In Ayurved, the way to living peacefully and disease free is to eat foods full of prana (chi/qi) especially when stressed, unwell or seeking spiritual growth.  I understood Prana when a friend was describing what happened at the entrance of a hospital- she was supporting her dad with her arm under his armpit when suddenly he became really heavy- it was the moment of his departure from his body- the life force left him- Prana is what had kept his weight upright and no amount of oxygen or all those things we take as nutrition could have helped.  Prana is lost daily but can be our food habits replenish this.  Let me share how Prana in food is available to us:

Soil:  This is where the life energy thrives: plants growing in rich natural soils are bursting with Prana- organic farmers using hydroponics or homa or using dynamised water with vermiculture compost are all serving Prana- here deep in the soil life far larger than nutrients is thriving and bursting with generous prana.  Food grown here and consumed fresh and raw is the highest prana you can find- even a small bunch of leaves will fill your being- Grow your own food– spinach, kale, salad leaves…. nourish some soil in your balcony, roof or garden and see how the missing connect with food reappears.

Freshness principle:  The food you cannot grow is best purchased from organic sources – farmers markets are good as you can meet the source person and know what is growing seasonally.  Store bought food is well travelled and Prana does not travel well.  For thousands of years humans ate fresh foods- either grown in their backyard or bartered from the community.  In the last fifty years that pattern was reversed by ‘industrialization’ of food- the processing, packaging, preservation, transportation and food additives have stripped the Prana completely.

High Prana food: The pranic pyramid would have a descending order on these lines

• Straight from garden foods- freshly plucked- eaten raw
• Whole organic fruits and vegetables that are local and fresh- eaten raw
• Whole organic seeds and nuts- eaten raw
• Whole organic vegetables – lightly cooked
• Whole organic grains- well cooked
• Non organic fruits, vegetables and grains
• Meat, fish, eggs
• Processed foods

Nutritional values and Prana have no common ground.  Prana is a vibrational energy tapped from Nature- best done by plants.  There are yogis who live on that energy directly needing no food or even water in some cases but for us regular folks- just eating fresh, seasonal, local is a good start.

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Somewhere fresh turmeric disappeared and turmeric powder became the face of this root.  A lot got lost along the way- turmeric oil for one, the earthy taste and bright juice that lends the dishes a little peppery taste.  Curcumin, the active ingredient is lost too.

And now (drums rolling) for the big boss powers of this little ginger like root:

Power One: Natural antioxidant – Cellular ageing is due to oxidation and turmeric is a natural antioxidant that combats the effects which promotes youthfulness and protects heart and liver.

Power Two: Anti inflammatory – Turmeric brings down inflammation in blood vessels, skin, and the intestinal tract. This golden spice can also help regulate blood sugar levels and immune function. Research is showing it can also kill nasty invaders and that is a skill that makes it priceless.

Power Three: Cancer fighter- it influences cells to manage themselves better and research is showing that turmeric can reverse certain cancers and possibly prevent cancer onset.  Research in this area is actively giving positive feedback.  Curcumin is a sought after ingredient by bio pharmacies.

The best Ayurvedic drink in the morning is lemon, black pepper and i tsp juice of raw turmeric.  Start right away!

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1. Weather
2. Dosha
3. Intensity

I learnt this the hard way:  while clearing my exfoliating chelitis I went on a beetroot juice binge and worsened my lip.  Luckily I was in Pokhara where a wonderful Juicery was my daily haunt and I managed to create the right mix for myself- the third point intensity is all about how much of a juice you take and how diluted it is.  For my situation Beetroot juice shots needed to be diluted and taken with some warm food.

Juices are cooling, light and dry- in winter they are not recommended for any doshas- the most tolerant to juices is Kapha and they benefit the most from it.  In summer all Doshas can take juices- Vata must take the least, pitta moderately and kapha frequently.  Adding ginger and turmeric to the juice will reduce its coolness to a fair degree.

Going by Doshas, here are the recommended foods for each type: they can be juiced in a combination that appeals to you.

Vata: a mix of Root vegetables like Beet, carrots, parsnip, sweet potato, ginger, fennel, cucumber with apples or pears.  Ginger would kill the gas component in these juices.

Pitta: Ash gourd, Asparagus, Broccoli, cucumber with coriander and/or cardamom with kiwi, strawberries, mangoes, mint – coconut water or juice can be added for cooling effect in high summer.

Kapha: Bitter gourd, kale, grapefruit, broccoli, apple

You must have noticed that not many fruits are on the list.  Eating fruits whole with fibre is far better than juicing as all doshas benefit from the wholeness of the fruit- skin and all.

Ayurveda is almost reluctant on juices.  Please try the juices for a day or two and observe how you feel- some will really raise your energy and you can go for more.  If they make you irritable or inflame a situation, look at diluting it or changing it.

Intensity is a factor to consider- if you have just come out of a stressful period or illness, definitely dilute the juice- adding coconut water in summer will ease the juice acceptability in the body.  Root vegetable juices are best accepted when the digestion is in good form.  Adding ginger or mint improves the taste and digestion.

Neem, curry leaves, moringa leaves in small quantities also help in making the juice healthier and easier on the system.  Juices are best before meals- give a 20 minutes for their absorption.

To your health

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This wonderful grain with its sweet fibre is now a vicious food.

The cause – it is mostly genetically modified and sprayed with Glyphosate- a herbicide that is a proven carcinogen used widely in the USA.  The excess corn is then turned into corn sugar and flavourings widely used in packaged foods.  American corn is marketed all over the world through GMO companies as it is more sweet than regular corn and we are all chomping away at a cancer producing grain.

Be extremely careful of the corn you may be having- as makki ka atta (whole corn flour), corn on cob, corn syrup and other curious formulations in packaged foods (to be avoided anyway for the many pitfalls)

I think this is the saddest piece I am writing as a big lover of ‘bhutta’- come rains, India would have handcarts with coal grilled corn on cob rubbed with lemon, black salt and chillies.

Goodbye to all that.

(Look out for organic non GMO corn though- it is available in small pockets)

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The kitchen was a holy place complete with altar.  The lady of the house burnt a ghee lamp in the kitchen altar and after prayers began her cooking.  I recommend we at least do a mental prayer or affirmation as we make our meal- the ritual is really a mood maker for this.

Here are some natural principles for Cooking the Ayurvedic Way-

• Pranic Freshness:  The food should be as fresh and organic as possible.  Grains used to be ground weekly, the vegetables would be plucked in the morning from the land adjoining the home: the sun still saturated in the greens.  Ayurved gives primacy to Prana- the life force emanating from the universe.  Fresh vegetables and fruits are sun soaked and brimming with prana- alas- not for long.  Peaking with prana when just plucked, they retain this precious life force for a few hours and diminish rapidly after.  Having a kitchen garden really serves you well- specially greens eaten right after plucking give you a prana high. Avoid precut vegetables from the grocery stores- much prana is lost there. I have practised a high prana diet in India and as an overeater I noticed a reduction in the volume of food i ate- high prana food satiates more.
• Steaming:  Vegetables are best cooked by light steaming:  this preserves colour and nutrition which is lost when we boil ( nutrient loss to water) or bake (high temperatures destroy nutrients).  Light steaming allows the prana to remain in the food yet breaks down the cellulose walls that are hard to digest.
• Eat all six flavours:  Ayurveda is about balance.  We need to eat all the six flavours: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent and pungent for the body to fully stay at ease.
• Cook at home:  Nothing beats the health and energy of a home made meal.  You know the ingredients you buy, there is love energy going into the food and its freshly eaten.  Ideally there should be no refrigeration- this may be tough with the convenient lifestyle we are addicted to, but if you cook just enough there may be no need to store.

These are the first principles.  There are spirals of information within these principles which I am happy to share through your questions.

To Your Health!

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All the gains of fasting are diminishing rapidly: starting with the lip and then the tongue. Infact the lip is back to status quo. The first insight I gained is that food is the allergen, given that I introduced it into my body last Sunday. One of the first cooked food given to me was a wheat dosa – the likelihood that I am allergic to wheat is strong. Over the week as I travelled through fort Kochi and varkala, the kinds of foods eaten varied – I tried to stay raw with salads but did have shrimps and rice twice. Have been wheat free before this journey too and cant report an improvement.

Varkala has a Govt Nature cure hospital right by the beach – nice doctor willing to admit me but the shared space in wards and hygiene issues just made me step back. I seem to be unable to find my rough traveller bone.

Today being Ekadashi, I am going on a fruit fast followed by a water fast. My stress levels are really low in Varkala – there is good vibe where I am. I have spoken to three naturopathic doctors and they all are selling me some treatment or retreat and currently I am not inclined to try. The week ahead is going to be seeking answers within. I hope to speak to my body and get some answers – do yog nidra, yoga and meditations and long walks.

This has been a week of long walks – the sea and the Janardhan temple make for delightful trails. As was fort Kochi. Walking and breathing the sea air and connecting with the body more deeply. Keep life simple this coming week. Being a sleuth in search of inflammation triggers is my job.

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