Eating for the Season: Recipes to keep Kapha in Balance!

Ayurvedic dietary principles call for us to largely avoid refined sweets and excessively cold, dry, unctuous, salty, and fatty foods. I know this seems hard during the holidays, but if you keep this wisdom in mind, you may notice the ease that it brings to your body and mind. Because winter is considered a primarily kapha season, the meals you eat during this time should incorporate slightly more of the pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes that pacify this dosha. However, winter’s heavy, moisture-laden atmosphere frequently gives way to the dry, windy conditions of the vata dosha, so it’s also important to focus on vata-balancing foods and tastes on days when this type of weather prevails. Overall, you should eat warming meals that balance kapha and vata and help you adjust to the predominant weather conditions. Also be mindful of your agni, or digestive fire. Since kapha conditions can contribute to sluggish digestion, eat at regularly scheduled times without skipping meals or overeating. As always, eat your largest meal at lunch, when the digestive fire of pitta is strongest.

Here are some simple, tasty recipes that will make it easier and more enjoyable to maintain a dosha-balancing wintertime diet.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup (serves 4)

·      ½ gallon water

·      1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

·      ½ cup rolled oats

·      1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

·      1 tablespoon cumin powder

·      1 teaspoon coriander powder

·      ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

·      ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

·      1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

·      juice of 1 fresh lemon

·      1 tablespoon rock salt

·      1 tablespoon soya oil

·      2 scallions, chopped

·      parsley

·      watercress

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add squash, oats, cilantro, and spices, including black pepper and salt, fresh ginger, and lemon juice. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 35 minutes. Transfer to the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to pot. Heat oil in a small skillet, and sauté scallions for about 2 minutes; then add to the pureed soup. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Serve hot and garnish with fresh parsley and watercress.

Seven-Grain Bread (serves 4)

·      1 tablespoon natural yeast

·      ½ cup warm water

·      2 tablespoons sesame butter

·      ½ cup spelt flour

·      ½ cup unbleached whole wheat flour

·      ½ cup soya flour

·      ½ cup millet flour

·      ½ cup oat bran

·      ½ cup rolled oats

·      ½ cup cracked wheat

·      1 tablespoon Sucanat

·      ½ teaspoon rock salt

·      1½ cups warm water

Dissolve the yeast in warm water; then dilute the sesame butter in the yeast solution. Combine the flours, bran, rolled oats, cracked wheat, Sucanat, salt, and remaining water; then add the yeast-sesame butter mixture. Knead into a sticky dough. Transfer dough to a large oiled bowl. Cover securely and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes. Punch down the dough, cover, and let rise again for 40 minutes, until it doubles in size. Form dough into four rolls, and place on oiled baking trays. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Whole Mung Dhal (serves 4)

·      1 cup whole mung dhal

·      2 ¼ cups water

·      ¼ teaspoon turmeric

·      1 pinch sea salt

·      1 tablespoon ghee

·      1 minced green chili pepper

·      ½ teaspoon grated ginger

·      1 tablespoon masala

·      1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Wash mung dhal until water runs clear. Soak in 3 cups of cold water overnight. Drain. Boil 2 cups of water and add dhal, turmeric, and salt. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 50 minutes. In a small skillet, heat ghee, green chili pepper, and ginger for a few minutes. Add the masala toward the end of browning. Add to dhal with lemon juice and remaining water. Cover and continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes over low heat.

Sautéed Golden Beets with Masala (serves 4)

·      4 golden beets

·      1 tablespoon sunflower oil

·      1 tablespoon masala

·      2 yellow onions of shallots, cut into half-moon slices

·      1 teaspoon rock salt

·      1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Scrub the beets and cut into bite-size pieces. Heat sunflower oil in cast iron skillet. Stir in masala and cook until slightly browned. Add shallots, beets, and salt. Stir in two tablespoons of water. Cover and allow to cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve hot.

Caraway Brown Rice (serves 4)

·      2 cups long-grain brown rice

·      3½ cups boiling water

·      1 pinch of sea salt

·      2 teaspoons of caraway seeds

Wash rice until water runs clear and add to boiling water. Add salt. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 25 minutes. Dry-roast caraway seeds in a small cast iron pan until golden. Add to rice mixture and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Red Cabbage and Onion Soup (serves 4)

·      ½ gallon of water

·      1 small red cabbage shredded

·      2 red onions, chopped

·      1 tablespoon coriander powder

·      ½ teaspoon cayenne powder

·      1 tablespoon dried dill

·      1 tablespoon dried parsley

·      2 cloves of garlic

·      1 tablespoon of rock salt

·      ¼ cup cashew butter

·      1 red onion, cut into thin half-moon slices

Bring water to a boil in a large soup pot. Add the cabbage and onions, along with the coriander and cayenne powders, dried dill, parsley, and salt. Lightly crush the garlic cloves with a handstone and remove the skin. Add the lightly crushed cloves of garlic to the soup mixture. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 35 minutes, until onions are practically dissolved. Add cashew butter to the soup and stir until it dissolves. Garnish the hot soup with thinly sliced red onions; remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve hot with a heaping dollop of Millet Supreme.

Millet Supreme (serves 4)

·      3½ cups water

·      2 cups millet

·      ¼ cup fresh peas

·      ½ teaspoon turmeric

·      ½ teaspoon cumin powder

·      ½ teaspoon ajwain seeds

·      1 teaspoon rock salt

·      1 tablespoon sunflower oil

·      ¼ cup currents

·      ½ cup roasted almonds, slivered

·      juice of ½ lemon

Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Thoroughly wash the millet, and add to boiling water, along with the peas, turmeric, cumin powder, ajwain seeds, and salt. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes. Heat the oil in a small skillet, and add the currants and almonds. Stir for another few minutes until currants begin to swell. Add the lemon juice. Add to the millet, and continue cooking for 10 minutes more. Serve warm.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

Easy Summer Pitta-Pacifying Recipes

One of the delights of summer is the joyful abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables tumbling off the grocery shelves. According to Ayurveda, sweet fruits and bitter greens help pacify the pitta dosha. According to the scientific community (and our own common sense) fruits and veggies also help protect us from falling ill.

A recent international research study conducted by the University of Adelaide found that people who consumed a diet high in fruit, vegetables, and whole grains had a lower risk of developing a host of chronic health woes, including anemia, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, arthritis, hepatitis, coronary heart disease, asthma, stroke, bone fractures, and cancer. The study found that a high intake of fruit was associated with a lower risk of developing any chronic disease, while a high intake of vegetables may help people with one chronic disease avoid developing a second. Here are some delightful pitta-pacifying recipes to try this summer!

Cooling Mint Tea
1 cup fresh peppermint leaves
1 quart boiling water
1 quart room temperature water
2 teaspoons sweetener

Pour the quart of boiling water over the mint leaves. Cover and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain the tea into a pitcher or glass jar. Add a sweetener. If you are adding honey, make sure the water has cooled down first. This is a great drink for aiding digestion. Drink at room temperature for maximum assimilation. Remember that iced and chilled drinks dampen our digestive fires, making it difficult to properly digest our food.

Asparagus and/or carrots with lemon-herb sauce
Steam your chosen amounts of asparagus and/or carrots to the point where they are “fork-friendly.” This means a little less firm than al dente but not soft or mushy. Then pour the following lemon-herb sauce over the vegetables.

Lemon-Herb Sauce: Juice one lemon. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of honey (use only unheated honey). Mix together in a blender with a few leaves of fresh basil and mint. Puree until smooth.

Cucumber Raita
This side dish goes well with dhal, rice, curries, and other Indian dishes.
Combine in a mixing bowl:
1 cup fresh yogurt
¼ cup cucumber, peeled and diced finely
1 tablespoon ginger root, peeled and grated
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro (the leaves of the coriander plant)
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
salt to taste

Dandelion Salad
If your lawn is full of dandelions, stop complaining and start picking! Dandelions are one of the most nutrient-dense plants you can eat. Their leaves, when young and tender, have a slightly bitter taste like that of arugula. The older the plant, the more bitter the greens. Before you start picking, be sure that the yard in which the dandelions are growing has not been treated with toxic chemicals.
1 cup dandelion greens, washed and dried
8 large leaves of butter lettuce, washed and dried
½ cup feta cheese or goat cheese, chopped or crumbled

Dressing
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 cup olive oil
sweetener to taste (just a bit is needed)
1 tomato chopped
fresh basil
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Boiling the dandelion greens is better for older, larger leaves as it removes their bitterness. You may even want to boil older, tougher greens twice. If so, boil once for 2 minutes; then, drain and boil again for 2 minutes.

For information on consultations with Ayurveda experts or to take a dosha quiz and discover your individual mind/body type, visit us at our clinic or online.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

Unwanted Cellulite?

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Most of us struggle with cellulite but have no idea how to handle it. Ayurveda looks to restore optimal functioning to the systems of the body by balancing the mind, emotions, and physical attributes based on a person’s constitutional makeup. This same model informs Ayurveda’s approach to cellulite.

According to Ayurveda, cellulite results from an imbalance in the body’s ability to metabolize fat. The Ayurvedic term for this metabolic function is meda agni (fat digestion). Cellulite occurs when agni weakens and the metabolism becomes sluggish; the resulting digestive residues interact with our body’s tissues and become the toxic material that’s known in Ayurveda as ama.

When ama accumulates in the lymphatic system, the body experiences a drainage problem. The subsequent buildup of toxins and fluids in the tissues leads to the development of fat pockets in areas of the body that are determined by your constitution. 

To address cellulite, you must first understand that the process that creates it starts in the gut and then spreads through the subtle channels of the body. The best way to circumvent this process is to strengthen digestion in the gut and improve the lymph circulation in areas that are prone to cellulite.

 Since Ayurveda addresses every case differently, it’s best to a consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner to determine which cellulite reduction strategies are best suited to your specific constitution and circumstances. If this is not possible, simply add a few of these general suggestions to your daily routine:

1.     Drink plenty of water. Sipping warm water with fresh-squeezed lemon throughout the day helps stimulate digestion and clear the buildup of toxic residues in your body.

2.     Rev up your diet with a variety of zesty herbs that help reduce ama and promote circulation. Use generous amounts of herbs such as ginger, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek, and cardamom in your cooking.

3.     Eat two fresh tulsi leaves in the morning and at night. This herb helps to regulate fat metabolism and has both lightening and drying properties.

4.     Eat three meals at the same time every day. Make lunch the largest meal of the day and schedule it no later than 2 p.m. Eat dinner no later than 7:30 p.m. Strict adherence to these practices is by far most the important element of an effective cellulite management program. 

5.     Have a cup of kapha-reducing tea: Use ¼ teaspoon each of dry ginger, dill seed, and fenugreek seed, plus one clove per 1 cup of water. Boil water, add mixture, and steep for 5 minutes before drinking. 

6.     Avoid a high-fat diet, but take a daily dose of good quality oil, such as Ayurvedic ghee or flaxseed oil in a cup of warm water first thing in the morning.

7.     Perform full-body abhyanga (self-massage) with organic almond oil daily. Massage areas where you have cellulite with organic mustard seed oil followed by calamus herb powder. Use rapid long strokes to heat up these congested areas and improve circulation throughout the whole body.

8.     Make sure you get enough exercise. Yoga asanas like Dandayamana Dhanurasana (standing bow pose), Ardha Chandrasana (half-moon pose), Utkatasana (chair pose) , Supta-Vajrasana (reclining thunderbolt pose), Dhanurasana (bow pose), and Salabhasana (locust pose) are highly recommended.

9.     Take 500 mg of turmeric every morning upon waking and 500 mg of Triphala every night before bed. 

10.  Try panchakarma. An annual panchakarma program not only detoxifies many of the body’s channels, including the liver, but also helps your body burn fat more efficiently. Best of all, the benefits of panchakarma go far beyond its visible impact on the appearance of your body. This traditional Ayurvedic method of purification and rejuvenation is a time-tested approach to restoring balance and vitality to your entire being.  

For more information, visit us at our clinics, or book an appointment online! 

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.