CHAPTER
18

Common Ayurvedic Diet Questions

In This Chapter

I’m sure you’ve had questions as you’ve been reading this book. I know how frustrating it can be to have unanswered questions, especially on such a potentially confusing subject. So in this chapter, I want to go over some queries you might have about leading an Ayurvedic lifestyle.

In the following sections, I explain exactly what ingredients and supplies you need, teach you how to cook for a family of different Doshas, go over ways to overcome cooking blocks, share tips on timing your meals, and much more.

By the end of this chapter, you’ll be an Ayurvedic-cooking pro, ready to heal your friends and family with medicinal meals.

Questions About Ayurvedic Cooking

Ayurvedic cooking is one of the most intuitive methods of preparing food possible. It doesn’t have strict rules like French or other cuisines. Rather, you cook what’s local and seasonal, and pair it with a variety of aromatic spices and herbs.

Let’s go through some questions you may have when it comes to Ayurvedic cooking so you feel comfortable in the kitchen.

What If You Don’t Know How to Cook?

One of the best parts about Ayurvedic recipes is their simplicity. You don’t need any culinary experience to whip up an Ayurvedic meal. All it takes is some basic ingredients and supplies, some of which you probably have already, and you’ll have a balanced dinner in no time.

Here are some items you should always have in your Ayurvedic kitchen:

And that’s it! With these ingredients, you can make any Ayurvedic meal—a healthy grain porridge for breakfast, spiced vegetable curry for lunch, fruit or nuts for a snack, and lentil soup for dinner. You can rotate your ingredients according to the season so you never get bored eating the same thing every day.

Wisdom of the Ages

Always have one type of legume and one type of grain on hand. Rotate your vegetables and spices according to the season.

What If You Don’t Have the Money?

Cooking Ayurvedically is much more affordable than most other methods of healthy eating. Think about it—what’s the most expensive item you end up buying at the grocery store? Usually meat. What’s the most affordable? Grains and legumes, especially if you buy them in bulk. The latter are the two main staples of the Ayurvedic diet.

Grains and legumes are packed with protein and healthy carbs, providing all the energy you need. Pair them with vegetables, and you have a complete, balanced meal.

Buying organic can be more expensive than conventional, but you can find local, seasonal vegetables on sale lots of times. Try going to your local farmers’ market for great deals.

Meal-planning can save you money, too. Make a schedule of what meals you’ll consume every day of the week, and shop accordingly. That way, you only buy what you need. You also can see what’s on sale at your local supermarket and plan your meals accordingly. So much food goes to waste today, and you can easily avoid that with some mindful preparation.

Do You Need to Buy Totally Organic?

Ayurveda recommends eating food in their most natural state, but not every food absolutely needs to be organic. If your budget is tight, spend your money on those organic ingredients whose skin you eat. These are the “dirty dozen,” the 12 most pesticide-contaminated foods you always should buy organically to avoid the potential toxins in the skin. They are:

  • Strawberries
  • Spinach
  • Nectarines
  • Apples
  • Peaches
  • Pears
  • Cherries
  • Grapes
  • Celery
  • Tomatoes
  • Bell Peppers
  • Potatoes

As a general rule, always buy organic for foods you eat the skin, such as strawberries. Foods that have a skin you remove generally have a lower pesticide load, though not always the case.

The foods with the lowest pesticide content are called the “clean 15.” They are:

  • Sweet corn
  • Avocados
  • Pineapples
  • Cabbage
  • Onions
  • Sweet peas (frozen)
  • Papayas
  • Asparagus
  • Mangoes
  • Eggplants
  • Honeydew melons
  • Kiwifruits
  • Cantaloupe
  • Cauliflower
  • Grapefruit

Ideally, choose organic grains and legumes as well because they are often sprayed with pesticides.

Buy as much organic as you can afford, and don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t purchase all organic items. It’s still better to eat nonorganic lentils than junk food.

What If You Don’t Have Time to Cook Every Day?

An Ayurvedic diet requires minimal preparation. If you know how to boil water, you know how to make grains and beans. Just soak them beforehand, boil them in water, and enjoy your meal! Later in this chapter, I share some appliances and equipment that can make your cooking time even faster and easier.

Traditional Ayurvedic texts do recommend cooking every day so your food is as fresh as possible, but it is possible to prepare ahead certain things. For example, you can make a large amount of rice or another grain, store it in your refrigerator, and sauté it with various vegetables and oil for dinner. That way, you won’t have to make rice from scratch for each meal but still cook the vegetables fresh.

Wisdom of the Ages

Ayurveda does not recommend eating leftovers because they are tamasic or dull in energy. Freshly cooked food is highest in prana, lifeforce.

If you absolutely do not have time, you can prepare a large batch of food and eat the leftovers for the next few days. Just be sure to reheat your meals on the stove, not the microwave, which can damage foods’ nutrients.

How Do You Cook for Your Family of Different Doshas?

This is a common question. Not everyone in your family will be the same Dosha, although you may notice some similarities. That doesn’t mean you have to make each person his or her own dish. By including the six tastes, each family member can customize his or her own meal to make it fit their unique Doshic needs.

If you have a Vata member of the family, include some warm, cooked root vegetables and grains at every meal. Offer extra ginger and spices they can add to their meals to make them more warming. Keep raw foods separate.

If you have a Pitta family member, keep the chili and other heating spices to the side for the other Doshas to add to their own meals. Avoid using excess garlic in your cooking, and keep nightshade vegetables to the side.

If you have a Kapha member, avoid using too much oil in your cooking. Offer dairy products on the side for other family members to add if they choose. Have extra chili, ginger, and other heating spices on the side for Kaphas.

Many spices and herbs work for all three Doshas, including ginger, turmeric, asafoetida, coriander, and cumin. Spice your food mildly, and offer extra on the side for each person to add more if they choose.

It’s also important to include the six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent) at every meal so Doshas can consume the tastes they need more of. The recipes in Chapter 17 work for all three Doshas.

Additionally, Doshas change with the season so you’ll have some similarity within your family. In the winters, everyone will need more warming foods, and in the summers, everyone will need more cooling foods. You all live in the same place, so what’s seasonal and local is the same for all of you. This removes a lot of the guesswork because your Vikrutis may be more similar than you think.

Keep in mind that Doshic constitutions run in the family. If you are a Vata, you probably have one parent or child who is as well. Your Prakriti, the Doshic constitution you were born with, is based on your DNA, so you’ll notice similarities among your family.

Rather than stressing about the things each Dosha is supposed to eat, focus on eliminating the things they’re not supposed to eat that aren’t necessary for any other Dosha. To prepare a tridoshic meal (meaning it works with all three Doshas), avoid raw foods, excess spice, and dairy products, which throw Vata, Pitta, and Kapha off balance, respectively. Roasted vegetables, quinoa, rice, beans, lentils, and other staples can make many appearances on your dinner table. Rotate with the season, include the six tastes, and your job is done!

Can You Eat Meat?

Ayurveda does not recommend consuming meat unless necessary to sustain your life. Meat was not recommended for healthy individuals for a number of reasons. Animal proteins are difficult for the body to digest because they contains no enzymes to facilitate with digestion. Subsequently, meat is extremely heavy and often sits in your gastrointestinal tract undigested. This creates toxicity, called ama, which spreads throughout your body, causing a range of imbalances. Meat is extremely acidic, as well, which makes your body more prone to diseases such as cancer. Studies published in the International Journal of Cancer, Nutrition and Cancer, and Cancer scientific journals have concluded that countries with a higher intake of animal products have higher incidences of breast cancer.

The only times Ayurveda recommends meat consumption is if you suffer from a debilitating disease, such as an autoimmune disorder, extreme fatigue, or an eating disorder, or are a warrior, meaning you exhaust yourself physically. If you are a Vata individual, eating a little bit of animal proteins once a week or month may be enough for your needs. Listen to your body when making the decision.

If you choose to consume meat, be sure it is organic, grass fed, and sustainably sourced. You eat whatever the animal ate, so if it was fed GMO corn and antibiotics, you’ll be taking that in as well. That can lead to digestive disorders and other illnesses. According to science news, at least 80 percent of U.S. feedlot cattle are injected with hormones, and an astonishing 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the United States are used on livestock.

Can You Drink Alcohol?

Ayurveda does not recommend alcohol consumption with the exception of herbalized wine. These wines are called asavas and arishtas and are medicinal preparations of herbs fermented in jaggary, raw cane sugar, for a specific amount of time. The wine undergoes a fermentation process, making it 5 to 10 percent alcoholic. These preparations are considered medicinal and not for recreational consumption, and the recommended amount is only 4 to 6 teaspoons after meals.

All other types of alcohol are not recommended by Ayurveda and in fact, are called a poison that will bring misery. The Charaka Samhita states, “Those who are unwise and ignorant, who are imbalanced, consider the taking of alcohol to be a creator of happiness; these people lose happiness and purity of mind. The wrong use of alcohol will cause illusion, fear, grief, anger, death and disease. If the memory of our true unbounded nature is impaired, then misery will follow. The wise, acquainted with these adverse effects, avoid alcohol.” This basically means imbalanced people who drink alcohol will face negative side effects, and balanced people will know about these side effects and not want to drink alcohol.

Alcohol is dehydrating, full of sugar, acidic, and bad for your digestive system. You can replace it with a stimulating ginger tea to get that same buzz without the negative side effects.

If it’s absolutely necessary for you to drink alcohol, the Charaka Samhita states, “If one takes alcohol it must be used in relation to understanding the qualities of the food or drink and the consumer’s age, the strength of digestion, current state of health or disease, and season of the year or even time of day.” If you do drink, be sure you come to the situation in a good mood, not using alcohol as a means of escape or coping.

Pay attention to your Dosha, and be sure the alcohol will help you remain in balance. Vatas should try a sweet, heating red wine; Pittas should favor a cooling white wine; and Kaphas should have a dry red wine.

Wisdom of the Ages

Remember to drink hot water with the wine to prevent dehydration, and make it only a once-in-a-while affair.

How Can You Eat Ayurvedically at a Restaurant?

Although you may face some challenges finding Ayurveda-approved options at restaurants, it is possible. You just have to take some initiative to be sure the restaurant cooks according to your taste (and health).

It helps to hop online and study the restaurant’s menu, if it’s available. That way, you can see what types of foods are offered, think about how you might make something work for your Dosha, and plan second or third options if your first choice doesn’t work out.

At the restaurant, ask for hot water with lemon to aid your digestion. Avoid the ice water restaurants commonly often serve.

Salads are not recommended in Ayurveda because they are so cooling and difficult to digest. However, they can be consumed in moderation if they have warming ingredients like roasted squash and grains. Pittas can favor more raw foods than the other Doshas.

However, just because something is vegetarian doesn’t make it healthy. Many vegetarian dishes contain dairy products, such as cheese-topped salads or buttery vegetables. Be sure to ask what type of oil is used and steer clear from vegetable oils such as canola, corn, soybean, sunflower or safflower oil.

While coconut and olive oil can be extracted by pressing, the vegetable oils mentioned above are unnaturally processed and heated at such high temperatures that they oxidize and become rancid before you even buy them. This oxidization has been linked to cancer, heart disease, endrometrosis, PCOS and other diseases.

Vegetable oils are also processed with a petroleum solvent to extract the oils and treated with chemicals to improve the color and deodorize the harsh smell from the chemical process. Many contain BHA and BHT to keep food from spoiling, which also produce cancerous compounds in the body and have been linked to immune system issues, infertility, behavioral disorders, and liver and kidney damage. They have a very high concentration of Omega 6 to Omega-3 fatty acid ratio, which has also been linked to cancer and other disorders.

Wisdom of the Ages

Don’t fall for “vegetable oils” as a natural source of fat. Instead, favor coconut, sesame, olive, grapeseed or avocado oil, as well as ghee for non-vegans.

If there’s no substantial vegetarian entrée, order two or three sides of cooked vegetables as your entrée. Most restaurants have steamed spinach, brussels sprouts, bok choy, or other vegetable side dishes. Specify that they use one of the approved oils and not too much.

Want something a little more creative? Make a request! Chefs sometimes are delighted to make something off menu if you ask nicely and explain your limitations. Request a dish that’s totally plant-based if the chef is amiable. You may be surprised by what he or she comes up with!

What Time Should Your Last Meal of the Day Be?

Ayurveda recommends waiting at least 3 hours, if not longer, after finishing your last meal to sleep. As the sun goes down, so does your digestive fire. You can’t break down your food as well at night, which means it sits undigested in your gut, leading to toxicity.

Make lunch your biggest meal of the day, when the sun is high in the sky and your digestive fire is active. That way, you have the rest of the day to burn off the meal. Have a light dinner around 6 P.M. when the sun is setting, and take a gentle walk outside afterward. Then prepare for bed, and head to sleep by 10 P.M.

Questions About Preparing for an Ayurvedic Diet

Now that you know the ins and outs of the an Ayurvedic diet, let’s help you prepare. With just a few simple essentials, you’ll have all the supplies and ingredients you need to heal your body the Ayurvedic way. You may already have most of them in your kitchen.

Where Should You Start?

Start right where you are! When learning about a new way of eating, it’s all too easy to throw yourself right in to it … and then just as quickly fall off the bandwagon, back to where you began.

This is where Ayurveda differs from a diet. A diet is a short-term method of eating for a goal, often weight loss. Ayurveda is a way of life that encompasses eating but includes so much more. Ayurveda merely gives suggestions but does not have strict rules that must be applied. The purpose of Ayurveda is not to lose weight or get fit, although that may happen as a side effect of becoming healthier. It’s intention is to help you achieve mind-body balance. Food is a means of getting there because you cannot achieve balance when you aren’t physically and mentally sound.

Each week, pick one thing you’d like to integrate into your lifestyle. For example:

Week 1: Eliminate alcohol, tobacco, and coffee from your diet.

Week 2: Eat a warming breakfast of cooked grains and spices or stewed apples.

Week 3: Include more of the six tastes in your diet, especially the ones you may be lacking in, such as bitter and astringent.

Week 4: Pack your lunch, and make it the biggest meal of your day. Try another Ayurvedic recipe from my website eatfeelfresh.com.

Week 5: Try following the Doshic daily rhythms, sleeping and rising earlier. Cook another new Ayurvedic recipe.

Week 6: Begin scraping your tongue in the morning, noticing the sticky white ama buildup and signs of what Dosha your tongue is. Make a detoxifying bitter or astringent Ayurvedic recipe.

Week 7: Start a dry brushing and abhyanga self-oil massage practice. Notice how much smoother your body feels and how much calmer your mind is.

Week 8: Try oil pulling for at least 2 minutes. Increase the length you can keep the oil in your mouth over the coming weeks. Use sesame or coconut oil, depending on your Dosha.

Week 9: Give nasal cleaning a shot with a neti pot and nasya nasal cleansing. You’ll benefit from a little nose love.

Week 10: By now you should be an Ayurvedic pro. Notice what food grows locally, and get creative in the kitchen. Stock up on more spices, and invite your friends and family over for an Ayurvedic dinner.

In just 10 weeks, you’ve changed your diet and lifestyle without ever having to throw yourself into a rigid, difficult-to-follow diet.

Wisdom of the Ages

Instead of completely abandoning your old diet and devoting yourself to a life of turmeric, go gradually. Make one thing a habit before adding something else. That way, you’ll increase your chances of a successful new lifestyle.

Ayurveda is not about extremes. It’s about gradual shifts in the right direction. If you can do one positive thing for your mind and body every week, you’ve had a productive week.

Instead of focusing on how much you can accomplish, focus on how much you can care for yourself. The more you love your mind, body, and spirit, the more you’ll be able to achieve in the long run because it will come from a state of balance. You are your greatest project; be sure you give yourself the time and effort you deserve.

What Cooking Equipment Do You Need?

The cooking supplies necessary for an Ayurvedic diet are quite simple. Dehydrators, fancy kitchen tools, expensive blenders, an assortment of chef’s knives, and other pricey appliances are not required. You only need the basics: a stove, pots and pans, wooden spoons, a good knife, a cutting board, a soup ladle, and glass containers.

Ayurveda is an ancient system that began before electric refrigerators and ovens even existed. In Ayurvedic times, people would just pick fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices from their farms and cook them in a big pot over a fire. Most of the recipes were designed to be made in a single pot.

Today we have some more advanced tools that can make the process quicker and easier, especially if you’re on a tight schedule. Two tools I would recommend are slow cookers, which slowly cook your meals even when you aren’t home, and rice cookers, which quickly cook your meal in a fraction of the time.

A slow cooker is extremely useful if you are away from home during the day. Prepare the ingredients in the morning, add them to the slow cooker, set it, and go to work. When you get home, you’ll have a freshly cooked meal ready to devour. Many slow cookers have a “warm” mode that keeps the food warm after cooking so it is ready to eat whenever you are. Slow cookers also have the benefit of cooking food at a lower temperature to retain its nutrients. It is actually more similar to the ancient Ayurvedic way of cooking, where food was slowly cooked over the fire for many hours.

Whereas slow cookers are designed to gradually bring your food to the correct temperature, rice cookers cook your food as fast as possible. If you are someone who likes to throw together something off the top of your head based on your current craving, a rice cooker may be a good option for you. Despite the name, rice cookers cook more than just rice. Rice cookers can quickly cook your grains, stews, soups, or even steamed vegetables so they’re ready to eat in the shortest amount of time. Rice cookers don’t provide the same nutritional benefits and savory flavor as slow cookers, but they work great for a quick meal in fewer than 20 minutes. Some rice cookers also keep the meal warm after heating.

Wisdom of the Ages

If you prefer to plan your meal ahead and come home to a freshly cooked meal, get a slow-cooker. If you are a spontaneous chef and want your meal as fast and simple as possible, get a rice or pressure cooker.

I also recommend you have two stainless-steel pots—a larger one for stews, curries, and one-pot dishes, and a smaller one for reheating individual portions. As you cook more, you can purchase other sizes as needed.

Stainless-steel sauté pans are also handy. You can use a large one to sauté a bunch of vegetables at once, a medium one to cook some tofu or brown an onion, and a small one to quickly reheat an individual portion. Many stores sell sets with all three sizes.

You don’t need an entire chef’s knife set for cooking Ayurvedically, but I do recommend you have two good knives—a 10-inch chef’s knife for chopping vegetables and a smaller, 6-inch knife for peeling and cutting little items. These two knives will become your best friends.

No knife is complete without a chopping board. I recommend getting the largest wood chopping board you can fit in your cabinet. That way, you can cut a bunch of vegetables without them falling off your board and making a mess. I prefer wood chopping boards over plastic to prevent bisphenol A (BPA) contamination possible with plastics.

Wooden spoons are another kitchen must-have for stirring stews, tasting stir-fries, and mixing soups. Choose wood over metal because metal can get hot while you cook whereas wood does not.

A metal soup ladle is perfect for doling out freshly made soups. It also makes it easier to scoop out individual portions than trying to tilt the pot and spilling your soup everywhere (not like I’m speaking from experience …).

Wisdom of the Ages

A grater is an Ayurvedic kitchen essential because fresh ginger and turmeric are such a large part of the diet. Freshly grating your spices yields much more medicinal benefits and also gives your food an aromatic flavor dried versions simply can’t provide. Choose a small, fine grater so you don’t get big chunks of ginger in your food (although you might enjoy that!).

Measuring cups and spoons are essential for re-creating recipes and ensuring you have the portions correct. You don’t want your curry to be way too spicy because you didn’t measure correctly.

A blender or food processor is great if you like making blended soups. In Ayurvedic times, people mashed their soups by hand, so that’s always an option if you have the time and really want to go the ancient way. Otherwise, throw your veggies in a blender or food processor and you’ll have a bowl of creamy soup in seconds. These days blenders and food processors are relatively inexpensive and will pay for themselves with all the delicious bowls of easy-to-digest roasted vegetable soup they’ll help you make.

Last but not least, get some glass containers to store food. Avoid plastic containers because of the risk of BPA contamination, especially because most Ayurvedic food is hot, causing the plastic to leak and release toxins.

Eating Ayurvedically is easy, affordable, healthy, and socially conscious. You don’t need a chef’s kitchen, tons of equipment, or all the time in the world to follow a more Ayurvedic diet. All you really need is the basics, both in terms of supplies and ingredients, to give your body the gift of balance.

The Least You Need to Know

  • To stock your Ayurvedic kitchen, all you really need is some legumes, grains, vegetables, oils, and spices.
  • To cook for family members of different Doshas, make a basic meal of cooked seasonal vegetables in various preparations, from soups to stews to curries. Avoid raw foods, spices, and dairy to avoid unbalancing Vatas, Pittas, and Kaphas, respectively.
  • When dining out, look to the vegetarian options, soups without cream, and vegetable side dishes. Ask for less oil in your meal when ordering, and seek out vegan and vegetarian restaurants wherever you go for healthier options.
  • Some basic kitchen equipment will prepare you for cooking Ayurvedically: pots, pans, wooden spoons, knives, cutting board, and glass containers. A slow cooker or rice cooker can make preparation quicker and easier, too.