Description
Abstract: One of the basic premises of Ayurveda includes a diet for appropriate time of the day (dinacarya), season (rtucarya), and according to one's body type as part of the lifestyle. Under dinacarya, one has to eat at certain times intervals, before the sunset, etc., whereas rtucarya involves intake of food prepared from seasonal items. Under the lifestyle, one is expected to consume foods according to one's body dos type. For example, vata type can consume fruits, pitta type can consume sweet food, and kapha typle can consume spicey food. There is another type of food that has been in existence in India for thousands of years, which is also catching up in the United States, and this is fasting food or upavas food. In addition to fruits and vegetables, fasting food also includes millet of various kinds. One of such millets is sanwa (Echinochloa frumentacea) that is consumed throughout India as a fasting food. There is no specific guidelines given on their consumptionby a certain body type, and is generally consumed during the fasting period by all. Thus, it is a universal diet, and that too suitable for fasting. In addition to easy cooking and easy digestion, sanwa millet has several beneficial traits for people with diabetes and cardiopathy, as this is a low calorie, high fiber, low glycemic index, and gluten-free rich in iron.
