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A fundamental problem has been choosing healthy meal times, eating schedules, and dietary habits. Sadly, multiple studies often contradict each other. That is when we start looking for reliable and tried-and-tested advice. Finding the right or healthy time to eat is a crucial element of Ayurveda's ahara niyama or healthy eating habits. Regarding forming such habits, Ayurveda places a lot of emphasis on the schedule of meals. This impacts our ability to digest food and absorb nutrients from it. The timing of each meal has just as much of an impact on our health as the food itself.
Dosha and different timings of the day
Four-hour dayparts make up each day. These are all related to the gradual escalation, peaking, and subsequent decline of a specific dosha in our bodies. The Sun's movement determines how strong the dosha surge will be. For instance, the impact of kapha will be partially diminished if it is sunny while the kapha period is in action. Our bodies' internal processes also benefit from the daily fluctuations in dosha. According to Ayurveda, we should avoid eating or sleeping at unnatural hours. These two interfere with the body's biological clock.
This highlights the significance of developing Ayurveda-approved behaviours, such as eating at the appropriate times. This guarantees that our body is constantly working to maintain health and balance.
Waking up and eating routine
Eating timetable, Image Source:Pexels
One must choose the appropriate time of day to perform the suitable activity. Getting up at Brahma Muhurtha, i.e., a 48-minute period that starts 96 minutes before sunrise, is highly suggested. By design, Brahma Muhurta takes place following the maximum spike and a slow lowering of vata dosha. As a result, waking up at this hour gives us vigour, mental clarity, and freshness throughout the day. It's a good idea to get up during the Vata phase of the day and eat during the pitta period. Food digestion and processing are best suited to times of the day when Pitta is dominant. A pitta period is, hence suitable for our largest and heaviest meal.
Sun, fire and the largest meal
A woman eating during noon, Image Source: Freepik
The activities covered by the many branches of the Pitta dosha are varied. Creating saliva and gastric enzymes, digesting and absorbing nutrients, dividing the food into valuable and unuseful byproducts that eventually exit the body, and arousing appetite are all on the list. The Sun has a significant impact on Pitta dosha. Two Pancha mahabhutas make up the pitta dosha, and one is Agni (fire). So, at noon, when the Sun is at its strongest and has the most Agni. Likewise, the Pitta in our bodies is at its strongest. Consequently, midday is the perfect time for our largest meal.
According to Ayurveda, between 10 am and 2 pm, the pitta dosha is strongest. in the morning and between 10 pm and 2 am at night. The first one peaks at noon, while the second at midnight. The lack of Sun dampens the second pitta peak at midnight. Hence, the optimal time for a robust digestive Agni is noon. Therefore, the heaviest meal should be scheduled for lunch, which must commence closest to noon. The food will be adequately digested, absorbed, and retain a high amount of nutrients if we eat the suitable food at this time, ideal for one's Prakriti.
