Rice preparations of Ayurvedic meals for patients.

The diet given to the convalescing patients and aged persons who can’t digest heavy food. It consists of nutritive and easily digested preparations of rice and provides instant energy and helps to recuperate fast. The diet is structured in stages, going from more liquid preparations to increasingly solid ones. These stages of digestibility are called Manda, Peya, Yavagu, Vilepi, and Odana. They are simple gruel, which are prepared using rice, water and mild spices. These rice preparation stages are suitable for babies who are being introduced to foods apart from mother’s milk.

Manda means rice water which is the clear supernatant watery portion (without rice) in which rice is boiled. When sick, most people lose their appetite. It is the first meal to be taken when the appetite returns. Use 14 parts of water to 1 part of Red raw rice or Basmati rice. It should be served with a pinch of table salt.

Peya means rice soup, the next meal when the patient should feel hungry again. It made with 14 parts water to 1 part of rice. The rice is cooked until it is very soft, so that it has the consistency of a thin, light porridge. It can be served with little amount of table salt and pinch of pepper powder.

Yawagu is a semi solid meal thicker than Peya, third meal when the patient should feel hungry again. Use 1 part of red raw rice with 6 parts of water. Boil rice in water till it softens. Add ¼ tea spoon of grated ginger, pinch of pepper powder and required quantity of table salt and churn it well before served.

Vilepi is thick rice soup which thicker than Yawagu. It should be served for the fourth meals. It consists of a slightly thicker porridge of soft cooked with 4 parts of water to 1 part of Red raw rice or Basmati. Add required amount of table salt, a little fresh ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds, coriander, fennel, pepper and small amount of ghee can be added for taste and digestion.

Odana, which means cooked rice and has the consistency of normal, soft, cooked rice. It made with 2 parts of water to 1 part of rice. It should be served at the fifth meal with broth or some gravy vegetable curries for providing fast and instant energy.

Nutritional value of Rice

Rice has their unique nutritional value. It includes high in minerals such as calcium and iron, vitamins, such as niacin, vitamin D, thiamine and riboflavin and a good source of fiber and therefore, improves digestion. Rice contains very low amount of saturated fats and cholesterol making it a healthful food for heart.

Health Benefits of Rice preparations

Good during fever as it is very light and easy to digest and improves appetite and digestive power. It makes the air and a feces move downwards and relieves constipation.  These preparations relieve constant thirst and tiredness. It softens the channels and balances the normalcy of all parts of the body and an increases body energy and also act as Diuretics.