Liquids are very important to our nutrition as we are mainly made up of plasma.
List of drinks
Alcohol
Energetics: V↓ PK↑; Rajasic Taste/Rasa: Pungent, sweet, bitter Potency/Virya: Hot Vipaka: Sour Actions: Beer—diuretic Indications: Small amounts of wine aid digestion and circulation (particularly medicated Áyurvedic wines, like drakßha), relax nerves, promote menstruation; extracting herb properties (especially spicy or bitters). Beer causes kidney stones. Wine is the best form of light consumption. Hard liquor is very disruptive. Sweet liqueurs are deranging due to the combination of sugar and alcohol. Contraindications: Excess aggravates all humors, aggravates blood, deranges liver, pancreas, kidneys, addiction, not for yoga or meditation; beer—long term—causes edema and overweight
Energetics: V↓ PK↑; Áma+ Taste/Rasa: Sweet, astringent, sour Potency/Virya: Cold Vipaka: Sweet Actions: Laxative Indications: Sour or astringent are better (cranberry, lemon, lime, pineapple, pomegranate, Sour V↓; astringent PK↑) Contraindications: Weaken digestive fire, not taken with or directly after meals or first thing in the morning
Energetics: Carbonated PK↓ V↑ Taste/Rasa: Sweet, astringent, sour Potency/Virya: Cold Vipaka: Sweet Actions: Oxygenates blood and cells Indications: Circulation, some mineral supplementing
Soda
Energetics: Carbonated PK↓ V↑ Taste/Rasa: Sweet, astringent, sour Potency/Virya: Cold Vipaka: Sweet Actions: Oxygenates blood and cells Indications: Better in hot weather or when very thirsty. Contraindications: Both commercial (Coke, Pepsi etc.) and natural are sweet and usually taken cold. They do not combine well with other foods, weakens agni, weaken spleen and pancreas, derange sugar and water metabolism
Tea
Energetics: V↑ PK↓; Some feel it is sattvic Taste/Rasa: Bitter, sweet, astringent Potency/Virya: Cool Vipaka: Pungent Indications: Taken with milk and spices like ginger and cinnamon (Indian Chai) it is less aggravating to Váyu. Best taken after meals, as astringent tastes are digested last. Counters hyperacidity, summer drink, counters heat, damp, and sun exposure; migraine headaches, overly brewed causes constipation (so it is good for treating diarrhea). Contraindications: Refined teas may be artificial and damaging, excess causes insomnia, dry mouth and thirst, overly brewed causes constipation
Vegetable Juice
Energetics: See the vegetable section Sour (i.e., tomato) P+, blood aggravation Salty V- (as soup is best) Green (celery, parsley, comfrey leaf) detox, PKV↑ Carrot- cleansing, strengthening (too sweet, may weaken digestion) Wheat Grass- highly cleansing, good for áma, PK↓ , cleans blood, counters infection and tumors, V+ unless used with sours—lime, lemon, orange
Water
Energetics: Fresh spring or well is best. Tap water is chlorinated and devitalized; causes disease and áma aggravation. Vata—warm or hot, better with milk or spiced due to its lightness Pitta—taken a little cool or at room temperature Kapha—warm or hot, not in excess Cold—astringent—stops bleeding, relieve burning sensation Warm—stimulant, laxative, promotes sweating, relieves cold sensation Distilled—devitalized, depletes práòa, V++, drains toxins from system Excess—(especially distilled) leaches nutrients and dilutes plasma Spring—water is preferred over distilled water.
Áyurveda suggests that liquids are best taken in a form other than plain water as water leeches the body of its minerals and nutrients. For example, herbal teas are preferred over plain water.
Vata: Drink between Pitta and Kapha, sweet, sour, fruit, vegetable juices, and herb teas Pitta: More, sweet, bitter, astringent fruit or vegetable juices, herb teas Kapha: Drink less, bitter, astringent, diuretic, pungent herbal teas
Meals: 1/2 to 1 cup with meals is ok (lassi is recommended) to wash and clear taste buds more than this dilutes digestive juices
Water is the great healer described in the Atharva Veda. It should be obtained from clean sources: wells, rivers, etc. Áyurveda says that our bodies are mostly made up of plasma. Drinking too much plain water will deplete the minerals and nutrients. Autumn and summer are the two seasons that are best for healthy people to drink plain water (and drink less plain water in the other seasons). Therefore, drinking teas, and fruit and vegetable juice is advised. Some water is acceptable to drink at the beginning, the middle and end of the meal. Drinking water at the end of the meal will have no adverse effects on the person
Precautions: Do not drink water with a low digestive fire, abdominal tumors, or enlarged abdomen; anemia, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, duodenum diseases, pulmonary TB, or edema. Do not drink water at the beginning of the meal (causes stoutness), or at the end of the meal (causes emaciation)
Hot or warm water: Stimulates hunger, helps digestion and the throat, easily digested, cleanses the urinary bladder, relieves hiccup, gas, Váyu and Kapha imbalances.
Boiled water: Does not overly increase the body’s inner moisture content. It is good for Pitta dosha. Do not drink boiled water kept overnight; it becomes stale and aggravates all three doshas.
Coconut water: Relieves Vata and Pitta dosha concerns
Benefits of Drinking Water Boiled Water: Tridoshic. It is light, a digestive stimulant; dispels gas, heals pain in the rib area; rhinitis, and hiccup. Boiled and reduced to 3/4 relieves Vata; reduced to 1/2—balances Pitta. It is useful in early and late winter, spring, and rainy season. When water is boiled and reduced to 1/4 it relieves Kapha (but it is also constipative). It is helpful in the summer and fall. When water is cooled after boiling it heals all doshas, and is wholesome. Boiled water is not to be kept overnight; it becomes stale and impure. Hot Water: VK↓ Light. It stimulates digestive power, heals pains in the rib area; rhinitis, gas, hiccup, and cleanses the urinary tract. Taken before bed, it cleanses Kapha sticking to the inner body; eliminates Vata, and removes indigestion. Warm Water: This is not advised for exhaustion, mental fatigue, convulsions, hunger, and bleeding in the upper body areas.
Water Digestion: Unboiled water takes three hours to digest. Water that is boiled and allowed to cool down is digested in 1 1/2 hours. Water that is boiled and drunk when warm is digested in 48 minutes.
Less Water Quantity: For certain diseases, it is advised to drink less water: anorexia, coryza, salivation, edema, consumption, poor digestion, obstinate abdominal diseases, fever, eye diseases, ulcers, and diabetes mellitus.
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