SHOULD YOU STOP EATING MEAT? - KNOW WHAT AYURVEDA SAYS

Every single day, many non-vegetarians all over the world are transitioning to a plant based vegetarian or vegan diet. With the increasing lifestyle diseases, people are becoming health conscious as they do not want to fall prey to the metabolic problems. Information on the internet, daily news and even some researches have mentioned meat as a major contributing factor to present day lifestyle diseases. So some people become a vegetarian and they try to influence their life partner, children and friends to follow vegetarianism too. Whereas some others are there who follow a vegan diet because of the animal cruelty, force feeding of animals, hormones and steroids given to livestock. Here, I would also like to add the opinion of certain other people, who having learnt or understood 'Modern Day' Ayurveda from Western point of view from text books written by modern medical practitioners and sources from internet such as blogs, articles, websites, face book posts, etc. believe that Ayurveda is Totally Vegetarian. I am not blaming anyone. It is natural that when original Ayurveda classics written by ancient sages in Sanskrit are translated to English, Hindi and other languages, individual authors interpretation is different. Also when some people read these books, experience Ayurveda personally, and write another Ayurveda book, again the view point becomes more different and the concept becomes an individual interpretation of the concept of Ayurveda rather than the concept explained in Ayurveda texts itself. In this article, we are going to discuss the view point from Ayurveda classics. 

Classification of all food articles including those of meat are explained in all Ayurveda classics. The groups of meat (animal and bird category) are enumerated under eight categories. Utility of meat as food, medicine for palliative care (management of the disease using oral medicines) and Panchakarma (detoxification procedures) and post Panchakarma diet regimen are explained in Ayurveda.

In Panchakarma

In therapeutic emesis and purgation known as Vamana and Virechana respectively, Snehapana or oral administration of fats is given as a the preparatory procedure. The fats are of 4 types - oil, ghee, muscle fat and bone marrow. Muscle fat and bone marrow come under animal fat / meat. Of course ghee is an animal product but derived from milk of animals. Meat soup is given during the post Panchakarma period of Vamana and Virechana. Also in some types of Nasya (Nasal medication) like Snehana and Avapeedana types, Mamsa Rasa (Meat soup) is administered through the nostrils. In some types of Basti (Therapeutic enema) like Rajayapana Basti, meat soup is listed as one of the ingredients of the herbal concoction which is administered through the anus. Meat soup is also used in various other treatments like Tarpana (eye treatment), Kaval (Swishing meat soup in mouth), MamsaKizhi / MuttaKizhi (Herbal bolus prepared from meat / egg yolks), etc. Basically in all the treatments aimed to impart strength to the affected part or whole body, meat is used in various forms. 

In Ayurveda Formulations

Animal meat and other products (I have excluded the one's containing milk, urine, peacock feather's etc) are used in the preparation of some Ayurveda formulations like Ajamamsa Rasayana (contains goat meat), Amritaprasha Ghrita (has goat meat), Chagalyadi Ghrita (contains goat meat), Ashwagandhadi Lehya (contains goat meat), Gorochanadi vati (has cow's bile), Kukkutandatvak Bhasma (contains egg shell), Maha Sneha (contains meat), Maha Masha Taila (contains goat meat), Bhunaga taila (contains earthworm), Kasturi Bhairava Ras (has musk deer ingredient), Shringa Bhasma (contains deer horn), Manasamitra Vatakam (contains deer horn).

In Diet

Various food preparations containing meat are considered wholesome in certain diseases and are recommended as a supplement to Ayurveda formulations. Peacock's meat improves strength of the muscle tissue and semen quality and quantity, intelligence, voice, hearing and vision. Pigeon meat is useful in bleeding disorders. Cock's meat improves nourishment and voice. Tortoise meat is an aphrodisiac. Beef is beneficial in chronic respiratory problems, dry cough, chronic recurrent fever and tuberculosis. Buffalo's meat improves sleep quality and causes weight gain. Eggs impart strength to the body. Goat's meat is widely used in the treatment of many diseases because goat's meat is homologous with muscle of the human body. It is nourishing and strength promoting, hence recommended in diseases like Tuberculosis, emaciation, muscle wasting, Parkinson's, debility, diseases caused due to injury, etc. 

Quality and Quantity of Meat

Various methods of cooking meat in the form of meat soup, minced meat, roasted meat and the specific herbs used for cooking meat and their action on the body are explained in various Ayurveda classics. Acharya Susrutha has mentioned guidelines for selection of meat according to its nature, part of the animal body used, gender, constitution, method of processing and quantity of consumption. Qualities of meat of hunted animals, animals that are naturally dead, meat of young and old animals, diseased animals, old meat and dried meat and the qualities of meat from different parts of the animal body are explained in Ayurveda. Trunk portion of all animals, anterior portion of male, posterior portion of female animals, chest and neck of birds are heavy whereas trunk of birds are not heavy not light to digest. 

Thus Ayurveda has not mentioned one should refrain from meat but emphasized on the quantity of intake of meat according to one's constitution (Prakriti), disease state (Vikriti or imbalance), state of Digestive fire (Agni) etc. Not eating meat will not cause any problem, however over intake of meat especially red meat will hamper digestive fire, lead to digestive and metabolic problems. 

Concept of Similarity & Dissimilarity 

Ayurveda says that consuming food, drinks and herbs having similar properties to a bodily tissue will increase that particular tissue in the body whereas taking food, drinks and herbs having dissimilar properties to a body tissue will decrease that tissue in the body quantitatively and qualitatively. This is the concept of similarity and dissimilarity and is utilized in prescribing suitable diet, herbs and treatments. As goat's meat is homologous to the muscle of the human body, it is recommended for people having Vata constitution or imbalance, those with less muscle strength or weakness of muscle tissue. Similarly when sperm tissue is weak, consuming tortoise meat will improve it. 

Understanding Sattva, Rajas and Tamas

Just like our body has three Doshas - Vata, Pitta and Kapha, the mind has three qualities - Sattva (Balanced state), Rajas (Dynamic state) and Tamas (State of inertia). But unlike the three inherent Doshas of the body which are formed at the time of conception and which cannot be altered during our lifetime, the three qualities of the mind are only acquired and can be altered based on our diet, lifestyle and habits. Ayurveda emphasizes on a Sattva increasing diet and lifestyle as balanced state of mind is good. Plant based diet, natural sweet substances like milk, ghee, honey, cane sugar, fruits, grapes, pomegranate, etc and eating slowly and mindfully increase Sattva. Spicy, salty food like pickles, chips, etc. and stimulants such as coffee and tea, non-vegetarian food like chicken, fish and eating hurriedly increase Rajas quality of the mind. Red meat, alcohol, refined sugar, over eating increase Tamas. In this context, Ayurveda mentions that people who want to be Sattva predominant or who wants to enter into spirituality can refrain from meat. 

Animals too have Prakriti 

Just like each one us have different Prakriti, animals too have different Prakriti. Cock generally are Rajas and heating in nature but some cocks are violent, some are timid, some are calm, like that each cock’s nature is different. As we buy meat from a shop, we actually do not know the Prakriti or nature of the animal. These subtle things also influence our body because ‘We are what we eat’. When we consume a food substance we actually consume its Prana energy and it will be absorbed in our body and influence the Doshas in our body. Also animals experience pain and they do not want to be killed. Unlike animals, plants are Sattvic (Pure and balanced) in nature because they do not show negative emotions / energy. When you cut a branch of a tree, it just grows back. Also when you plant a seed, it grows, yields flowers and fruits. New plants emerge from these flowers and fruits. Thus we can say the seed is Sattva, the growing plant is Rajas and the over-nourished fruits or the fallen flowers are Tamas which in-turn has the seed which is again Sattva, and the cycle continues. 

Now, if you start to think that Hinduism supports the fact of Vegetarianism, then again you are wrong. In certain cities of India like West Bengal, Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, etc. goat's are sacrificed to God / Goddess. 

Want to become a vegetarian?

Consider the following points before planning to become Vegetarian.

1. Gradual Withdrawal - If you have been eating meat for a long time, stopping meat intake suddenly will cause complications. As Ayurveda says even an unwholesome food when consumed regularly due to ignorance should not be stopped suddenly as sudden withdrawal will affect the body inversely as the tissues will be deprived of it suddenly and the demand will rise. Hence transition to full vegetarian diet should be done in a phased manner. In the first phase, reduce meat by 1/4th quantity while replacing it with suitable vegetarian protein and vegetables, in the second phase reduce meat by 1/2 quantity while replacing it with suitable vegetables and vegetarian protein, in the third phase reduce meat by 3/4th quantity and in fourth phase consume only vegetarian diet. Thus one should plan to stop meat gradually in a period of 1 - 3 months by reducing the frequency and quantity of intake. A person who regularly eats meat, almost daily or in good quantity can plan to stop meat intake in 3 months. A person who eats meat in moderate quantity and moderate frequency, say 3 - 4 times a week can plan to stop meat intake in 2 months, whereas a person who eats meat in less quantity and less frequently, say 2 times a week can stop meat intake within a fortnight or a month. 

2. Equivalent Substitutes - Like discussed in the first point, while becoming a vegetarian, it is important to substitute diet with proper vegetarian protein (legumes like peas, beans, lentils like mung, black lentil, pigeon pea, chickpeas, etc), nuts (mainly almonds and peanuts), tofu. In order to maintain the cellular integrity and tissue health, it is important to substitute vegetables, vegetarian protein and fruits in daily diet when we stop eating meat. 

3. Overcoming and Not Suppressing - Any feeling or emotion should not be suppressed, suppressing will only make us to want for more and more. So if you want to become a vegetarian, the transition should be from your heart. You can stop non-vegetarian food when you 

Love to eat meat but worried about health?

For a non-vegetarian and love to eat meat but looking for details about Ayurveda suggestions, the below will be useful. 

Fresh meat - Buy and cook fresh meat. If you are buying frozen meat, then cook the entire portion at once or thaw only the portion (not the entire) you are going to cook because once thawed the microbial growth will start increasing so we should not refrigerate it again. Also you should not thaw frozen meat in hot water as it will lead to increased moisture loss which in turn leads to increased microbial growth. Ayurveda says temperature variations are not good as they have opposite qualities which may cause problems. So thaw in water at room temperature or remove from freezer and put it in refrigerator for a day to thaw it.

Way of cooking - Different methods of cooking like roasting, grilling, baking and steaming and soup preparation with addition of digestive spices like ginger, garlic, fennel, black pepper, basil, etc are mentioned in Ayurveda texts for better digestion of meat. Also once cooked it should be consumed. Do not refrigerate cooked meat because it will become heavy to digest and the qualities of Prana (energy in food) will decrease according to Ayurveda. Also that attracts microbial growth deteriorating the quality. 

Incompatible combinations - Fish is incompatible with milk. Meat of domestic, marshy and aquatic animals should not be taken with honey, jaggery, milk, radish, sesame, black gram. 

Not for Dinner - Ayurveda says that one should avoid heavy to digest food like curd, meat, eggs, milk sweets, black lentils, etc at dinner because at night there is no external heat (Sun) and reduced physical activity, thus digestion will be compromised. Ayurveda compares heart to a lotus flower which opens during the day and closes at night. So during day time, our digestion and circulation is good because of our activeness during daytime and sun which is the external heat that increases Pitta (heat / digestive fire) in the body. At night the digestive functions and circulation slows down hence one should refrain from eating heavy to digest food.

Quantity of intake - Ayurveda says food should be of superior quality and consumed in proper quantity for maintaining good health. A person who consumes meat according to one’s age, body strength, status of digestive fire, Dosha and mental faculties will not suffer from any problem. Food becomes medicine when appropriately used and the same food can cause illness if used inappropriately. This is explained as Yukti or Logical application in Ayurveda. 

Exercise - Lots of information on the internet and some researches state that lifestyle factors like diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, CAD, some types of cancer are linked to eating meat. But the fact is lack of sufficient physical activity and improper way of cooking and eating meat leads to health related problems. Exercise is an important part of daily routine. If you closely note, people who consume meat regularly and do negligible or no physical exercise are prone to lifestyle related problems. If you regularly exercise, then there is no problem in taking meat as exercise enhances digestion and counteracts negative effects of meat in the body thereby preventing lifestyle diseases.

Choosing meat according to Doshas -

Red meat (Beef, buffalo, dark meat or chicken / turkey, duck, eggs, fish, shrimp, pork) and meat of aquatic animals are recommended for Vata Constitution people or people suffering from Vata imbalances or diseases, but only if their digestive fire is functioning well. It is suggested to cook meat with spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, basil, asafoetida, cumin, ginger, anise.

People of Pitta Constitution or Imbalance should reduce seafood, pork, beef and lamb. They can take white meat of chicken, turkey, egg white and goat’s meat. Cooking meat with black pepper, coriander, mint, cardamom, cilantro, fennel, parsley, turmeric and saffron is suggested.

Chicken, turkey and egg whites are okay for people having Kapha Constitution or Kapha imbalance. Intake of egg yolk, seafood, pork and buffalo should be reduced. Addition of spices like black pepper, garlic, ginger, cloves, mustard, nutmeg is suggested.

Emaciated persons can take eggs and red meat. Obese people can take chicken and fish.

Choosing meat according to status of mind - Hyperactive and agitated persons can eat red meat as it is more grounding, whereas reduce chicken and fish. Lethargic and non- motivated people can take more chicken and fish as they increase dynamic activity in the mind but reduce red meat as it aggravates the state of inertia or inactivity.

According to season - Meat and meat soup of aquatic and marshy animals (fish, crab, oyster, conch snail, crocodile, tortoise, buffalo, deer, wild boar, etc. that are fatty) added with fats is recommended in winters as digestive fire is high and as meat has heating property, it will help to keep us warm. Meat can be taken judiciously in winters according to one’s digestive capacity.

Meat of animals and birds of arid - desert like regions such as sheep, deer especially in the form of soups are suggested in summer and monsoon as digestive fire is compromised during these seasons and meat of these animals and birds are light and easy to digest. Thin meat soup with white rice is suggested in autumn and summer whereas meat broth processed with spices like ginger, black pepper, cumin is suggested in monsoon. Also  moderate quantity is suggested in summer, autumn and monsoon.

Roasted meat (roasted in fire / barbecue) especially goat’s meat without fats is suggested in spring season. 

Meat as wholesome food - Ayurveda suggests meat of deer, sheep, goat, pigeon, quail, partridge ad wholesome in diseases like diabetes, skin disorders, bleeding disorders, asthma, cough and herpes. Whereas meat of buffalo, fish, crab, tortoise are unwholesome in these diseases.

Of course in olden days, when Ayurveda classics were written, animal cruelty was not there. But now it is different, however there is availability of organic meats.  You can chose to be a vegetarian or non-vegetarian based on your choices.