Ayurvedic Comfort Foods

Ayurvedic Comfort Foods

Verily Yoga is not possible for him who eats too much, or who does not eat at all, who sleeps too much, or who is always awake. Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain for him who is moderate in eating and recreation, which is moderate in exertion in actions, which is moderate in sleep and wakefulness. (Bagawath Gheetha)

"The eating practices of most people are matters of habit and custom, rather than of intelligent planning. Our people are influenced more in their eating by advertising than they are by any knowledge of foods. They eat what has been made to taste good, rather than what is truly good. They eat foods which they know contain poisons- chemical preservatives, coal tar dyes, artificial flavourings,etc-with no thought of these poisons, and reject good foods only because they have not learned to eat them. Seasonings, rather than flavors of foods, determine what is liked by their undiscriminating tastes."( Dr Herbert M.Shelton.)

"Eat always from the table of God; the fruits of the trees, the grains and grasses of the field, the milk of beasts, and the honey of bees. For everything beyond these is Satan, and leads by the way of sins and diseases unto death. But the foods which you eat from the abundant table of God fed Methuselah of old, and I tell you truly, if you live even as he lived, then will the God of the living give you also long life upon the earth as was his."
(Words of Jesus from the Essence Gospel of Peace)

Disclaimer

The sole purpose of this newsletter is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease.
If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained Ayurvedic health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively.
If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic expert, call our Health Educators or e-mail us for the number of a physician in your area.

What do you think of when you hear the words "comfort food"?

Mashed potatoes and gravy at Thanksgiving, ice-cream in the middle of the night or cream donuts for breakfast?
That may be what you crave, but these foods won't comfort you very long; in fact, they may even cause discomfort in your digestion.

How about a warm soup or rice pudding?

Real comfort foods are nutritious, nurturing, wholesome and satisfying.
According to Ayurveda, they should also be intelligent, and balance the mind and body.

Ingest nature's intelligence with your food

The food you eat should be lively. Fresh, organic, home-cooked food has the power to carry nature's intelligence to your brain and body.
These foods are called triptighna, which means they are satisfying and nourishing. Preserved, frozen, processed foods and leftovers, on the other hand, are triptighna: foods that leave your body unsatisfied and craving for more.
Since these junk foods are void of intelligence they cannot support the intelligence of the physiology, so you end up eating more and craving for more without ever getting nourished or fulfilled. What's more, you can easily gain weight this way.

Cooked food versus raw food

While we want to preserve the intelligence of our ingredients, we also want to make them digestible.
That's where cooking comes in, which inserts agni, digestive fire, in our food so we can digest and assimilate it properly.
Certain food items, such us grains, beans and dahls should always be eaten cooked.
Most vegetables are also more beneficial cooked, and some of them, such as spinach, chard, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, should never be eaten raw.
Milk is another item that can be hard to digest so ayurveda recommends always boiling it with some cardamom and cinnamon.
Make sure, however, not to overcook or burn anything.
Add some ghee or olive oil, water and spices to protect nature's intelligence.
You don't have to cook everything and skip salads entirely.
Juicy vegetables, such as cucumber and lettuces, can be refreshing for lunch in the summer but stay away from them at night and in the winter since they can aggravate Vata.
Also, if your digestive fire is weak, stay away from sprouts.
Fruits are also good raw during the day.
In the morning, a stewed apple is best to stimulate the digestive system.