Art Of
Living
In my introduction blog, I
had spoken about the difference between today’s fooding habits and yesterday’s
fooding requirements. In todays life, what to eat is just a matter of choice as
world is in just a click away from you, but what to eat and what not to eat is
big question to stay healthy and fit. It’s a fast pace life and almost
everybody is paying the cost of it. Eating wrong, comfort food or junk food had
done negative changes in our genetics that it becomes very important to learn what
suits to your body and what’s not... and all this is possible with one of
India’s old science or in other words “Art of living” which allows you to know
everything according to your body type and one can heal their body by eating
right as we all know that our body is having self healing mechanism, we only
need to take medicine when that mechanism fails to heal or becomes suspended
due to negligence in taking care of your body.
Ayurveda
Ayurveda
is an ancient system of natural healing that has its origins in the Vedic
culture of India. More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a
science of life (Ayur =
life,Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed
to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. Providing
guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper
use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic
integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.
Recognizing
that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three fundamental
energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement,
transformation, and structure.
How
Ayurveda is different from regular modern medicine?
·
In Ayurveda, every individual
is unique and there is no diet or lifestyle, routine that works for everyone.
·
Prevention is key. Ayurveda
focuses on providing specific advice and guidance on how to maintain physical
and emotional health by eating and living right.
·
Food and lifestyle routines
are considered the most important medicine. If you come to an Ayurvedic doctor
with a complaint, you are more likely to leave with a recipe than with a
prescription for pills.
How does Ayurveda work?
The ancient
practice of Ayurveda believes we're made up of three different 'body types'
that correspond to our physical and personality traits, known as doshas. These
are: vata, pitta and Kapha, each of which represents two of the five universal
elements (a combination of ether, air, fire, water, earth). Ayurvedic
philosophies believe we each contain varying proportions of each Dosha,
generally one or two in dominance. Our naturally dominant Dosha does not
signify imbalance, but rather how – or who – we are in our most healthy,
balanced state.
Mind-body
health and harmony may be challenged when any of the doshas become aggravated
or imbalanced. Identifying your predominant dosha and potential imbalances,
which an Ayurvedic practitioner can assist with, is the secret to keeping your
mind-body balance in check. Below are Dosha types for each mind/body type:
1.
Vata (Wind) Dosha – It’s an energy that controls bodily functions associated with
motion, including blood circulation, breathing, blinking, and heartbeat.
·
In balance: There is creativity
and vitality.
·
Out of balance: Can produce
fear and anxiety.
2.
Pitta (Fire) Dosha –
It’s an energy that controls the body's metabolic systems, including digestion,
absorption, nutrition, and body's temperature.
·
In balance: Leads to
contentment and intelligence.
·
Out of balance: Can cause
ulcers and anger.
3.
Kapha (Earth) Dosha – It’s an energy that
controls growth in the body. It supplies water to all body parts, moisturizes
the skin, and maintains the immune system.
·
In balance: Expressed as love
and forgiveness.
·
Out of balance: Can lead to
insecurity and envy.
In
Ayurveda, things that we consume are divided into three categories:
•
Poison
•
Medicine
•
Neutral
Poison
is defined as anything that hinders digestion. Medicine is considered to be anything
that we consume to aids the digestive process. Neutral is anything we eat that
gives support and nourishment without either aiding or hindering the digestive
process.
Kitchari
is a unique because it falls under both the neutral and medicinal categories.
It not only provides nourishment for the body, but, due to its spice
combination, also benefits digestion. This makes kitcheri an ideal food of
choice during times of stress on the body, such as during an illness, periods
of overwork or change of seasons. It is also an especially good food to use
while on a mono-diet as part of an internal cleansing regime.
There
are several variations to a basic kitcheri recipe and the one below is my
modern twist to basic kitchdi, easy to start with, and balancing to all three
doshas (vata, pitta and kapha). You will find that the ingredients are readily
available at most health food and Indian grocery stores.
Kitchari
Ingredients:
Ghee (clarified butter) 2–3 tablespoons
Cumin seed 1
teaspoon
Asafoetida
(“hing”) powder 1 small
pinch
Salt 1
teaspoon
Turmeric
powder 1
teaspoon
Coriander
powder 1
teaspoon
Ginger
root 1
tablespoon
Yellow
mung dal 1
cup
Organic
Quinoa 1/2 cup
Water if using
pressure cooker 4 cups
or about
if using a regular pot. 6 cups
Cilantro
chopped 2
tablespoon
Lime
juice 1
tsp
Preparation:
1.
Heat the ghee on medium heat. Ghee burns
easily, so be careful.
2.
Saute cumin seeds in the ghee until the
seeds pop. Then add, asafoetida powder, turmeric, coriander powder and salt.
3.
Immediately add ginger root and sauté for a
while and then add the drained mung dal, Quinoa and water. Stir well, making
sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pressure cooker or pot.
4.
If you are using a pressure cooker, fasten
the lid on and turn the heat to high, let full pressure build up. Once the
pressure has built up, turn the heat low and let cook five minutes. Then take
the cooker off the heat and let it sit until there is no more pressure and you can
safely open the lid.
5.
If you’re using a regular pot, cover and
bring it to a boil on high heat. Then turn the heat down and let it simmer
until both the rice and dal are mushy.
6.
A thinner consistency is preferable if
digestion is weak. kitcheri will thicken when it cools therefore you may need
more water than you originally thought.
7.
In order to get the best quality of energy
to your body, Kitcheri should be eaten fresh not the one which cooked a day
before or in previous meal.
8.
Garnish with fresh cilantro (great for
pitta—ok for vata and kapha)
