The 60/40 Rule - Augmenting vs Extractive Foods
Ayurveda teaches us that how we eat our food is just as important as what we eat. Part of how we eat is the ratio of the types of food we consume. In a typical American diet, a plate of food is mostly comprised of 50% animal protein, 25% vegetables, 25% whole grains. Ayurveda (Ancient Indian health system), approaches it quite different with the 60/40 rule of augmenting vs. extractive. That’s right, Ayurveda doesn’t distinguish between carbs, fat, and protein and as I’ll share in later posts, it in fact breaks down food according to taste.
Lets back up a bit and explain what augmenting means. Augmenting foods are naturally sweeter and they nourish the body and ground the mind. Thus, these are foods that grow under or close to the ground. Think of sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, squashes, and grains such as rice, wheat, oats, barley, and more. Augmenting also includes dairy goods like cheeses, yogurt, and ghee. Augmenting, because of its sweet nature, has a nourishing effect on the body that pacifies and calms it down, making the mind feel grounded and at ease.
Extractive foods are naturally more bitter and astringent and they cleanse and detox the body and promote movement in the mind. Think leafy greens like lettuce, kale, dandelions, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and celery. Legumes like soy, adzuki, pinto, garbanzo, and many more belong to the extractive family and so do nuts and seeds. Ayurveda typically advises to stick to a plant-based diet, but if you do choose to eat meat and eggs, those are also classified under the extractive category.
The nourishing and grounding qualities of augmenting foods and the cleansing characteristic or extractive foods are exactly why the 60/40 ratio exists. It’s to ensure that we’ve detoxed the toxins out of our bodies but still remain nourished and strong in our stature and health. Too much bitter cleansing foods will promote imbalance that will lead to a racing mind, anxious and resentful nature, insomnia, impatience, dry skin, constipation, etc. Too much augmenting food can lead to weight gain, depression, lethargy, allergies, etc.
Pretty fascinating, isn’t it? I thought that eating salads and limiting carbs is the way to perfect health but it just shows how balance will always be the MAJOR KEY, as DJ Khaled would say. Do you guys want me to share some of my favorite augmenting and extractive meals? Let me know in the comment section below.
