Ayurveda believes that true beauty is composed of three vital elements: a well-nourished body, a balanced mind, and a peaceful spirit.
In other words, outer beauty is a reflection of one’s inner health and wellbeing. Following a healthy diet, getting adequate sleep, and managing stress are the cornerstones of a holistic, long-term beauty regimen.
A unique paradigm of beauty
In a time when beauty is often equated with certain cultural standards and norms, it is interesting to look back to a time when beauty was defined in holistic terms. For millennia in India, the concept of beauty has involved much more than outward appearance alone.
The three beauty pillars
According to Ayurveda, there are three pillars of beauty:
1)Roopam (or outer beauty) personified by shining, healthy hair and a clear, radiant complexion
2)Gunam (inner beauty—the beauty that shines from within) characterized by a warm, pleasing personality and innocence of mind and heart
3)Vayastyag (lasting beauty), or looking and feeling younger than your chronological age.
Roopam does not specify a type of figure, skin colour, or length of hair. Outer beauty is simply a reflection of good health—good digestion, healthy eating habits, and a balanced lifestyle.
Diet and digestion are key
As the saying goes, you are what you eat. Ayurveda takes the old adage a step further and adds, “You are what you digest.” A radiant, clear complexion begins with proper nutrition, efficient digestion, and assimilation of nutrients by the body, as well as regular elimination.
The following tips will help you maximize your diet and digestion for a glowing, healthy complexion:
Follow the dietary recommendations for your body type, skin type, and season. These foods will help nourish your particular skin type and bring balance to your whole mind-body system.
Eat your largest meal at midday, because your digestive fire is strongest. Discontinue eating at about three-fourths of your capacity, or when you feel pleasantly satisfied, but not full.
Focus on your food. Try not to divide your attention with TV, your phone, or work.
Avoid drinking ice-cold beverages, as they dampen your digestive fire.
It’s helpful to include all six tastes—salty, sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent—with every meal.
Try not to skip meals. Keep your blood sugar balanced and your digestive fire shipshape for your next meal.
Eat pure, fresh, organic foods whenever possible. “Eating foods grown with chemicals and prepared with synthetic preservatives and additives can create the more reactive toxin known as amavisha, and can result in breakouts, rashes, and other skin problems.
Include ghee (clarified butter), whole GRAINS, GINGER, TURMERIC, BLACK PEPPER, legumes, lots of green leafy vegetables, and herbal tea in your diet. Many of these foods possess anti-ageing, hair-nurturing, and skin-strengthening properties.
Eat plenty of sweet, juicy fruits. Freshly cooked apples or pears, when eaten in the morning, help to create ojas—the finest and most refined by-product of digestion. Ojas contribute to enhanced beauty, vitality, strength, immunity, and overall well-being.
Cook with spices. Spices add flavour and have a yogavahi property, which means that they support digestion and make the nutrients easily available to your body. Spices are not only great flavour enhancers, they help you stay healthy and beautiful, too. CUMIN, for example, helps flush your body of toxins, which, in turn, can lend your complexion a glowing, radiant lustre.
Drink lots of water throughout the day. Sipping warm water stimulates the digestive tract, and staying hydrated helps flush out accumulated ama (toxins). This, in turn, helps you maintain better digestion and clearer skin.
Herbal support for the skin
Ayurveda also recommends herbal supplements as aids to beauty. One way to boost the radiance of your skin from the inside out is to take RADIANT SKIN—especially if you are prone to occasional breakouts and other Pitta skin issues.
