From the Ayurvedic viewpoint, freshly cooked and homemade food is the starting point for ultimate healing, maintaining and nourishing of the entire body system.
Ayurveda teaches us a holistic lens when it comes to diet and food. It is not just about what you eat, but how you cook, what combinations you choose and the environment to which you consume your food. When you consider all of the above, it is no wonder that your diet lifestyle deeply effects your health long term. Either for sped-up deterioration, or relatively symptom-free flourishing.
In accordance to Ayurveda, many nutrient deficiencies, weight issues, imbalanced blood sugar levels, digestive diseases, side effects after eating, malabsorption and low energy levels can be attributed to eating high amounts of "dead food" in our daily diets.
WHAT IS DEAD FOOD?
Leftovers past 24 hours
Fresh produce stored in the fridge past 3 days
Microwaved foods and drinks
Canned foods
Processed foods
Frozen foods
Pre-packaged meals
Whoa, seems like a lot doesn't it?! Not to worry or stress, there are many ways to slowly start shifting your diet to a more alive, fresh and healing foundation.
EASY WAYS TO ADAPT YOUR DIET TO INCLUDE ALIVE FOODS
Home cook your meals whenever you can.
Make your cooking simple and easy - you won't cook regularly if meals are lengthy with a complicated list of ingredients. Check out some of my recipes here to get you started.
Slowly start to choose less canned, processed goods and up-skill yourself in making simple versions with fresh ingredients (i.e. instead of buying jarred pasta sauce, purchase a few fresh tomatoes and herbs to make one from scratch).
Stop bulk buying fruit and veg, making smaller more regular purchases throughout the week. Go for your seasonal, local produce wherever possible. Click here to have a read of my article on choosing out optimum fresh fruit and veg, with handy tips to use on your shopping trips.
Start growing your own food. Even if you live in small quarters, pots, raised beds, no-dig gardens and patches can make a huge difference to your diet and therefore, health and well-being. Start small, even some fresh potted herbs can seriously increase the vitality and flavour to your food.
Avoid microwave cooking wherever you can. Try to warm up your food and drinks via the stove top as often as possible.
So in short- get growing and cooking your food my friends! Learn to love and to immerse yourself in the key medicine that fuels you. Trust me, nothing tastes as wonderful or heals you better.
DISCLAIMER
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the science of Ayurveda. If you have an acute or chronic health concern, please consult your chosen trained health care professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a qualified Ayurvedic Practitioner, contact The Sattva Centre directly - info@thesattvacentre.com