12/09/2022
Immunity Boosting Foods As per Ayurveda
By now, you must have understood the importance of a strong immune system. The pandemic has shown us that despite the advancements in modern medicines, good immunity still remains the “drug of choice”. But, how do you achieve it?
Strong immunity results from your conscious efforts that are put in to protect your health. Ayurveda suggests healthy diets [1] and good lifestyle routines to boost your body’s natural defenses.
Which Foods Boost The Immune System?
As per Ayurveda, maintaining the balance of tridoshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha is the way to nurture and maintain a healthy immune system. Your diet plays a predominant role in helping you attain equilibrium in your doshas.
Foods That Weaken The Immune System
Caffeinated Drinks,Sugary Foods And Drinks, Processed Foods, Refined Carbohydrates,Alcoholic Beverages
Below are some powerful immune-boosting foods that you can include in your daily meals based on your dosha levels.
1. Turmeric
Turmeric is hot in potency. It is light, clears Kapha, promotes healthy Pitta, and kindles the metabolic fire. Its action on the metabolism makes it a valued drug in the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus and other kinds of Meha (urinary disorders). It is a revered detoxifier, described as ‘Vishodhini and Vishanut’ in Ayurvedic texts. It reduces inflammation and is excellent for wound healing, bone health, eyes, and skin.
How To Consume Turmeric Daily?
You can take a pinch of turmeric along with a tablespoon of fresh aloe vera leaf-gel as the first thing in the morning. This helps relieve bowels, regulate hormones, and boosts metabolism.
Take ¼ tsp turmeric powder plus a spoonful of amla powder early in the morning with warm water. This boosts metabolism and helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Add ¼ tsp of turmeric powder to a fresh paste of neem leaves and consume it in the morning. It helps to relieve allergies, clears the blood, and promotes skin health.
Warm turmeric milk with powdered black pepper is very comforting, boosts bone health, and relieves inflammation when taken at bedtime.
Turmeric is a warm spice, and hence you should use it in moderation by Pitta dominants, especially in warmer seasons.
2. Amla
Amla is said to possess all tastes except Lavana (Salty). It is Tridoshahara but is frequently chosen for Pitta dosha correction as it is cool in potency. Amla is listed under the ten best drugs that prevent aging by Acharya Charak. It is excellent for eyes, skin, hair, and digestion. It boosts metabolism and is frequently prescribed in Ayurveda for treating diabetes and promoting heart health. It is a Rasayana that helps in building immunity and delaying aging.
How To Consume Amla Daily?
Take a tsp of amla powder with lukewarm honey water first thing in the morning. This promotes healthy bowel movement, aids weight loss, boosts metabolism, and prevents acid reflux in your body throughout the day.
Mix a spoonful of amla with warm ghee and take it at bedtime. This helps in improving hair health, preventing greying, and strengthening your eyesight.
A juice prepared by crushing 4-5 fresh amlas with added ginger and wet turmeric in little amounts can help you with allergies, asthma. It also promotes lung health.
Amla may trigger dryness sometimes and can also cause increased bowel movements. Make sure you maintain good hydration in such an event and also reduce the daily dosage.
3. Garlic
Garlic is a hot herb and balances the Kapha and Vata dosha. It increases Pitta and should be used with caution in hot months and by the people with hot temperament. Garlic [3] has all the tastes except sour. It prevents aging and is valued for its positive effect on Vata dosha. Garlic promotes skin health and digestion.
How To Consume Garlic Daily?
Boil a crushed pod of garlic in a mix of ½ cup of milk and ½ cup of water. Continue to boil it till it becomes half. Strain it and add a little amount of sugar to it. Take this as the first thing in the morning. This helps you keep up the bone health and reduces undigested toxins (Ama) from your system.
Boil a pod of garlic along with a spoon of powdered methi seeds in a mix of half cup of water and half cup of milk. Continue boiling it till half a cup remains. Take this with ½ spoon of castor oil and a little sugar. This drink, when taken early in the morning, acts as an excellent anti-inflammatory. It improves bone health, digests toxins, and aids gut health.
Crush a couple of garlic pods and form a paste. This can be taken with warm water. This can help you relieve cough and congestions.
Garlic is a very hot spice and should be taken with caution by women who suffer from heavy me**es, and people who frequently suffer from hyperacidity.
4. Green Tea
Green tea is definitely not on the list of traditional immunity boosters but it makes a great health drink. The effect can be ascribed to its Pitta and Kapha allaying attributes. It is cool in potency and is Kashaya (Astringent) - Tikta (Bitter) dominant. According to Ayurveda, astringent and bitter tastes clear the toxins from the blood, lower the circulating fats, and clear the channels in your body.
How To Consume Green Tea Daily?
Take green tea with a dash of lemon and honey. However, honey should be added only when the tea temperature is low enough for one to drink. This can aid gut health, boost metabolism, and benefit the liver.
Green tea with added tulsi, ginger, cinnamon, and a sweetener of choice, is a great comfort drink for the respiratory system.
Excessive consumption of green tea can trigger Vata, making the body dry and nervous. Green tea has a significant amount of caffeine and one should be wary of its over-consumption.
5. Triphala
Triphala is a combination of amla, baheda, and haritaki in equal proportions. Though triphala is a popular Ayurvedic medicine known mostly for its effect on the bowel movement, this combination is definitely a lot more than that. These three herbs are excellent Rasayana, which prevents diseases and aging. Triphala works well for Kapha - Pitta dominants. It boosts metabolism, improves eyesight, prevents greying, and promotes hair growth.
How To Include These Herb Combos In Your Diet?
Add a pinch of trikatu to hot soups, sprinkle it over rice with warm ghee to take it with curds/buttermilk.
You can take a teaspoonful of trikatu with honey or take it with warm water in an event of a respiratory tract infection.
A teaspoonful of trikatu when taken with warm water aids digestion.
Add a pinch of tri sugandhi to curd/buttermilk. Trisugandhi imparts a deep flavor to hot soups and you can also sprinkle it on rice with warm ghee.
Take a spoon of tri sugandhi and lick it with honey. This helps to relieve throat irritation.
Add a pinch of tri sugandhi to a cup of hot green tea.
Take a spoon of triphala with warm water early in the morning. It aids weight loss, promotes gut health, and gives an excellent boost to the metabolism.
You can take a spoon of triphala and lick it with honey or ghee at bedtime to aid eyesight and promote healthy hair growth.
6 . Moong
Astrologically, moong represents mercury, the planet of good health, memory, and reason. It is simple, tasty, and versatile. Moong is one of the Swasthahita dravya (health-promoting foods as per Ayurveda). Although all proteins help build immunity, moong is different. The moong proteins are simple to digest and are readily available for your body to utilize.
How To Consume Moong Daily?
You can have moong in your daily meals in the form of khichdi, dal, and sambar.
Curry made of green moong is the best combination with rotis.
You can also have sprouted moong in the morning.
7. Whole Grains
Grains like barley, oats, wheat, rice, etc. were some of the first domesticated crops in the history of human agriculture. Whole grains are rich in vitamins and minerals along with dietary fiber. They can help manage obesity, heart diseases, and type 2 diabetes, and associated metabolic disorders. They are also rich in antioxidants.
Beta-glucans, a type of fiber found in whole grains (especially in oats and barley), help your body excrete the bile acids, which are cholesterol derived. Whole grains also help regulate the blood sugar levels of your body.
Whole Grains with the bran intact, is a humble back to basic food that promotes healthy immune system functions unless one is allergic to the grain proteins.
How to consume whole grains daily?
Coarse flour of whole grains can be used to make bread and rotis
You can boil Daliya (broken grains) with spices and vegetables.
whole grains
8. Buttermilk
Buttermilk is astringent and sour in taste and has hot potency. Famously known as 'takra' in Sanskrit, buttermilk is widely used in Ayurvedic treatments to treat inflammation, gastrointestinal disorders, digestive disorders, spleen disorders, lack of appetite, and anemia. It is very useful in mitigating excessive Kapha and Vata doshas, especially during winters.
How To Consume Buttermilk Daily?
Take 2 cups of buttermilk with 15 gms of jaggery added to it to relieve yourself from work exhaustion.
You can take buttermilk with added ginger, pepper, and long pepper along with rock salt in little amounts to treat digestive ailments.
You can drink buttermilk with a pinch of cumin seeds and rock salt added to it.
Tip: Consider using rock salt in a limited amount of 5grams a day in your meals. You may use iodized salt rarely. But, avoid using non-iodized salt completely.