Doctor Bon

How much food you eat should primarily be related to your ability to digest it. You should eat neither too much nor too little. Think of the digestion process as a fire. A fire reduced to embers will go out if you add a large amount of fuel. But a few, light kindling sticks will ignite, increasing the fire and allowing further fuel to be burned. Likewise a fire that receives too little fuel little fuel will go out. Always aim to eat the amount that will restore or maintain a steady digestion.

Your digestive capacity is related to your constitution Vata types tend to undereat or eat erratically, which slows down digestion irregular, kaphas tend to overeat, which slows down digestion. Pitta types are more likely to have good digestive strength, though too much hot spicy food will make their digestive fire urn too fiercely.

Other factors that determine the right quantity to eat include age, level of activity, occupation, the season, and time of day. If you are under eating or overeating, do not suddenly change the quantity of food you eat, but regularly eat a little more or less over a period of weeks.

The advice in Ayurvedic texts about the optimum amount to eat at one meal varies between one third to one half of the stomach’s capacity if solids, one quarter to one third for fluids, leaving one quarter to one third empty. Discover what suits you. General, vata types should drink more fluids than kaphas. Fluids help in the digestion and absorption of the food, space is needed for the proper mixing with the digestive juices. Generally, when you are ill, you should eat a little less than you are hungry for.

It is vital to eat the right amount of individual foods. According to Ayurveda, a suitable diet is 40%-60% grains, 10%-20% protein, and 30%-50% vegetables and fruit. Adjust this according to your constitution. Kaphas could benefit by eating at least 40% of their diet as vegetables, because they are generally light, whereas vatas should have, ore grains than vegetables. About 10% of the diet for all doshas should be fruit, but not eaten with other foods.