Embrace Ayurveda: Your Path to Well-Being as a Busy Mum
‘You are what you eat’. A saying we have heard many times, but have you ever thought what it could do for you as a mum and how it can have a direct impact on your health, well-being, and even your physical and mental attributes?
This saying highlights the importance of making conscious and nutritious food choices because your dietary habits can significantly influence your overall health and the way you feel.
Haven’t we all felt that some food makes us feel good whilst others makes us feel really bloated and sick and provide no energy at all? We might not have any food allergies but still our body just reacts differently to certain things we eat. At times of stress, we tend to reach for unhealthy choices that provide us little nutrition and no energy to fuel our bodies, but why do we make these choices when we know it’s not good for us?
As a busy mum we want to provide the best for our kids and our family, but we often forget that we also need to have great nutrition to improve our wellbeing and keep going. We get up early to pack kids lunch boxes and get everything ready for the day. We tell our kids the importance of breakfast, but we might not even eat ourselves and just grab a coffee on the go. Breakfast plays a crucial role in Ayurveda by supporting the body's balance and well-being, promoting healthy digestion, and providing essential energy and nutrients to have a great start to the day.
So what should we eat?
Social media, TV programs and magazines often tells us about good and bad foods and things you should avoid. I don’t like to think about food in that way, instead seeing it as something that fuels your body with energy and that provide you with vital life force. Your body will soon find out what fuels you and what doesn’t and how you react to certain foods.
Discovering Ayurveda
Many years ago I came across ayurveda after I had been sick for quite some time. I was looking for something different that resonated with my body a holistic look at your health and a better way of living. Ayurveda is a natural system of medicine, originated in India more than 3,000 years ago. The term Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit words Ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge). Ayurveda translates to knowledge of/ science of life. According to ayurvedic principles we all belong to three different body types ‘doshas’ and these are; vata, kapa and pitta.
As I was practicing yoga already, ayurveda was well aligned with the yoga principles and it really made me interested to learn more. I took a dosha quiz which indicated I was a predominantly vata which seeks heat and thrives in warm weather, always like to graze on food and is always on the go. There was a lot more information learnt from this test and it sparked my interest into looking at food in a different way and the effect it had on my body and how I felt.
The Ayurveda lifestyle
We could all have a combination of the three doshas, however one is usually more predominant than the other. The doshas changes due to the seasons, weather, stress and other things going on in your life but if you know your doshas well you know when you are imbalanced and what you need to do to feel better again. Getting to know your body better could prevent future problems and diseases as you know what is best for your body and how certain food energise you whilst others make you feel sick.
I find living a busy lifestyle, being a mum and working full-time looking after your body and preventative health is so important. As mums we don’t have time to get sick and if we ever are sick, we know, the family unit doesn’t seem to function. It seems like even if we are very sick we still have to show up and do our daily chores and look after everyone. What if we can prevent even getting sick by getting to know your body and know what we need to feel better. This doesn’t mean we never get sick, get a cold or the flu but we can reduce the amount of times we get sick and bounce back quicker. Ayurveda is not a replacement for modern medicine but a complementary approach to help prevent sickness by promoting a healthy lifestyle and strengthening the body's natural defences. It offers several benefits for busy moms who often juggle multiple responsibilities and may experience stress and fatigue.
Here are some ways in which Ayurveda can help you as a mum:
Stress Management: Ayurveda emphasizes relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises (pranayama), and yoga. These practices can help busy moms reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and enhance overall well-being.
Energy and Vitality: Ayurvedic dietary recommendations and lifestyle practices can help improve energy levels and vitality. It offers guidance on nourishing foods and herbs that can boost energy and combat fatigue.
Digestive Health: Ayurveda places a strong focus on digestive health, as a healthy digestive system is considered essential for overall well-being. Proper digestion is particularly important for busy moms who need the energy to keep up with their daily responsibilities.
Hormonal Balance: Ayurveda recognizes the importance of hormonal balance in women's health. Ayurvedic herbs and practices can help regulate hormones and manage common issues like irregular menstrual cycles and menopausal symptoms.
Healthy Sleep: Getting adequate and restful sleep is crucial for busy moms. Ayurveda offers tips for improving sleep quality, such as establishing a bedtime routine and calming herbal remedies.
Nutrition: Ayurvedic dietary principles can help busy moms make healthier food choices that align with their unique constitution (dosha) and provide optimal nutrition for themselves and their families. Ayurveda also emphasizes mindful eating practices.
Self-Care: Ayurveda encourages self-care practices, even in the midst of a busy schedule. Taking time for self-massage (abhyanga), daily routines (dinacharya), and other self-care rituals can help moms recharge and feel more balanced.
Holistic Approach: Ayurveda takes a holistic approach to health, considering the mind, body, and spirit as interconnected. This approach can help busy moms address both physical and emotional aspects of their well-being.
Time Management: Ayurveda provides guidance on managing time effectively and prioritizing self-care. This can help busy moms strike a balance between their responsibilities and personal well-being.
Ayurveda can be particularly valuable for busy mums due to its holistic approach to health and well-being. It offers a range of benefits that can help mums manage their demanding lifestyles and promote balance, vitality, and self-care.
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