One of the major discussions in integrative health is whether eating dairy is healthy and humane, or unhealthy and inhumane. The two representative ’isms’ are generally referred to as vegan or vegetarian. [The working definition for this blog: vegans eats no dairy where vegetarians eat dairy.]
Ayurveda votes on the side of dairy is healthy & humane, and still offers a sliding scale of options. Dairy is one of the holy (sattwic) foods that the ancient rishis (seers) knew about. Also, it builds life/immune sap (shukra), which is transmuted through meditation into kundalini shakti. More than mere respect, cows are treated as sacred, and milk is taken after the calfs have eaten. Even in USA the organic farmers I know have a rare – I would call it – sacred bond with their cows (that they know by name).
So dairy’s value in Ayurveda is healthful & humane…& spiritual.
Then Ayurveda goes still further; it tailors your eating habits according to your personal constitution, beyond general theory. For each major personal dosha or constitution, Ayurveda 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.
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Ayurveda Health: Dairy or Vegan
One of the major discussions in integrative hea
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