Tuesday, February 10, 2009
There are many theories and approaches to natural health, & every theory sounds good in practice. We know for sure what works for us through experience. One major discussion around the world is wether to be vegan or vegetarian. [To be clear: here I mean vegan eats no dairy where vegetarians do eat dairy.]
Ayurveda is special because it tailors your eating habits according to your personal constitution, and not general theory. The ancient seers or rishis of India were aware that certain foods are spiritual or sattwic (yes Ayurveda offers you an option to eat a spiritual diet), and dairy is one of those foods. Ayurvedic India worships cows, so they get more than good treatment, they get divine caring; and calfs are fed before humans drink the milk - so there is the highest ethical standards, and a loving relationship between the farmers and cows. The organic farmers I meet in the US have a very special 'calling' to be dairy farmers, there is a loving bond there that is quite special. That said, for each major personal constitution, Ayurveda constitutional options for dairy vary (how poetic).
- The water or Kapha constitution person does better with goat milk as it produces less mucus.
- The fire (Pitta) & air (Vayu or Vata) individuals do well with dairy from cows - it builds immune sap and spiritual energy (kundalini shakti).
From the Ayurvedic perspective, Kapha folks will do best with less dairy, though if Vayu or Pitta people stop eating dairy, their health will slowly diminish. Ultimately, it requires a personal to test all theories they are drawn to, though at least Ayurveda offers some middle ground to experiement with before going to the opposite extreme.