Wholesome diet Ayurveda
Wholesome diet can be described as one that nourishes all dhatus of the body, helps restore balance between them where it is disrupted, does not clog the body channels and lead to satisfaction. In contrast, diet that blocks body channels, is incapable of maintaining balance between dhatus, causes harm and is disliked, is an unwholesome diet.
Wholesome food and drinks have good colour, smell, taste and are pleasing to the senses and conducive to health, if taken in accordance with the ayurvedic rules. According to Ayurveda – complexion, clarity, good voice, longevity, happiness, satisfaction, nourishment, mental/ physical strength and intellect are all conditioned by food.
Wholesome and unwholesome diet varies from person to person. wholesome for one might be unwholesome for another. The suitability of diet for a person is governed by age, body constitution, nature, quantity of dravya and compatibility with other dravyas. Keeping the above in mind one should exclude unwholesome items from one diet and eat only wholesome foods.
Some foods/substances are by nature wholesome or unwholesome. They are listed below:
| Category | Wholesome | Unwholesome |
| Cereals/grains with hard seed coat | Red shali rice | Yawak |
| Pulses | Green gram (moong) | Black gram (udad) |
| Potable waters | Rain water collected before reaches ground | River water in rainy seasons |
| Salt | Rock salt | Usher |
| Leafy vegetables | Jeevani leaf | Mustard leaf |
| Ghee | Cow milk | Sheep milk |
| Milk | Cow | Sheep |
| Tuber and Rhizome | Ginger | Potato |
| Fruit | Grapes | Neekuch |
| Sugar cane | Cane sugar | Phaneet |
| Meat | Deer | Cow |
| Bird (small) | Quail | Kanakspot |
| Underground animal | Gauh | Frog |
| Vegetable oil | Sesame oil | Kusum oil |
| Fat of marshy land animals | Pig | Buffalo |
| Fat of water birds | White crane | Murgabi |
| Fat of flesh eating birds | Poultry | Kite and other birds |
| Fat of plant eating animals | Goat | Elephant |
If the wholesome foods are not eaten properly according to body constitution, seasonal quantity, age etc. they can cause harm. Food builds the body. Hence it must be consumed sensibly. Greed must not be allowed to dictate diet as it can only lead to disorders and imbalance,
