Brought to you by Raja Ayurveda – Ayurveda for the Mind.
- Does Ayurveda say you should be vegetarian or vegan?
- What are the three parameters that Ayurveda uses in terms of nutrition?
- Ayurveda’s definition of Wholesome Food
- The truth is personal, contemporary and relative
- Who should be a vegetarian and who should be a vegan according to the Ayurvedic texts
- The meaning of Itadakimasu
- Can certain foods help you thrive?
- Consider the source
- Nutrition has history
- Ahimsa coming up next week
Resources
The Materia Medica of Ayurveda can be found here: https://amzn.to/2CBbh4j
Learn Ayurveda Online at: https://squareup.com/store/training-courses
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Until next time much, much love from both of us!
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Na’maste kala! Which in Greek means: May we all be well!
Audio Transcript
WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:15.590 The Spartan mind strength podcast the podcast for mental grit and resilience 00:00:15.590 --> 00:00:20.900 hosted by Vie Binga and Tim Ganley 00:00:23.750 --> 00:00:29.250 hello everyone this is Tim and this is Vie and we welcome you to another episode of 00:00:29.250 --> 00:00:34.710 our Spartan mind strength podcast today's episode is going to be on yoga 00:00:34.710 --> 00:00:47.570 Ayurveda and vegetarianism we'll be right back stay tuned 00:00:47.570 --> 00:00:55.710 today we're going to be talking about ayurveda yoga vegetarianism 00:00:55.710 --> 00:00:59.910 mm-hmm we've been teaching now well we owned 00:00:59.910 --> 00:01:06.479 the studio for almost 20 years -- yeah -- and we've been teaching Yoga ayurveda for a 00:01:06.479 --> 00:01:13.380 very long time actually even before we owned the studio -- yes -- and every teacher 00:01:13.380 --> 00:01:19.200 training that we've gone through not gone through that we've done the question has 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:25.890 always come up -- what does ayurveda say about nutrition what 00:01:25.890 --> 00:01:32.490 type of food does ayurveda advocate and we are going with ayurveda 00:01:32.490 --> 00:01:38.789 because ayurveda talks about nutrition more than yoga -- actually Yoga really 00:01:38.789 --> 00:01:46.590 doesn't Yoga pushes it off to ayurveda -- exactly yes -- so what does ayurveda say do 00:01:46.590 --> 00:01:53.759 I need to be a vegetarian or a vegan if I am practicing yoga and I'm following 00:01:53.759 --> 00:02:03.500 an ayurvedic lifestyle -- okay that that question has several paths -- good -- ayurveda says 00:02:03.500 --> 00:02:08.300 just so we are all on the same wavelength pun intended 00:02:08.300 --> 00:02:16.730 ayurveda says that there is no black and white everything is gray 00:02:16.730 --> 00:02:24.270 therefore ayurveda doesn't say you need to be a vegetarian you need to 00:02:24.270 --> 00:02:32.220 be a vegan you need to be a carnivore you need to be an omnivore -- what about keto -- yeah 00:02:32.220 --> 00:02:40.640 that would yeah that fits somewhere in there whole foods raw foods plant-based 00:02:40.640 --> 00:02:47.819 ketogenic all that stuff ayurveda unfortunately doesn't use fashionable 00:02:47.819 --> 00:02:53.160 terms like that and I say unfortunately because it would sell better if it was 00:02:53.160 --> 00:03:03.599 packaged prettier but I digress ayurveda says look at three parameters who 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:13.650 the person is -- what's that mean -- in terms of physical mental emotional composition 00:03:13.650 --> 00:03:19.260 and activity do you have any diseases or do you have any tendency towards 00:03:19.260 --> 00:03:27.420 diseases how old are you what is your gender how mentally stable or deranged 00:03:27.420 --> 00:03:35.040 are you what are your emotional tendencies -- deranged -- yes yeah truly yeah 00:03:35.040 --> 00:03:41.760 what are your emotional tendencies what is your daily lifestyle what is your 00:03:41.760 --> 00:03:49.530 level of activity do you sit all day do you climb mountains all day are you a 00:03:49.530 --> 00:03:56.909 priest are you working in the garden stuff like that what -- your activities -- your 00:03:56.909 --> 00:04:02.160 activities yeah what does your day mostly consist of -- what does your work what 00:04:02.160 --> 00:04:11.099 does your play -- exactly yes and the very importantly what stage of your life are 00:04:11.099 --> 00:04:18.090 you that's very important are you a woman who's gonna have babies things 00:04:18.090 --> 00:04:28.110 like that then the second parameter is what food are you talking about how is 00:04:28.110 --> 00:04:32.610 the food prepared where is it coming from 00:04:32.610 --> 00:04:41.430 do you know the source of the food is it clean and when ayurveda was formulated 00:04:41.430 --> 00:04:49.320 clean was a lot simpler than it is today -- no term as organic -- exactly yeah 00:04:49.320 --> 00:04:54.630 they didn't have to everything was organic -- and also you had you didn't eat 00:04:54.630 --> 00:04:59.610 leftovers because they didn't have refrigerators -- exactly so that's what you 00:04:59.610 --> 00:05:08.840 look at is your food wholesome in terms of the source and the cleanliness 00:05:08.840 --> 00:05:12.919 -- so ayurveda doesn't -- and also how it's prepared --- so ayurveda doesn't say 00:05:12.919 --> 00:05:18.440 that you throw away your leftovers -- no -- because I've heard that many times that 00:05:18.440 --> 00:05:25.400 you should never eat leftovers -- no that's again that's based on 00:05:25.400 --> 00:05:32.600 superstition and folklore and arbitrary personal opinions -- okay -- so you think in terms 00:05:32.600 --> 00:05:43.090 of wholesome food in terms of did this food actually follow the path of least 00:05:43.090 --> 00:05:51.889 harm for the environment getting to your table and then the third parameter is 00:05:51.889 --> 00:05:59.750 what is the context in terms of what time of the year are we talking about 00:05:59.750 --> 00:06:06.410 what time of the day are we talking about what type of climate what type of 00:06:06.410 --> 00:06:13.520 weather you're gonna have different food when you are on a high altitude versus 00:06:13.520 --> 00:06:21.280 sea level -- okay so you shouldn't be eating raspberries every day for 365 days -- 00:06:21.280 --> 00:06:28.100 unless you are in a magical place that grows raspberries every day 365 days a 00:06:28.100 --> 00:06:32.000 year -- I would like to be in that magical place -- 00:06:32.080 --> 00:06:38.960 yeah absolutely -- so if you look at ayurveda says you look at the person you 00:06:38.960 --> 00:06:45.830 look at the food and you look at where you live -- yes the context -- okay -- in terms 00:06:45.830 --> 00:06:51.520 of time and space -- okay so now that you've said all that mm-hmm 00:06:51.520 --> 00:07:01.310 what does that mean -- that means that there is no one-size-fits-all the way I 00:07:01.310 --> 00:07:09.490 like to explain it the truth is personal contemporary and relative in terms of 00:07:09.490 --> 00:07:17.289 nutrition in terms of what you as the particular individual should eat you 00:07:17.289 --> 00:07:25.280 decide for yourself what every person eats is not going to be the same or what 00:07:25.280 --> 00:07:31.700 every person should ideally eat according to ayurveda is not going to be 00:07:31.700 --> 00:07:39.680 the same with another person you cannot have two people there is no chance on 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:46.370 earth you cannot have two people that according to ayurveda should be 00:07:46.370 --> 00:07:53.410 following the same diet everyone is unique that's the beauty of ayurveda 00:07:53.410 --> 00:08:01.580 then when we get into being a vegetarian or vegan or a carnivore each person has 00:08:01.580 --> 00:08:06.620 to see how they feel under some of those circumstances so some people would do 00:08:06.620 --> 00:08:10.130 great -- yes -- some people will do terrible -- exactly -- so 00:08:10.130 --> 00:08:16.130 saying that you have to be vegetarian if you're an ayurvedic lifestyle would 00:08:16.130 --> 00:08:21.650 be actually hurting possibly a good percentage of people out there and it 00:08:21.650 --> 00:08:25.190 would be helping a good percentage of people out there because some people 00:08:25.190 --> 00:08:29.630 might be doing really good on that type of diet -- exactly it's like the South 00:08:29.630 --> 00:08:35.600 Beach diet or the Atkins diet or whatever -- Mediterranean -- Mediterranean diet 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:44.090 -- which is completely different now -- yeah yeah yeah that's another podcast -- that's a long podcast -- so yes some people 00:08:44.090 --> 00:08:48.260 are gonna do great and some people are gonna suffer and that is so egotistical 00:08:48.260 --> 00:08:58.820 and that is so silly and that is that shows so much ignorance to say that you 00:08:58.820 --> 00:09:07.370 have to follow this it's nowhere on the texts the main Ayurvedic texts do not 00:09:07.370 --> 00:09:14.960 say anywhere to be a vegetarian or vegan and we are going with that because 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:22.010 that's what most people believe -- so the end there is actually a book in the 00:09:22.010 --> 00:09:26.420 Ayurvedic Texts and it's called -- the materia medica of ayurveda -- say that again 00:09:26.420 --> 00:09:33.230 slower -- the materia medica of ayurveda -- and we'll put that in writing in the notes 00:09:33.230 --> 00:09:37.820 -- yes -- that actually talks about what -- that that talks about what 00:09:37.820 --> 00:09:48.010 type of meat to eat based on the seasons and the diseases or the health 00:09:48.010 --> 00:09:55.940 situations you are addressing and it goes into extreme detail it talks about 00:09:55.940 --> 00:10:05.630 types of animals and birds and fish that I haven't heard of -- and so we're not 00:10:05.630 --> 00:10:11.210 saying that you shouldn't be vegetarian -- no absolutely not -- but we're also not saying that you should 00:10:11.210 --> 00:10:16.070 not be or should be actually I should say that better you can be if it's good 00:10:16.070 --> 00:10:20.780 for you -- yes -- but you don't want to be if it's not good for you -- exactly exactly ayurveda 00:10:20.780 --> 00:10:28.490 says that Mother Nature gave us the animal kingdom the plant kingdom and the 00:10:28.490 --> 00:10:38.300 mineral kingdom and and then it's us the human Kingdom and eating food is all 00:10:38.300 --> 00:10:47.530 about energy exchange between the kingdoms as long as that energy exchange 00:10:47.530 --> 00:10:56.060 takes place with respect and with knowledge you're good -- and I like the 00:10:56.060 --> 00:11:03.140 term from Okinawa itadakimas -- yes -- and it basically gives thanks to 00:11:03.140 --> 00:11:09.700 everything that's on the plate believing that plants also have energy 00:11:09.700 --> 00:11:16.820 just like animals have energy -- life yes exactly yes yeah everything has life yes -- 00:11:16.820 --> 00:11:23.210 so saying that you're eating salad and you just cut it and put it on the plate 00:11:23.210 --> 00:11:33.020 is the same thing in this term as eating some other type an animal -- yes everything 00:11:33.020 --> 00:11:40.100 yeah -- everything has energy -- everything has energy everything has everything is 00:11:40.100 --> 00:11:48.520 life whether we realize it or not so so when we eat no 00:11:48.520 --> 00:11:54.370 matter what that comes from plant kingdom animal kingdom mineral kingdom 00:11:54.370 --> 00:12:01.150 no matter what we are causing an energy exchange you can call it harm breathing 00:12:01.150 --> 00:12:08.380 we are causing harm walking we are causing harm as long as you take the 00:12:08.380 --> 00:12:16.210 path of least harm and you do it with reverence -- okay I want to take a quick 00:12:16.210 --> 00:12:22.470 break and we'll be back in two seconds stay tuned 00:12:24.180 --> 00:12:29.200 -- do you like what you hear the Spartan mind strength podcast is available on 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:34.930 Apple podcast and all other popular podcast destinations please subscribe 00:12:34.930 --> 00:12:39.550 today and consider leaving us a rrating and review it helps us spread the word 00:12:39.550 --> 00:12:44.860 and help others find our content don't forget to leave a comment and any 00:12:44.860 --> 00:12:53.270 questions you may have Tim and Vie would love to hear from you 00:12:53.830 --> 00:12:59.750 -- and we're back again we're talking about does ayurveda say 00:12:59.750 --> 00:13:04.610 that you should be vegetarian or vegan and you're saying no it's each person's 00:13:04.610 --> 00:13:10.400 own preference -- preference -- where do we take this for thriving then does 00:13:10.400 --> 00:13:19.360 thriving make you -- depend on being a vegetarian or vegan or is that what you're asking -- yes can you thrive 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:28.340 with this or what does that mean -- okay thriving means having the best human 00:13:28.340 --> 00:13:35.540 experience according to your own choices -- okay -- because thriving for me may be different 00:13:35.540 --> 00:13:40.820 well it is different than for somebody else that's what ayurveda says in order 00:13:40.820 --> 00:13:51.080 to thrive you need to take in the energy that is best for you it's part of the 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:59.150 economy of action right you need to take in the energy that is best for you for 00:13:59.150 --> 00:14:07.600 your own thriving goals that energy may be coming only from the plant kingdom 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:15.710 which is perfect -- so if you're going and you're meditating and you --it depends it depends 00:14:15.710 --> 00:14:20.270 like we said it depends on the factors -- okay -- right it depends on your 00:14:20.270 --> 00:14:26.450 physical mental and emotional disposition activity level then can you 00:14:26.450 --> 00:14:32.960 get wholesome food from the plant kingdom -- and some people will say yes --and some 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:39.190 people will say yes and some people will say no it depends and then is that 00:14:39.190 --> 00:14:46.850 within the context is that energy change going to be the best based on the 00:14:46.850 --> 00:14:56.150 economy of action for someone else that may not be the case so that's all -- what 00:14:56.150 --> 00:15:00.410 about and this is going to annoy probably a few people what about that 00:15:00.410 --> 00:15:08.600 person that says I am vegetarian and I am or I'm vegan and I'm 24 mm-hm 00:15:08.600 --> 00:15:13.880 and I am a bodybuilder or I am this and it's working perfect for me 00:15:13.880 --> 00:15:19.610 I don't need meat and you shouldn't have meat because you should follow what I'm 00:15:19.610 --> 00:15:28.339 doing -- and that is perfectly fine so you look at how old are you right now 00:15:28.339 --> 00:15:38.360 you are certainly not 24 -- I am 53 -- so how old are you is what you're doing anywhere close 00:15:38.360 --> 00:15:47.170 to what that person is doing and also where do they get their information from 00:15:47.170 --> 00:15:54.290 they say that it has worked for them that person that food that context is 00:15:54.290 --> 00:16:01.880 there any time-tested evidence is there any science like real science not fake 00:16:01.880 --> 00:16:07.010 science evidence where is that information coming from -- and history -- and 00:16:07.010 --> 00:16:12.380 history I like to say consider the source so 00:16:12.380 --> 00:16:18.050 who's telling you this because 24 is pretty young when you're comparing 24 to 00:16:18.050 --> 00:16:26.029 53 I hate to break bring that to you but so consider the 00:16:26.029 --> 00:16:34.670 source and also study what they say based on science and history like you 00:16:34.670 --> 00:16:42.160 said that is major we forget the aspect of history when it comes to nutrition 00:16:42.160 --> 00:16:50.150 it's not just for Wars and all statues and all that nutrition has 00:16:50.150 --> 00:16:56.930 history and that's the time-tested aspect -- and you want to look at the if 00:16:56.930 --> 00:17:02.810 you're wanting to thrive you want to look at cultures that thrived -- exactly and 00:17:02.810 --> 00:17:10.160 and also look at cultures that have thrived and look at the information is it 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:15.329 true because unfortunately a lot of the information we receive 00:17:15.329 --> 00:17:22.980 today is false data the fact that it has been repeated from mouth to mouth from 00:17:22.980 --> 00:17:31.020 guru to student and guru to student and so on doesn't make it true -- but if you 00:17:31.020 --> 00:17:39.360 say it enough times -- yeah exactly if you if you say a lie enough times then 00:17:39.360 --> 00:17:47.730 unfortunately it may become truth that's propaganda actually I call that propaganda -- it doesn't become truth 00:17:47.730 --> 00:17:52.950 it makes people believe it's true -- yes exactly in people's minds 00:17:52.950 --> 00:17:59.940 yeah yep that's that's propaganda -- and we're going to be because we're trying 00:17:59.940 --> 00:18:03.720 to keep these at twenty minutes or less we're gonna be cutting this one now and 00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:14.510 I want to talk next week about the yogic aspect of-- ahimsa -- yes -- also known as 00:18:14.510 --> 00:18:20.370 non-violence -- and I want to get into the food aspect in that also because I've 00:18:20.370 --> 00:18:26.790 been told a lot of times that that vegan vegetarian is ahimsa and I want to 00:18:26.790 --> 00:18:29.940 actually go into that information with you also -- 00:18:29.940 --> 00:18:38.730 yep and see what part is false data and what is not -- exactly -- until next time much 00:18:38.730 --> 00:18:50.970 much love from both of us namaste kala may we all be well -- if you found today's 00:18:50.970 --> 00:18:56.160 show helpful please give us a rating a review or both and subscribe to the 00:18:56.160 --> 00:19:02.490 podcast and never miss an episode as always namaste kala which in greek 00:19:02.490 --> 00:19:08.370 means may we all be well this program copyright true fitness 00:19:08.370 --> 00:19:12.230 incorporated all rights reserved
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