Ayurveda Illness Prevention and Cure

According to the Ayurveda, one's state of heath is determined by the harmony (or lack of it between the various constituents of the holistic body. Every person (indeed everything) contains all three doshas, Vata, Pitta andKapha. (Please see the article entitled "Holistic Body" in this same section). As each person is unique, their proportion of one dosha to the other varies according to the individual's make up at conception. Usually one or two doshas will predominate. The three doshas (known as Tridosha) must be balanced and harmonized for a person to be healthy. Ayurveda recognizes that factors that cause imbalance may be both intrinsic (from the
inside) and extrinsic (from the outside, and thus bring disease. The disharmony of the doshas may be due to poor or inappropriate diet, bad habits that contradict a person's basic nature, and finally, not following a healthy lifestyle. 

For example, Ayurveda teaches that various colors sounds, foods, tastes affect the doshas in different ways. For instance a chili which is both hot and pungent will aggravate pitta; while mild, light foods such as lettuce can calm it down. Food is not alone is causing imbalances. An irregularity in the seasons, idleness of mind and body, overloading the sense organs, and
other factors can equally cause such an imbalance. In the final analysis, when the doshas are unbalanced, we start to feel uneasy. When the doshas are profoundly unbalanced (that is, when one or more of the three dosha are over or under stimulated) real and observable symptoms of illness appear, and sickness quickly follows.

Therefore, an Ayurvedic doctor will attempt to restore harmony to the patient, recognizing that each patient's treatment and medicine (or therapy) must be unique to their situation. This means the doctor will firstly have to determine the patient's basic nature (Prakruti) and then his current
situation (Vikruti). The father away one's Vikruti is from one's Prakruti, the more ill one will appear. So the doctor prescribes what is required to restore the balance of the doshas and bring one's Vikruti to one's Prakruti. To do this, the doctor will say which foods you can eat and not eat, and
when to eat them, to give a special exercise program, and lifestyle guide, along with herbs and drugs. The doctor knows (and will explain to you) that whatever is your basic nature (vata, pitta, or kapha in dominance); your Prakruti (basic nature) represents your psychological and physical ideal state. When there is harmony in the Tridoshas one is healthy and content