Raw food diets are all the rage! After researching the subject for a while, I’ve found a lot of information about the pros of a raw food diet (which involves eating raw food at least 75% of the time) but very little about the cons. So, I felt compelled to …
Read More »Tag Archives: Ayurveda
Vetiver Oil And Lime Elixir For Stress + Recipe
Welcome Beloved, pull up a seat and let me help you unwind. I know that there are times in life when you just feel like you need an escape. Sometimes life gets so hectic and there is so much going on around us and within us, that we don’t know how …
Read More »Gut Health: Vinegar vs Ghee
In the recent episode of Catalyst called “Gut Reaction” that was all about the relationship between high fiber diets, gut bacteria and good health, they showed the host downing shots of balsamic vinegar at a bar—as a way of reducing inflammation in the body. It was explained that one of the reasons …
Read More »Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
There is a refreshing quality to the air these days, a longer slant to the afternoon light as the sun quickens the day’s end. There’s a quiet tranquility in town as children start back to school. All of it makes me want to root, roast, and bake. Since starting back to school means going off …
Read More »Relieve Stress and Revitalize Your Energy: Ayurvedic Self-Massage (Energy Feed #5)
The most immediate, effective remedy for stress-induced anxiety that I know is also an excellent preventative against it. If you’re serious about relieving the symptoms of stress in your body, you need to give yourself 15 minutes a day to do it. This is an Ayurvedic practice known as abhyanga—a …
Read More »STOP! Is that Recipe Actually Ayurvedic?
The internet proliferates with recipes for Ayurvedic foods. You can find ‘Ayurvedic’ recipes for everything from smoothies to popsicles to kale chips. What makes these recipes particularly Ayurvedic? Is it the spices, the ingredients or the combinations? How can you determine whether a recipe is Ayurvedic or not? Ayurvedic foods …
Read More »How to Fall Asleep at Night (Energy Feed #4)
Okay, so now you know (from last week’s Energy Feed) how to sleep better through the night. But what if you’re having trouble falling asleep in the first place? Following a gentle evening routine is key to priming your body for sleepiness and easily falling asleep each night. This DOES NOT …
Read More »What’s the Recipe for a Delicious Life?
If you make a big pot of tomato sauce from scratch, do you taste-test it to make sure it’s good? Sure. And if it’s not good, you adjust right? Add a little more salt, pepper or garlic. Maybe a smidge of sugar or extra basil. Perhaps it needs oregano! And …
Read More »How to Strengthen Your Kitchen’s Ayurvedic Power
With fire, agni, so central to Ayurvedic principles, it may indeed be that the true heart of Ayurveda is the hearth. When set up properly, your kitchen can be the source of great healing medicine. Here are 4 everyday recipes to strengthen your kitchen’s ayurvedic power. 1. Ghee 1 lb. …
Read More »Get your Glow on- 5 Ayurvedic Tips for Healthy Skin
Do you ever feel like you’ve tried every skin-benefiting lotion and potion known to man, and yet, do not see any benefits to your skin? Are you sick and tired of spending tons of time, money and energy on complicated 10-step skin care regimens that are yielding no results? Ever …
Read More »How to Sleep Better—An Ayurvedic Tutorial (Energy Feed #3)
If you want a deeper, more restful night of sleep each night, there are a few basic habits you can follow to make that happen. Learn what they are in the short “Energy Feed” below, or keep on reading… #1. Eat an early, light dinner. Your digestion slows down in the evening …
Read More »Pitta’s Vices: Diet + Lifestyle Habits That Aggravate Pitta Dosha
Ok, guys, let’s talk about pitta‘s vices, which stemmed from the previous post on vata’s vices. Remember, when a dosha is increased (imbalanced), the person will crave the foods and habits that keep increasing that dosha! Meaning, they will crave the completely wrong things. Pitta Characteristics Taking a look at …
Read More »Always Tired? Here’s WHY You’re So Exhausted (“Energy Feed” #1)
Are you feeling tired a lot of the time? Low energy is a crucial signal of health imbalance. Something dire is happening at the foundational levels of your health when you regularly wake up feeling tired, have noticeable energy lows throughout the day, aren’t able to get a good night’s …
Read More »Discover the Many Health Benefits of Pumpkins
With cooler temperatures and changing leaves, fall is in full swing! Despite the many temptations, you can enjoy this festive season without becoming an imbalanced sugar zombie. One of the most characteristic symbols of the season is the pumpkin. This festive orb is transformed into everything from frightening Jack O’Lanterns …
Read More »How to Create Good Habits and Radiate Health
Many people are tired, stressed, inflamed, overweight — in short, a hot mess. When we’re not living into our energetic potential, we are not fully engaged in life. Ayurveda is the art of living into our energetic and conscious potential. I’m talking about the wisdom to wake up all parts …
Read More »How to Get Glowing Skin with Ayurveda
Ayurvedic medicine provides us with a simple guideline when it comes to skincare: if you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. The skin is considered an organ in Ayurveda and absorbs and digests whatever you apply to it, directly into your blood stream and liver. When you …
Read More »Cutting Back On Caffeine + Yummy Chai Recipe
Here’s the deal. I don’t smoke. I barely drink alcohol, apart from the odd light beer when I want to celebrate something. I don’t drink coffee. And, I’ve cut down on my cookie and chocolate habit. So, what have I got left on my list of vices? Tea. Yep…. black …
Read More »Cutting Back on Caffeine
Here’s the deal. I don’t smoke. I barely drink alcohol, apart from the odd light beer when I want to celebrate something. I don’t drink coffee. And, I’ve cut down on my cookie and chocolate habit. So, what have I got left on my list of vices? Tea. Yep…. black …
Read More »Sugar-Free Diet: An Ayurvedic Review
One of the biggest health fads sweeping the nation at the moment is the sugar-elimination diet. When people started turning up at our Zen retreats last month with ‘fructose intolerance’ and ‘no sugar’ as a dietary requirement (and I am the chef) I thought it was about time I attempted …
Read More »Vamakukshi: Can a “Catnap” Help Your Digestion?
I’m about to tell you one of the most brill practices in Ayurveda and that is, vamakukshi! Vamakukshi is a daily Ayurvedic catnap to be taken after lunch. Helloooo! How awesome is that?! Some of you who are very familiar with Ayurveda might be thinking, “Wait, I thought that naps …
Read More »Say Goodbye to Constipation – An Ayurvedic Perspective
Constipation is the passing of hard, dry bowel motions (stools) that may be infrequent or difficult to pass. It can include having to sit on the toilet for much longer than usual, the sensation afterwards that the bowel hasn’t fully emptied, as well as symptoms like bloating and abdominal cramps. …
Read More »Say Goodbye to Constipation! Ayurvedic Management + Constipation Home Remedies
Constipation is the passing of hard, dry bowel motions (stools) that may be infrequent or difficult to pass. It can include having to sit on the toilet for much longer than usual, the sensation afterwards that the bowel hasn’t fully emptied, as well as symptoms like bloating and abdominal cramps. …
Read More »The Surprising Truth About Cholesterol
Why we worry about cholesterol… The seeds of ‘cholesterol anxiety’ are something we all carry with us in our minds, either consciously or unconsciously. You may not be worried about your cholesterol levels right now but if you had a blood test and it came back ‘high’, suddenly you would …
Read More »Fall Health And The 5 Elements: How Ayurveda Helps
Did you know that the seasons are governed by the five elements? As we enter fall, we are shifting from fire-dominated summer to wind-dominated autumn. All of nature is a dance between the elements – earth, water, fire, air and ether. Everything we see is comprised of these five elements …
Read More »Chai Tea for Every Season
Chai simply means tea in Hindi. Masala Chai or spiced black tea with milk and sugar is a delicious ritual in almost every Indian household around the globe. Now the masala chai, officially called, ‘Chai tea’ has gained popularity everywhere in the world. My father, who was an Ayurvedic physician, …
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