Cocoa in Ayurvedic nutrition - medicine for body & soul

Cocoa in Ayurvedic nutrition - medicine for body & soul

Have you ever heard the term Ayurveda Ayurveda is a 5000 year old health science from India. Her goal is to bring your body and mind into harmony and thus prevent diseases. In this article you will learn how cocoa is used in Ayurveda..

What is the goal of Ayurveda?

The aim of Ayurveda is to prevent diseases and to create physical and mental balance. The focus is primarily on the interaction of body, mind and soul. Ayurveda assumes that health and well-being depend on a balance between these three factors. So it's about bringing our whole being into harmony with nature. The right diet plays a central role in this.

How do I eat Ayurvedically?

In Ayurvedic nutrition, there is of course not only Indian food, it is more about eating a healthy and balanced diet. Ayurvedic nutritional science recommends a few basic rules, such as eating and drinking warm, taking enough breaks between meals, eating in peace and with pleasure, eating fresh and predominantly vegetarian. In addition, there is a personalized diet depending on which oneAyurveda type you are.

Personalized nutrition

In Ayurveda there are so-called„doshas,, also called bio-energies. These doshas are found in the human body and in nature and affect both humans and nature. The doshas are one of the main concepts in Ayurveda. The individuality of us humans is attributed to you.Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the three different characteristics of the doshas. Everyone carries the three energies within themselves, but usually 1-2 doshas predominate in the body. If you have become curious about which dosha is dominant in you, then find ithere your Ayurveda type.

Different foods for different Ayurveda types

Once you have determined your Ayurveda type, you can start with the right diet for you. In addition to the basic rules of Ayurveda, there are certain foods that are well suited to your Ayurveda type and those that you should rather avoid. The six different flavors will help you to find out which foods are suitable for you: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, tart/astringent.

And what about cocoa now

To understand how cacao works in Ayurvedic medicine, we must first identify the flavor of cacao. It's not that easy and varies from cocoa to cocoa. Cheap mass-produced goods from supermarkets are often enriched with milk powder and sugar and falsify the original flavor of the cocoa bean.

However, if we look at a fine flavor cocoa that is only made from pure cocoa mass without any other additives, the taste is anything but sweet. Try a chocolate with 70%, 80% or 90% cocoa content. You will notice that the higher the cocoa content, the more bitter the chocolate will be.

The bitter effect of cocoa

According to Ayurvedic teaching, the bitter taste reduces Pitta and Kapha Dosha. If you have a pitta or kapha dominance, then cocoa is your drink. The cocoa butter even has a cooling effect and the fiery Pitta types in particular benefit from the cooling effect of the cocoa butter. Since cacao is said to have the property of being oily, cacao is also suitable for the Vata Dosha. Vata types also benefit from the grounding and warming effect of hot cocoa.

Make medicine out of cacao

Vata types: Vata types need a lot of sweets in their everyday life. Sweeten your cocoa with date sweetener or fresh dates, some cinnamon and your variant of cocoa is ready.

Pitta types: Pitta types need cooling foods and spices in their everyday lives. Refine your cocoa with some vanilla and a few cloves. Boil in hot water for a few minutes and your cocoa is ready.

Kapa types: Kapha types like it hot and fiery in their everyday life. Add some spiciness to your cocoa, e.g. a pinch of chilli powder or cayenne pepper. A little cinnamon is just as stimulating and goes well with the cocoa.

Remember:

Ayurveda is a millennia-old healing science from India, it harmonises your body and mind. Type-appropriate nutrition is the main concept of Ayurvedic teaching, because every person is different and has different nutritional needs. Cocoa is used specifically to harmonize the doshas. Depending on which Ayurveda type you are, refine your cocoa with health-promoting spices. Date sweetness is suitable for Vata, vanilla is suitable for Pitta and chili is suitable for Kapha. This is how you make medicine out of your cocoa in no time at all.

You want to learn more about Ayverdian nutrition Check out the Nayu app on. There you will find a comprehensive range of videos, recipes and tips for an Ayurvedic diet.

This text was written as a guest post by Zina Attia, one of the founders of Nayu.