Does eating watermelon make you feel gassy, bloated or gives stomach upset?
Does eating mangoes cause acne/pimples on your face?
At what time of the day, you should eat fruits?
Should fruits be eaten after meals?
Today different disease like obesity, heart diseases, thyroid, diabetes are increasing every year and fruits contain components that can prevent the diseases. Fruits can also help to recover from illnesses. You are often told by your doctor eat more of fruit diet when you are sick. The properties of fruits according to Ayurveda changes when they turn ripe from raw. We never think about this.
The biggest question that leaves everyone confused is what is the best time to have fruits in the day. Can fruits be taken in the evening. We are offered fruits post meals some times. Is it the right thing to do? Which fruit is best for which season.
Good time to have fruits should be in the morning. You want energy than fruits are a good choice to kickstart the day. But empty stomach, citrus fruits should be avoided as they are acidic in nature. Generally, people with acidity problems have more trouble when they wake up. They feel nausea, sour water brash while brushing teeth or spitting because while you were lying in bed for 7 hours in the night, the acid got accumulated and once you get up it refluxes in mouth. This means, you have a tendency to develop acidity in the morning. So, a good choice to start the day with fruits would be with fruits like bananas, peaches, pears, apples.
Benefits of fruits in the morning
Banana balances the acidity of the stomach. It protects the lining of the food pipe, so it is a good option. Banana is one of the first fruits we start giving to babies of 4-5 months of age because it is gentle on gut. So, this can be used in the morning. Also, it gives instant energy so if you are a workout person, you can have it before hitting the gym. Banana is a starchy fruit that contains rapidly digestible starch which is broken down to glucose within 20 minutes. So, your gym instructor advises you to consume banana as it gives you the necessary energy due to its natural sugars.
Another thing if you are looking for energy givers in the morning then raisins, nuts, figs are a good option. You can have them with a glass of milk in the morning and you are set for the day. Even you can give it to children who in a rush to go to school do not have much time to sit for long and have breakfast.
Which fruits should be avoided in the morning?
Grapes and pomegranate should be avoided empty stomach you can have them during 10 AM to 4 PM. Grapes help in easy dafaecation that means it enhances easy passage of the stool. You can soak 10-15 dry grapes in water overnight and early morning drink the water but.
Watermelon should never be consumed in the evening or in early morning. It aggravates Vata this is why you see many people complaining of loose motions after it. You should have it between 10 AM to 4 PM. Replacing entire meal with fruit salad is good if you do in morning or afternoon, but not night as night is Kapha Kala which means the density in the body is higher so you should avoid fruits during night. Fruits generally are Kapha aggravating.
Pomegranate or dadim enjoys a special place in Ayurveda. Acharya Sushruta has placed it first in the description of Phal varga i.e fruits. Even the peel of the pomegranate has medicinal properties. Dadimashtak churna is a very well-known Ayurveda medicine for gut issues, loose motions, IBS which is made from the peel of pomegranate. So, pomegranates are a good choice if you have tendency of loose stools.
Apple is a fruit for weight loss, it also relieves muscle tension. It alkalizes acid in the stomach so can be consumed in the morning.
Do you know every Neuro doctor prescribes an anti-oxidant pill to every patient because they are good for brain functioning. So why should we not consume natural antioxidants which we can get from fruits. But you will reap the benefits of fruits if they are absorbed well in the body. These days dietician, nutritionists make a point to inculcate a meal of fruits in the diet chart. But what is ignored is qualities of fruits which Ayurveda describes. So, if you have any question, reach out to an Ayurvedic doctor at our center for diet chart with fruits according to your Prakriti.
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