positive feelings, while an unbalanced intake has a negative effect on body and mind.

Ghee is a major ingredient in Ayurvedic cuisine. Aptly dubbed ‘edible gold’, ghee is clarified butter made by heating and skimming off impurities from the surface. This makes the fat very easy to digest. It also has numerous positive effects on the body:

  • Enhances digestion
  • Releases toxins and waste material
  • Reduces inflammation
  • … and much more

Ghee is a gift for Vata and Pitta types, as it increases the ratio of Kapha and harmonises the Doshas.

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HEALTHY AYURVEDIC NUTRITION

Four nutritional levels to suit a specific Ayurveda or spa treatment programme for optimal health results.

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