Ayurvedic Grains – Highlight – Quinoa
Posted by Mary on Aug 24, 2009
Although it’s actually a seed, Quinoa is commonly classified as a grain. It has a light, delicate flavor. The grain is flat and oval with pointed ends. Varieties range from yellow to red, brown and black.
Quinoa is excellent for balancing Vata and in moderate quantities for balancing Kapha. Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, our ayurvedic expert, considers quinoa one of the foremost sources of nutrition in a modern vegetarian ayurvedic diet. From the perspective of modern nutrition, quinoa contains more protein and more iron compared to other grains and is rich in potassium and riboflavin. It also contains other B vitamins–B6, niacin, and thiamin, is a good source of magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese, and has some folate (folic acid).
Quinoa works well with vegetables, paneer (fresh cheese), lentils, nuts and ayurvedic spices.
Quinoa is available at health food stores and some supermarkets. Store the quinoa in a clean, tightly-sealed container in a cool, dry, dark place. Wash well by rinsing multiple times until the water runs clear before cooking.
Ayurvedic Cooking – Spotlight – Mung Beans
Posted by Mary on Jul 13, 2009
Mung (moong) beans are small, cylindrical beans with a bright green skin. In ayurvedic cooking, they are used whole or, more commonly, split and hulled. Split and hulled mung beans are small and yellow and called mung (moong) dhal in India. These beans don’t need pre-soaking and are a snap to cook to butter-soft consistency if you have a pressure cooker. They can also be cooked in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. Sort beans and wash thoroughly before you cook them.
Mung beans are one of the most cherished foods in ayurveda. They are tridoshic–they can be eaten to balance all three doshas, especially when cooked with spices appropriate for each dosha. They are very nourishing, while being relatively easy to digest–they do not generally create abdominal gas or bloating, the drawbacks of larger beans. Persons recuperating are often recommended khichari, a combination of rice and mung beans, because of their ability to provide a good level of nourishment without overtaxing the digestion. They offer the astringent taste.
According to modern nutrition, mung beans offer 14 gms of protein per cooked cup. Mung beans are also a good source of dietary fiber. They also contain thiamin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and copper, and are a good source of folate.
Mung beans can be eaten on their own, or combined with rice to make khichari, or combined with vegetables and greens to make hearty soups or ground into flour to be used to make crepes or added to breads. Turmeric, cumin, dried ginger and coriander are some spices that work very well with mung beans.
Mung beans are available at Indian groceries or health food stores.
Ayurvedic Grains – Highlight – Basmati Rice
Posted by Mary on Jul 11, 2009
Flavorful, long-grained, aromatic Basmati rice is revered as a sattvic (pure) food by ayurvedic healers. Basmati rice is excellent for pacifying Vata, especially when cooked with a touch of rock salt and ghee. Basmati rice is also good for pacifying Pitta, as it falls in the sweet ayurvedic taste category. To pacify Pitta, enjoy Basmati rice in a rice pudding, or cooked with a pinch of cardamom and some rose water. If you are trying to balance Kapha, eat smaller portions of Basmati rice and eat it less often than other grains. Cook the rice with peppercorns, ginger and cumin when trying to balance Kapha, and eat it at lunch rather than in the evening.
Historically, the best, most flavorful Basmati rice has come from the Himalayan foothills. Basmati rice is now widely grown in many other parts of the world. Aged Basmati rice is more flavorful, and needs a little more time and a little more water to cook to perfection than ‘new’ Basmati rice.
Basmati rice is available at Indian and Asian groceries and in many health food stores and supermarkets. Store the raw rice in a clean, tightly-sealed container in a cool, dry, dark place. Wash well by rinsing multiple times (until the water runs clear) before cooking.
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Ayurvedic Foods
Posted by Mary on Jul 10, 2009
Some foods are considered especially healing in ayurveda.
Since a central dietary teaching of ayurveda is to eat to provide adequate nutrition for mind and body without overtaxing the digestive system or your body’s ability to fully absorb and utilize those nutrients, easy-to-digest foods that are wholesome and provide multiple health benefits are prized in ayurveda.
Ayurveda categorizes foods by rasa (taste) as sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. The typical North American diet includes plenty of the first three tastes and not enough of the last three, and ideally all six tastes should be included at each main meal. Ayurveda also classifies foods according to their quality–foods are considered dry or unctuous, heavy or light, warm or cool according to their physical nature. Ayurvedic healers recommend including more of those tastes and qualities that pacify the dosha(s) you are trying to balance at a given time, and less of others.
Vegetables and herbs or spices that contribute the bitter or astringent tastes, whole milk, lassi (a drink made by blending together fresh yogurt and water), cooked fruit, chutneys, whole grains, unleavened fresh breads made with flour that has not been refined, and mung beans are examples of particularly nourishing and healing foods that are recommended in ayurveda.
Foods are also classified as sattvic, rajasic and tamasic according to the quality of the impact they have on the heart, mind and spirit. Foods that are particularly nourishing for not just physical, but mental, emotional and spiritual health, are called sattvic–foods that impart sattva (purity)–in ayurveda. Rice, milk, ghee and almonds are examples of sattvic foods.
Ayurvedic Herbs – Spotlight – Cilantro
Posted by Mary on Jul 9, 2009
Also known as Chinese parsley, cilantro refers to the leaves of the coriander plant. It’s easy to grow from seed in your garden or in a pot in bright sun.
According to ayurveda, cilantro offers the bitter and astringent tastes. It is a cooling herb and puts out excess flames in the stomach and generally enhances the digestion without aggravating Pitta dosha.
In recent years, modern science has discovered that cilantro is a natural chelation agent, very helpful in removing heavy metals such as lead, mercury and aluminium from the body. To get the benefit of cilantro’s chelating property, enjoy a couple of teaspoons of cilantro chutney with your meals on a regular basis.
Beneficial Ingredients – Highlight – Haritaki
Posted by Mary on Jul 7, 2009
All seven types of haritaki fruit have their own unique look, flavor and benefits as well as anthraquinone-like (laxative) chemicals, tannins and astringents. Haritaki fruit is part of triphala, the three-fruit formula in Ayurveda. It is generally administered in triphala form rather than by itself to draw upon its tonic effects.
Haritaki has been shown to nourish tissues, particularly the heart, liver, and kidney. It is used to treat diseases of the eye (both internally and externally). In addition, Haritaki, by blocking the ability to utilize sugars, may help to eliminate bacteria and have cholesterol-lowering qualities.
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Beneficial Ingredients – Highlight – Schizandra
Posted by Mary on Jul 5, 2009
Schizandra is a famous tonic historically consumed by Chinese royalty and by Daoist masters. Schizandra is renowned as a beauty tonic and is considered to be a youth preserving herb. It is also said to be a powerful tonic to the brain and is believed in China to improve memory. For the body, it is known to improve overall strength.
Schizandra may also help mental function and memory. It is used in many tonic formulations as an astringent, while in traditional Chinese medicine it is used to resist infections, increase skin health, and combat insomnia, coughing and thirst. Modern Chinese research suggests that schizandra has a protective effect and may help people with chronic illness.
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Beneficial Ingredients Highlight – Tulsi
Posted by Mary on Jul 4, 2009
Tulsi, also spelled tulasi and referred to as holy basil, is an aromatic plant and, beyond its many culinary purposes, has particular spiritual relevance as well. Some Hindus consider a household incomplete without a tulsi plant and still others provide structural spaces within the home especially for their tulsi. In other spiritual practices, tulsi is used to make necklaces.
Medicinally, tulsi has been known to enhance digestion and intestinal health. The plant’s extracts are also used in remedies for colds, headaches, stomach ailments, inflammation, heart disease and malaria. Recent studies suggest that tulsi may be effective as a painkiller and may help reduce glucose and cholesterol levels. It also has antioxidant properties.
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Ayurveda – An Ancient System for Modern Times
Posted by Mary on Jun 29, 2009
AYURVEDA
What our ancestors knew about Ayurveda, a health system dating back 5,000 years ago, has been passed down from generation to generation. Its primary message is simple, yet profound: align yourself with the wisdom of nature and you will experience vibrant, glowing health.
According to Charaka Samhita, Life itself is defined as the “combination of the body, sense organs, mind and soul, the factor responsible for preventing decay and death, which sustains the body over time, and guides the processes of rebirth.”
And the practice of Ayurveda, which aims to create dynamic balance in all areas of health, is growing in popularity as one of humankind’s most ancient systems for sustaining life. Spearheading this movement are doctors and practitioners whose own undisputed success in helping people reclaim their health using Ayurvedic practices has made them household names.
Some modern-day products claim to capture and apply the wisdom of the “Science of Life”.
I delve into Ayurvedic practices, healthy ingredients and much more in my blog, videos and newsletters. To get my updates, including videos and newsletters, free of charge – be sure to provide me with your name and eMail address in the area found on the right-hand side of the screen. I look forward to sharing with you and hearing from you as we all search for improvement in body, mind, and soul.
