Expert Article: Food, Sleep And Celibacy – The Health Triode

Dosha – Dhatu – Malas are the triode of health and these three basic pillars were supported by three sub-pillars of the body. This triode has an impact on numerous body functions and hence is referred as Tri Upastambha (sub-pillars of life).

Ancient Ayurveda scholars emphases on the diet and routine regimen for health maintenance; it has been said that “person who follows proper regimen [पथ्येसति गदार्तस्य किं औषध निषेवणम्‌।पथ्येऽसति गदार्तस्य किं औषध निषेवणम्‌॥]. The other saying is about the food i.e. food is referred to as biggest medicine.

The human body interacts with the external atmosphere by air, food, and water. These ingestion and excretion are the means for the interaction of the human body and atmosphere. The disease and health do come with these two also. In order for ideal health status, the harmony of the body homeostasis or Dosha-Dhatu-Mala needs to be maintained and these three regulate the three basic pillars of the body or homeostasis.

Food – diet

Diet of food is the source of nutrition, Ayurveda over above nutrition describes that diet is the greatest medicine also. A proper and wholesome diet is the cause of health and an unwholesome diet is the cause of ailments. The nutritional aspect of the diet is known to all and hence it is not relevant to discuss here but the ayurvedic lookout for dietetics would be dealt with in this article.

Ayurveda describes that assimilation of food is of the key importance and hence the concept of wholesome and unwholesome food is developed in Ayurveda. This means that the nutrition can be used by the body if it is assimilated properly else food would lead to the formation of Ama (free radicals and intermediate product that leads to ailments or morbidity. This is not simple as the end product of digestion goes into a series of processes and then the final material then nourishes the body tissues the examination is not eased but this is experienced by every individual. There is a limitation of experimental evidence but they do have experiential observations. This may be understood by this illustration.

In this illustration glucose or carbohydrates is taken as the process is simple to explain. Glucose is the basic building block of polymers of glucose i.e. starch and glycogen. Glycogen is synthesised by plants (as food) by water and carbon dioxide in presence of sunlight. This glucose i.e. simple sugar is stored by polymerising in the form of starch. This is stored in plants like seeds, fruit pulp, stems, roots, etc. This food article we consume as a source of carbohydrate is a complex carbohydrate that can’t be utilised; this is converted to simple sugar; this simple sugar goes into transformation within the body and then it can be used. This is a simple explanation of the action of assimilation. There were too many processes that may be included under the umbrella of assimilation of food. The wholesomeness of food is given importance in Ayurveda some foodstuffs were narrated to be most wholesome to every individual irrespective of the individual constitution, season, area etc. viz. barley, brown rice, rainwater, sesame seed oil cow’s ghee, ginger, battle guard etc.

Ancient Ayurveda text Charaka Samhita describes the personalised approach of diet planning that is based on the constitution of individual and the characteristics of nutrients, the procedure of cooking, a combination of food, the quantity of food (aggregate and individual quantity), area of living, timings of food, rule of taking food and individual constitution.

Sleep

Proper sleep is the key to health. Charaka Samhita describes that health and morbidity are based on how you observe sleep. Sleep timing and duration of sleep has effects on an individual’s health. Day sleep is considered bad for health and can produce metabolic disease and on the other side of the coin awakening at night produces harmful effects. Night sleep is considered as the mother, the term coined by Acharya Charaka is Bhootadhatri. Bhoota means every creature on the earth and Dhatri means mother. Night sleep restores body tissues and rejuvenates the body. Body tissues get repaired as metabolism at its low and steroids levels were high & immunoglobulin were at its low. This circadian rhythm helps to maintain normal health; it is a popular thought in the society that evil spirits can catch if one room at the night (as immunoglobulins are it’s low remaining awakened may allow the pathogen to enter in the body that may or may not produce disease on the occasion but may produce chronic morbidity changes that may lead to disease in long run).

An average adult requires approximately 7 hours of sleep out of that approx. 6 hrs night sleep. The required sleep changes with age neonate sleep for approx. 22hrs that gradually reduce to 17-18 hrs after one year, after the age of 2 sleep decreases to approx. 15 hrs in childhood age sleep is approx. 12 hrs and by the age of 15 years the sleep decreases to approx. 7 hrs.

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Celibacy

Celibacy is the translation for Brahamcharya; the word Brahmacharya in Ayurveda is used in broader meaning than the textual meaning of celibacy. The importance of celibacy is advocated even in the western world in the medieval era. A very popular story of great Greek philosopher – Socrates “when one person asked about sexual relationship Socrates replied that the physical relation can be done once in a lifetime; in response, the person urged for more Socrates responded with decreasing duration but that person finds it difficult and at last when the person asked for daily physical relation Socrates responded with harsh words that you can bring coffin and do as much as you can. This has a relation to general health and longevity.

Brahmacharya has been understood in a broad sense in Ayurveda; Acharya Chakrapani opined that

“ब्रह्मचर्यस्यायुक्तिरनभ्यासादतिमात्रेन्द्रियसंयमनादिरूपा, सा हि मनःक्षोभादिहेतुर्भवति”

i.e. brahmacharya is control & regulation of all five sense organs, motor organs and psyche. Stress management, psychological trait regulation, is the actual meaning of Brahmacharya. Regulation of sense organs means maintaining a good measure of hygiene of sense organs and use of promotive health measures that nourishes sense organs i.e. Nasya (nasal administration of medicated powders/ medical juices/ medicated oils & ghee), Anjana, Abhyanga (whole-body massage or at least in head, ears & legs), Gandusha, etc. Meditation and regulation of psychological attributes are the Brahmacharya i.e. avoiding stealing, spying, speaking false, associating oneself with antisocial activities, etc.

Impact of these Measures on Body, Mind and Health

These three acts influence the three-body humour of the body i.e. Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These entities are not single entities but they are groups of entities associated with functions of bio-transportation & transportation & movements (Vata), biotransformation, metabolism (pitta) and restricting the corrosive effect of the other two body humour, strength (Kapha). These three regulate body functions by controlling the Dhatu (body tissues) and mala (metabolic wastes). Ideal food, routine, sleep and Brahmacharya regulate the three-body humour and this leads to regulation of body tissues and metabolic wastes. The properly nourished body tissue has a proper defence system and this can resist various physical, chemical (biochemical), biological, psychological forces and thus maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis is the key phenomenon that maintains the health of the tissue and thus the human.

Thus it may be summarised that if one wants to live healthy, increase longevity, and be disease-free one ought to observe the rules of the three triodes.

Disclaimer: This is information based on Ayurveda principles narrated in ancient texts like Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Astang Hridya, Astang Sangraha, for maintenance of health for longevity. For more information feel free to contact Ayurveda physician or Ayurveda hospital for more details.

Story first published: Saturday, February 26, 2022, 14:29 [IST]

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