Understanding how nature is present in our food, starts with connecting to the six tastes or ‘shad rasa’. There are six tastes of sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent that we aim to have present in each meal.
Seasonal Eating Guide: Winter
In Ayurvedic wisdom, we understand that there is subtlety in nature and that the seasons aren’t bound to dates on a calendar. Ayurveda holds the perspective that there is actually six seasons instead of four with winter being split into two subtle transitions.
Early winter is a time when vata dosha is naturally more predominant and there is a more light, dry and unstable quality as we settle into the seasonal change. During this time, you may find that you need more grounding, slowing down and softness.
Whereas in late winter, once we have grounded into the season there can be a greater sense of heaviness and stagnation as kapha dosha becomes more predominant. In the depths of winter, our body and mind naturally start calling for more stimulation, movement and heat to shake off the stagnancy.
How To Make Ghee
Ghee is considered one of the most sattvic and medicinal foods in Ayurveda. It is a staple in an Ayurvedic lifestyle from cooking to self-care remedies and rituals.
Ghee is made by slow cooking unsalted butter which separates the milk solids to produce a pure, golden liquid. This creates an easy to digest, versatile cooking oil that cooks well at high temperatures.
You will also find ghee used in skin and eye care treatments, as a base for herbal remedies and ceremonially, in many vedic rituals.
Seasonal Eating Guide: Autumn
We’ve arrived at the first days of Autumn in the southern hemisphere and i can feel the season slowly starting to shift. The humidity of summer is beginning to dry up, there is a sense of lightness in the air and nature is slowly starting to turn inwards.
Ayurveda views Autumn (and early winter) as a time dominated by vata dosha which holds an airy, light and dry quality. It is also considered one of the great seasonal junctions and a time when our health can be more vulnerable.
It can be common to be experiencing symptoms of vata imbalance during this time of year including irregular digestion, dryness in the body, an aversion to cold & wind or generally feeling a little ungrounded.
The foundation of Ayurvedic practice is ‘like increases like and opposites balance’ so to balance vata dosha we must invite the opposite qualities of warmth, grounding and nourishment into our diet.
We want to be moving away from the more light, cold and raw foods of summer, towards more more grounding and comforting foods of Autumn.
Tastes - favour tastes in your food that are sweet, salty, and sour. Avoid foods that are overly bitter and astringent such as leafy greens, sprouts, or bitter vegetables as they aggravate vata.
Qualities of food – we want to embrace foods that are warm, grounding and nourishing for the body. Favour foods that are well cooked, soupy and have a healthy amount of oil.
Vegetables that have a nourishing quality such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin, beetroot, carrots, asparagus, zucchini, fresh ginger, onion (cooked, in moderation), garlic (cooked, in moderation). In smaller leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, celery, and cabbage.
Fruits such as mangoes, bananas, apricots, berries, figs, pineapple, cherries, coconut, and dates. Enjoy apples and pears only when cooked and avoid raw as hold an airy quality.
Grains that have an earthy quality such as white and brown basmati rice, oats, amaranth, quinoa, barley and whole wheat. Small amounts of millet, buckwheat, and rye.
Spices that have a warming quality are supportive for vata dosha such as ginger (fresh and dried), cinnamon, clove, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, fennel, cayenne pepper, mustard seeds, black pepper, asafoetida (particularly supportive for vata), rosemary, thyme, and parsley.
Legumes such as split or whole mung, red lentils, adzuki beans and small amounts of tofu.
Nuts and seeds such as almonds (soaked and peeled), cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds. Ground flaxseed can also be supportive for elimination if constipation is present.
Oils are supportive for vata dosha or dry climates when extra lubrication is needed. Enjoy healthy amounts of ghee, olive oil and sesame oil. If feeling particularly dry, you can have an extra teaspoon of ghee on top of your meal.
Dairy is particularly nourishing for vata dosha and can be enjoyed in healthy amounts. Favour ghee, fresh warm milk, whole cottage cheese, paneer, fresh yoghurt, and buttermilk.
Sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey, jaggery, coconut sugar and dates.
The Ayurvedic Approach To Food Combining
In Ayurveda, how we combine foods together is of great importance to our digestion. We hold a focus on having wholesome fresh foods, put together in a way that is simple and easy for our body to digest.
There are certain foods that do not pair well together and can disrupt the digestive process. Poor food combinations can lead to many common digestive complaints such as fermentation, indigestion, bloating and gas.
It may surprise you to find that many popular meals promoted in modern health and nutrition, aren’t always considered the best food combinations. Some of these combinations might even be staples in your diet (I know they were for me) and can be hard to let go of at first.