Index
PREFACE
Several years ago, I read a book about Ayurveda that explained very clearly why and how our health and enjoyment of life are affected by all sorts of influences. Ayurveda (pronounced eye-your-vay’-dah) is a Sanskrit word meaning “the science of life.” The holistic Ayurvedic tradition has its roots in ancient India, and is gaining popularity in the West as we learn of its benefits. Ayurveda teaches that these influences, such as food, tastes, odors, the weather, music and other sounds, physical exercise, and much more can affect people in different ways, depending upon each person’s individual constitution. For instance, I learned why I can’t tolerate a blast of direct air from an air conditioner, while others find it refreshing. I learned interesting and useful things about eating and health, such as why I have problems with heartburn during the summer, but have virtually no heart-burn during the rest of the year. Ayurveda goes even further by recommending how an individual can modify these influences to suit his or her own constitution. A self-test will help you determine your Ayurvedic constitution (page 8).
This cookbook is the result of having organized my meals according to Ayurvedic principles. My main objective is to keep meal planning and cooking as simple as possible. I am a busy American woman with a full-time job. I don’t have time to hunt for unusual ingredients or to spend hours every day making complicated recipes from scratch. Several Ayurvedic cookbooks are listed in the Resources section of this book. All recipes in these cookbooks are vegetarian, and some of them call for ingredients that are hard to find. I enjoy using these cookbooks from time to time, but find them impractical for daily use. So, I have adapted my favorite, easily prepared recipes to fit the basic rules of Ayurvedic cooking and eating.
As you read and use this book, please keep in mind not just the Ayurvedic principles that it teaches you, but also some universal nutrition principles of which you are, most likely, already aware. The first step to practicing Ayurvedic principles is to join the increasing number of consumers who are enjoying more fresh, locally grown, organic foods. Ayurveda is all about being in tune with nature, and the movement toward eco-friendly agriculture and “green” consumerism is a hopeful sign that our society is moving in a more Ayurvedic direction. Second, try not to sacrifice your health and well-being for the sake of time-saving convenience. While it occasionally may be necessary to stop at a fast food restaurant, or use canned or frozen foods instead of fresh, try not to make this your norm. (However, when you do use canned or frozen food, use organic brands!) Third, remember to balance good nutrition with adequate physical exercise. Even when you eat healthy food, it’s still possible to overeat—to take in more calories than you expend in movement—and therefore to become overweight.
The information about Ayurveda in this book is very basic. If you would like to know more about the subject, several excellent books are listed in the Resources section, along with the names, addresses and phone numbers of three Ayurvedic organizations located in the United States. I have provided a general description of what Ayurveda is, how it relates to food, and what can be eaten to help relieve some common occasional ailments. As with any ailment, if symptoms persist or worsen, a physician’s opinion should be sought.
I hope that my friends and other readers will enjoy learning about Ayurveda and how to apply it to meal planning and cooking. I celebrate the unfolding of optimal health and wellness in all of us!
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION TO AYURVEDA
Ayurveda originated in India, beginning around 3000 BC. The fundamental principles of Ayurveda were discovered by ancient Rishis (Sanskrit, “seers of truth”). It was these same Rishis who developed India’s original systems of Yoga and meditation. Collectively, all of these systems are known as Vedic Science. Ayurveda spread with Vedic and Hindu culture to many parts of the world and is thought to have influenced ancient Greek medicine.
Following the discovery of its basic principles, the body of knowledge known as Ayurveda grew as practitioners of the science made very meticulous observations of human beings and the natural world. An enormous amount of information has been collected about various food, plant and mineral substances, physical activities, environmental conditions, cycles of time, and how they affect the health of human beings. This body of information was at first committed to memory and spoken in verse, and eventually was recorded in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. Ayurveda, as a medical science, is still practiced today in India and other parts of the Eastern world. A recent interest among Western physicians is part of a renewed inquiry into methods of preventative, holistic, cost-effective systems of health care.
THE THREE PILLARS OF LIFE
A central principle of Ayurveda encompasses three fundamental forces that regulate life. They are referred to metaphorically as air, fire and water. These three operating principles, also called the doshas (pronounced doe’shas), are present in all life forms, from a human being to a blade of grass. They are not physical in the sense of having tangible form, but are the very subtle energies present in all matter.
Vata (pronounced vah’-tah) is the Sanskrit word for the air principle. It is the subtle force behind all movement in the body. It is the wind that keeps things in motion, such as the transmission of messages throughout the nervous system. Pitta, (pronounced pit’-tah) is the Sanskrit word for the fire principle. It is the force that underlies the processes of digestion and metabolism, and the fire that burns food to fuel the body. Kapha (pronounced kah’-fah) is the Sanskrit word for the elemental force that upholds both density and fluidity in the body. It is the water that lubricates the body and also brings structure and stability.
The following chart lists some of the characteristics, or qualities, of each dosha. These qualities can have a healthy or unhealthy effect on our bodies and minds, depending upon the proportion of each dosha influencing our physiology at any given time. For instance, if there is too much vata in your body, symptoms associated with coldness and dryness can result. If your vata is balanced, you will not have these symptoms.
THE INDIVIDUAL CONSTITUTION
All three of the doshas must be present in a living organism. Not all organisms, however, have the same ratio of one dosha to the other two. Some organisms have more vata than they have pitta or kapha. Some have more kapha in relation to vata and pitta, and so on. Most of us have a dominant dosha that influences our physical and mental characteristics.
According to Ayurveda, we are each born with our own unique mixture of the three doshas. This is the individual’s constitution, (Prakruti in Sanskrit), which is genetically determined at the time of conception. It is your constitution that determines your physical and mental characteristics such as your body frame, your ideal body weight, the color and texture of your hair and skin, and your temperament. Most of us have a dominant dosha (vata, pitta or kapha) that influences our physical and mental characteristics.
The following self-test will allow you to get a general idea of your individual constitution. Read each statement and circle a number from 0 to 4, depending upon how true each answer is for you. Circle 0 if it is not true at all. Circle 4 if it is very true. Total your score for each dosha by adding the circled numbers. Write down your total for each dosha.
The test is taken from The Healthy Family Handbook, by Louise Taylor and Lisa Marie Nelson, and published
