Yes, you can eat meat and follow an Ayurvedic lifestyle
There is a common misunderstanding that to follow an Ayurvedic lifestyle, you must not eat meat.
Ayurveda classifies all things in nature according to their qualities and properties. Animals, meat and the products derived from them, are no different. If we look at ancient texts such as the Charaka Samhita, meat is recognised as the most nourishing of foods and so is even prescribed medicinally to help people recover and rebuild tissue.
“Meat soup...when prepared accordingly, alleviates all disease.” ~Charaka
Our ancestors hunted meat and foraged and gathered plants and berries. Some current day movements aim to replicate this lifestyle, for example, following a carnivore diet. But, we need to remember that we live in different times. In the past, people ate what was available in their region, and according to what they could find. Today, we have much easier access to and availability of food all year round as well as consumption of processed meats. We are also much less active than our ancestors.
As with all things, too much of anything can lead to problems and so Ayurveda teaches us to:
Eat according to our constitution (dosha)
Eat according to our current health state
Eat food in moderation
Eat seasonal foods
Eat according to the time of day
Ayurvedic guidance on foods is quite detailed and for meat, advises:
Eat pasture-grazed meat (organic and free-range)
Avoid meat killed by poison (we can interpret this today as animals fed pharmaceutical drugs)
Avoid unhealthy/emaciated/old meat
Avoid meat from animals that died a natural death (likely weak or diseased)
Slow cook meat rather than quickly cooking on a charcoal grill or frying
Cook meat with spices to help it digest easier
Try to eat a meat-based meal at lunch when your digestion is strongest
Don’t combine meat with dairy
If this all sounds a bit too much, it’ll make sense when we understand the qualities and properties of animal protein a bit more.
All foods are made up of the universal elements. They have a taste, (rasa), qualities (guna), function, energy (veerya) and a post-digestive effect (vipaka).
Meat, fish and poultry, generally have the following features:
Elements - Earth, fire, water
Taste - Sweet, salty
Qualities - Heavy (making it harder to digest), dense, oily, grounding, building, nourishing
Energy - Some heating and others cooling
Ayurvedic texts go into detail to describe the qualities and properties of many meats including peacock, pigeon, iguanas, and antelopes, but below is a list of the most commonly eaten:
Goat – Considered the most nourishing and easiest to digest of the meats as it is the closest in nature to our human tissue. It is suitable for all doshas, and is good for building muscle.
Mutton/Lamb – Strengthening, builds muscle. Cooling in nature.
Beef – Strengthening, builds muscle, helps fatigue, helps with dry cough, enhances sleep. Beef is particularly useful for those with Vata imbalance.
Fish – Strengthens. Not recommended for daily consumption, particularly for Pitta as it can be heating and cause skin issues. However, it is good for Vata people as it is heating, sweet, and considered a tonic.
Chicken – Nourishing, strengthening, clarifies voice. Is heating in nature and produces sweat. Very useful for those with a Vata imbalance as a tonic.
Eggs – These are heavy in nature. They promote strength and healing from injuries. Contrary to conventional medical advice, they are not considered a risk for heart disease.
Ayurveda takes a balanced view of the world around us. We are affected by everything that we come into contact with in nature whether it’s the climate, food, other people or our own thoughts. Ayurveda teaches us how we can gain strength and vitality from these interactions or are weakened by them. So, meat is not off the menu if you’re receiving Ayurvedic treatment or following an Ayurvedic plan. As with all foods, we just need to tune into our bodies to figure out what we need.