The saying “You are what you eat” takes on increased importance in Ayurveda, which teaches that food affects you both physiologically and psychologically. To be more Ayurvedic, we can modify this saying to “You are as healthy as the tastes you consume.” Everything you eat has a certain taste and that taste has specific actions on the body and mind.
Removing wheat from the diet may offer only a temporary fix for a more complex problem—a compromised digestive system. I’ve seen decades of patients telling me they felt better initially without wheat, but within a few weeks or months, the digestive distress, bloat, weight, fatigue, and brain fog would all come back. It is time we stop treating the symptoms and address the cause. It is time we stop treating the symptoms and address the cause.
The qualities of vata dosha—cold, dry, rough, clear, and mobile—are characteristic in the disorders associated with this time of year. Many people experience restless nights with racing thoughts, increased anxiety, dry skin and lips, constipation, indigestion, bloating, and gas. In Ayurveda, we can create balance during this season by cultivating the opposite qualities of vata dosha.
Is it right for everyone? Are there contraindications? Is my body strong enough? Do I have enough support? Am I emotionally stable enough? These are important considerations and it takes a well-qualified Ayurvedic practitioner to determine if it is indicated for you to do a home cleanse or receive panchakarma in a clinical setting.
Superfood is a term used for greens that are packed with chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids. Some common green chlorophyll-rich superfoods are cereal grasses such as alfalfa, barley grass, oat grass, and wheat grass. Spirulina, or blue-green algae, is also loaded with chlorophyll, minerals, and phytonutrients that are essential for good health.
In Ayurveda, strengthening digestion is crucial to achieving and maintaining your ideal weight. Digestion has been strengthened for thousands of years with great success through the use of herbs, yoga postures, breathing techniques, and diet. Here are ten basic tips to help you improve your digestion.
Ayurvedic healers believe that our levels of stress are directly connected to our diet. They hold out the promise that if we improve our diet, we can reduce our stress. At the heart of this conviction is the critical principle of Ayurvedic medicine that many diseases can originate in the digestive system. This means that your diet is of the utmost importance to keeping you healthy. Indeed, you may even find yourself in a double bind.
Ready to feel light, grounded, and peaceful in body and mind? We’ve got three days of foods and recipes to get you started. Join us as Myra Lewin of Hale Pule Ayurveda shares from her immense knowledge of Sattvic foods, and teaches us a few tips along the way! We will also be giving away a Sattvic Prize Pack to one lucky winner.
Ayurveda and Yoga, given as sister sciences thousands of years ago, help us find balance in our lives, bodies and minds. In modern times, when we are pulled from one urgent task to the next, find relief in “vegging out” and eat for convenience, these ancient teachings of balance have never been more relevant.
I remember the day I got the lowdown on leftovers from one of my Ayurveda teachers. “They’re a no-no”, he said, if we want optimal digestion. And let’s face it, Ayurveda is all about digestion.
Truth be told, I already knew this. I just didn't want to believe it.
This still makes me a little sad. Reheated lasagna or pizza for lunch or dinner back in the day used to be a treat. No meal planning or cooking meant less time in the kitchen, which is always fine with me.
Unfortunately, once food has been cooked, cooled and then re-heated, the prana (life force) has left the food, and our bodies have to work much harder to digest it.
Caprese salad is one of those things that I just fell in love with, especially during the summer. It’s cool and savory, combined with the sweet burst of juice from the tomatoes. But, then I started to notice that it did not settle as well as it tasted. The effects were subtle—a little bit of indigestion, just a touch of cramping. These were slight enough that I barely took note of it.