For managing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through Ayurvedic principles, your current diet is well-balanced but could benefit from a few modifications to optimize anti-inflammatory effects, digestion, and overall nourishment. In Ayurveda, balancing Vata and Ama (toxins) is crucial in managing RA, as they are often linked to joint discomfort and inflammation. Here’s how you can adapt and enhance your diet for better support:
Breakfast: Your choices of sabudana, upma, cheelas, and other light, nourishing foods are excellent, as they are gentle on digestion. You might want to rotate with moong dal cheela or ragi porridge as they are both anti-inflammatory and easier to digest. Instead of masala tea, try ginger turmeric tea or coriander-fennel tea, which helps reduce inflammation and Agni (digestive fire). You could also add warm, cooked apples or pears with a bit of cinnamon for a nourishing, anti-inflammatory start to the day.
Snacks: Your inclusion of fruits, nuts, panjeeri, and makhana is excellent. Ayurveda suggests soaked almonds (peeled) and walnuts as they are beneficial for joints. For fruits, avoid sour or acidic varieties like citrus, as they may aggravate Vata. Apples, pears, and papayas are ideal. You could include a few pieces of dried figs or dates for natural sweetness and added energy. Bhuna chana is great but can be slightly drying; consider balancing it with a few drops of ghee.
Lunch: Ragi and wheat rotis with ghee, along with moong dal and vegetables, make a grounding, nourishing meal. To further enhance this, try to focus on well-cooked, easy-to-digest vegetables like squash, carrots, or gourds, which reduce Vata and are beneficial for RA. Avoid nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes, and eggplants as they can exacerbate joint pain. You can also try cumin, ajwain (carom seeds), and hing (asafoetida) in your dal or sabzi for better digestion and reduced inflammation.
Dinner: Daliya, quinoa, and millet are excellent options, as are samak rice and kuttu or singhada rotis, which are both Vata-pacifying. Since dinner should ideally be lighter, avoid anything too heavy or difficult to digest. Having haldi doodh is beneficial, but you might consider turmeric milk with a pinch of trikatu (a mix of black pepper, long pepper, and ginger) to enhance absorption and anti-inflammatory effects. Castor oil in small quantities can also help, especially for joint health.
Homemade Kadha or Drink: A beneficial drink for RA would be a warm concoction made of cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and ginger. Boil these ingredients in water, strain, and sip it throughout the day. Another effective kadha includes turmeric, dry ginger, and a few basil leaves, which help reduce inflammation and cleanse the system.
Supplements: In Ayurveda, herbs such as Ashwagandha and Shallaki (Boswellia) are known for their anti-inflammatory properties and could benefit RA. Guggulu, especially Yograj Guggulu or Mahayograj Guggulu, is traditionally used to support joint health and ease inflammation. It’s best to consult with your Ayurvedic practitioner before starting any new supplements, as individual needs can vary.
Sure, let’s dive into this. Your current diet already showing a balanced approach but we can fine tune it with Ayurveda principles for RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) considering dosha balance. So, generally, RA is associated with an imbalance in Vata dosha, often combined with Ama (toxic buildup in the body).
Breakfast, you’re having a fine variety like suji upma and sabudana, let’s keep those, but maybe introduce methi seeds overnight soaked in water. They’re known to help reduce Vata imbalance and you can have them first thing in the morning. I think ginger tea instead of masala tea might be more soothing, as ginger is anti-inflammatory.
With snacks, adding some turmeric tea or ginger-lemon tea later in day could help with inflammation. You’ve got nuts and fruits that’s already perfect, but try to avoid sour fruits like oranges, as they can increase Vata.
For lunch, the ragi and wheat roti is spot on along with ghee, aiding digestion. Additionally, steamed vegetables, especially those like zucchini, squash and sweet potato, lessening Vata, can be excellent. Keep the dal, it helps balance all doshas, especially in a warm soup form. Maybe have a bit of cumin and coriander powder for digestion.
Dinner, daliya or quinoa still a good choice. But samak rice and millet are also fine, with a touch of ghee to help digestion at night. Could swap out things with more warming options like cooked carrots or beets.
Regarding a homemade kada, one easy recipe is mixing equal parts ground turmeric, ginger, cumin seeds and adding a bit of black pepper. Boil with water and sip while warm! it supports digestion and inflammation.
On supplements, triphala at night in warm water can keep digestion smooth, as healthy digestion means less ama. If you’re not already, consider ashwagandha, known for boosting vitality and dealing with stress.
Ah - As always, be sure these don’t interfere with current treatments, so discussing with your doc would be wise.
