Ayurveda Article - Ayurvedic Comfort Foods For All

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Ayurvedic Comfort Foods

 

What do you think of when you hear the words "comfort food"? Mashed

potatoes and gravy at Thanksgiving, Rocky Road ice-cream in the

middle of the night or cream donuts for breakfast? That may be what

you crave, but these foods won't comfort you very long; in fact, they

may even cause discomfort in your digestion. How about a warm soup or

rice pudding? Real comfort foods are nutritious, nurturing, wholesome

and satisfying. According to ayurveda, they should also be

intelligent, and balance the mind and body.

 

Ingest nature's intelligence with your food

 

The food you eat should be lively. Fresh, organic, home-cooked food

has the power to carry nature's intelligence to your brain and

body. "These foods are called tripti, which means they are satisfying

and nourishing," says Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, ayurvedic expert at

Maharishi Ayurveda. Preserved, frozen, processed foods and leftovers,

on the other hand, are trietighna: foods that leave your body

unsatisfied and craving for more. Since these junk foods are void of

intelligence they cannot support the intelligence of the physiology,

so you end up eating more and craving for more without ever getting

nourished or fulfilled. What's more, you can easily gain weight this

way.

 

Cooked food versus raw food

 

While we want to preserve the intelligence of our ingredients, we

also want to make them digestible. That's where cooking comes in,

which inserts agni, digestive fire, in our food so we can digest and

assimilate it properly. Certain food items, such us grains, beans and

dahls should always be eaten cooked. Most vegetables are also more

beneficial cooked, and some of them, such as spinach, chard, kale,

broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, should never be

eaten raw. Milk is another item that can be hard to digest so

ayurveda recommends always boiling it with some cardamom and

cinnamon. Make sure, however, not to overcook or burn anything. Add

some ghee or olive oil, water and spices to protect nature's

intelligence.

You don't have to cook everything and skip salads entirely. Juicy

vegetables, such as cucumber and lettuces, can be refreshing for

lunch in the summer but stay away from them at night and in the

winter since they can aggravate Vata. Also, if your digestive fire is

weak, stay away from sprouts. Fruits are also good raw during the

day. In the morning, a stewed apple is best to stimulate the

digestive system.

 

Use spice-power

 

In addition to their delicious taste, spices can greatly increase the

intelligence of your meals. They also help with digestion and

assimilation. To bring the most out of them, cook them with your food

or sauté them in ghee and add them to your meals. For best

assimilation of the benefits of therapeutic spices, eat them cooked,

instead of sprinkling raw spices over foods.

Ayurvedic spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, saffron,

cinnamon and cardamom offer rich and varied aroma and flavor besides

helping to balance different doshas and enhancing the metabolism.

They can transform simple dishes into feasts for all your senses,

providing fulfillment and contentment from meals.

 

Stop the cravings

 

The first thing you can do to avoid feelings of false hunger and

cravings is to increase the intelligence in your meals by eating,

fresh, home-made meals, and avoiding "junk" foods. You also need to

eat a variety of foods with all six tastes. Make sure to eat sweet,

sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent foods to satisfy the

body. Cooked food is also more nourishing than raw foods. Raw foods

are harder to digest and can diminish agni. When agni is weak, the

body creates ama (accumulated toxins), which clogs the channels and

prevents the body from receiving nutrients from food. This, in the

end, results in cravings. Ayurveda also encourages portion control.

Eat enough but don't overeat. Your stomach should be two-thirds full

after main meals.

 

Sweets for the heart

 

Emotional downs are the result of an imbalance in Sadhaka Pitta, the

subdosha that governs the heart. The sweet taste pacifies pitta,

which explains our cravings for sweets. But before you reach for

cookies or chocolate, think for a moment. Although these foods

provide the sweet taste, they lack the intelligence to carry it to

your brain, which won't register it and the craving won't stop. Try a

piece of sweet, juicy fruit, soaked dates or raisins, rice pudding,

milk-date shakes or mango shakes. Maharishi Ayurveda Rose Petal

Preserve is also a great pitta-pacifying sweet. These healthy foods

will deliver to the brain and heart what they need and leave you

satisfied.

 

Foods to pacify worries

 

Worries and mental imbalance are the result of aggravated Vata dosha.

To calm the mind, eat easy-to-digest, nourishing meals and use spices

such as black pepper, cumin and coriander to open the channels of the

brain. In addition to the above-mentioned sweets, walnuts, almonds

and coconut milk are especially supportive for the mind.

The Maharishi Ayurveda Worry Free Tablets and Tea are also helpful in

enhancing the connection between the mind and the body. The new Worry

Free Spice Mix will increase the intelligence of foods by supporting

the transportation of nutrients to the brain. These spices also help

open up the channels of the mind, heart and the rest of the

physiology.

 

Realizing that junk foods will not satisfy your body is the first

step in beating the cravings. With a little attention you can switch

to healthier options and receive more nutrition, which will decrease

your desire for unintelligent snacks. A well-nourished body is only

hungry for healthy food!

 

 

 

Note : This ayurvedic information is educational and is not intended

to replace standard medical care or advice.

Copyright MAPI, 2002.

 

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