Let food be your medicine!

Why Ayurveda?

It can help with

Aligning with Nature

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian science of preventive health and healing, dating back to B.C. 1500. It is also a philosophy of living. While Western medicine sprang from examining the microcosm, Ayurveda arose from investigation of the macrocosm. Teachings came from the Rishis (seers) who took their wisdom from the cosmos, pointing to disease as a result of dishonoring natural rythms, our own senses and what we've learned. Ayurveda would say the 3 causes of disease are:

Making careless choices -- not learning from your experience
Disrespecting your senses -- not paying attention and responding appropriately
Living out of Rhythm -- not attuning with seasons, time of day, and time of life results in the acceleration of premature aging.

Rather than treating symptoms, this Science of Life* approach cures by removing the cause of dis-ease. Katie Silcox calls it "Aligning with Big Mama," applying an everything-is-connected philosophy. If you're airy, cold and dry, get a routine and find warm and nourishing; if there's inflammation, cool things down; if stagnant and unmotivated, spice it up, get moving.

For everyone: space meals, eat nutrient-dense, apply opposites, exercise & get out in nature, get quiet, sleep well and pay attention!

* Ayur means life

Veda means study of, knowledge

Coming Into Balance

In the science of Ayurveda, human anatomy starts with the 5 elements. The ancients defined these building blocks of creation as ether/space, air, fire, water and earth. I like to look at how they manifest in the body:

Ether is cold

Air (wind) is dry

Fire is hot

Water and Earth (i.e.mud) is wet

Some examples are our tissue layers and bones that have a lot of earth, body fluids are represented as water, our metabolism is a manifestation of fire, and all movement is carried out by air. From a combination of these elements come compounds (or constitutions) we call the doshas.

space + air = Vata

fire + a little water = Pitta

water + earth = Kapha

When certain elements are imbalanced they tell us by providing symptoms of cold, dry hot or wet. This is how the body communicates with us.

Identify Symptom/Apply Remedy

If you can match up your primary symptoms expressed through the elements with the blueprint provided by Ayurveda, you can begin to understand what's being revealed.

Vata (air + ether) = cold, light, dry

Pitta (fire + water) = hot, oily, spreading

Kapha (water + earth) = cool, wet, heavy

In Ayurveda, when these doshas are in balance & working harmoniously, a person will enjoy smooth-moving processes (digestion, circulation, etc.), clear senses, proper elimination of waste, and happiness (fulfillment,satisfaction). Since like brings like and opposites bring balance, we assist. We can do so with our choice of drink, foods and spices, but also with an antidote in the realm of self-care since the physical also has its emotional manifestation. Try to apply this simple code:

Cold is contractive - it needs warmth.

Dry is depleted - it needs moisture and nourishment

Hot is overheated - it needs cooling and alkalizing

Wet is heavy - needs motivating and cleansing

Creating 3 Pillars of Heath

Ayurveda recognizes three main supports for wellbeing: proper diet, sufficient sleep and loving relationships or wise use of vital energy. When kept in balance, these three pillars keep us healthy, happy and fulfilled. They promote good digestion, proper detoxification and increase vitality and contentment. When out of balance we may experience digestive discomfort; feel disconnected from our partners, family, friends and even ourselves; become exhausted and stressed; and experience several other imbalances.

Nature delights and takes care of us when we do things that make us feel good, especially when we do them with good intention, in a healthy way, at the ideal time, and in the proper amount.

Think of a time when you were happiest, most vibrant with robust energy - they are probably times when these pillars were in balance:

your food probably gave you fuel you needed, satisfied, digested and therefore nourished you well
you probably slept close to a good 8 hrs... and you looked and felt great inside and out
you likely felt connected with a partner, family and/or close friends on a deep level and it added to the joy of life and helped maintain psychological balance. In connection with yourself, and your vital energy; you probably checked in with your heart before making decisions and your choices were more aligned with your highest intentions and a higher good.

This is what the Ayurveda practices of bramacharya allow. When we try to align our energy with our higher self it's like "walking with God" the definition of bramacharya.

According to Ayurveda, the three pillars of health are of equal importance. Focusing on maintaining balance in what nourishes you, the quality of your sleep and the depth of your relationships pulls you into alignment —mind, body and Spirit.

Rest and Digest

During sleep we heal the tissues and reboot the brain and ALL our systems, not to mention it's when we digest our emotions and life scenarios from the day. The ancients shared secrets to removing suffering and finding bliss. Some of the practices are kitchen and food *sadhanas, like simple food preparation, offering gratitude, chewing well and eating mindfully, preparing and taking in food in a good mood. Solutions for improved metabolism are warm lemon water in the morning and only warm water through the day, taking the main meal when sun is highest, earlier lighter dinners, avoidance of snacking, ginger or other digestive enhancers, soaking grains, nuts, seeds and legumes for easier digestibility, using teas, seasonal cleanses, and avoidance of processed foods and those exposed to genetic modification or use of pesticides. Because different foods require different digestive enzymes to break them down, food combining becomes important - all moving in the direction of eliminating AMA, increasing AGNI and building OJAS.

Good digestion + Good Assimilation/Absorption + Good Elimination = Vitality

*Sadhana - discipline undertaken to let go of personal attachments in pursuit of a higher goal

Immunity

Because much of our immune system activity takes place in the digestive system and the inflammatory immune response starts there, immunity is integrally tied to what we eat. Ayurveda knew this and made optimal digestion the main focus of food intake and spicing practices. But it goes beyond food. Along with eating for a healthy gut comes a relaxed and regulated nervous system. In synchronizing with natures rhythms we're guided not just to the attentive food practices but stress management and adequate sleep.

Fellow Ayurvedic habits teacher, Anna Welle summarized immunity beautifully in these tips:

Amp up your favorite and most effective forms of stress release and management: meditation, time in nature, things that make bring joy, exercise, journaling, warm baths, creative expression...
Keep a regular schedule. A daily routine is very calming to the nervous system
Regular meal times and a regular sleep schedule, with a simple morning and evening routine is super effective for calming the nerves and feeling grounded
Remember the power of your breath - deep breathing works instantaneous wonders on the state of the mind
Regulating your nervous system impacts everything and all those people around you, for the best.
Get deep rest. Go to bed before 10 pm, earlier if possible. Incorporate restful and rejuvenating acts of care into your day, particularly the evening after dinner. Relax with a book, enjoy a warm cup of tea, try yoga nidra, etc. Deep sleep is so healing, and must be a priority.
Back to food... Focus on fresh, easy to digest foods. Soups, stews, fresh green juice, bone broth, kitchari, etc. Fresh veggies and fresh fruit, cleaned when necessary. Incorporate foods that have a high potency of vitamin C.

Habit Evolution

These words come to us from modern Ayurveda 'wisdom warriors.' I want to take the opportunity to include 'evolving our habits' with the topic of Ayurveda because during these times, when our culture doesn't easily align with natural rhythms as traditional cultures did, we can benefit from applying the research and experience of healthy habit gurus to see that we can make make shifts to reach toward a future vision for ourselves. If we start with a questions like What do I want to let go of? What do I desire most? and Who do I want to become next?, we can track things back to what is essential to reaching these goals. Working at creating good habits includes getting clear on a vision, taking slow manageable steps, and putting a system in place getting where we want to be.

Donna's products are pure joy. I have had the pleasure of enjoying her sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, Ayurveda spices and kombucha! All amazing and so good for my belly!
It feels good to eat well!

Nicole B.