Beet The Heat By Deepika Dabhi Oh my goodness. Does it feel like the sun is following you for the last two days? Do you feel like you’re melting? As of few hours ago my phone sent a heat wave alert … second day in a row! The headline for SoCal News today reads: “Winds Pick Up as San Diego County Is in 2nd Day of Extreme Heat”. My immediate thought was, “Well, there goes my dinner plan.” Followed by one inevitable question I think that unites all mothers, fathers or anyone who is in-charge of the kitchen … “What am I going to cook tonight?” The original recipe was inspired by my own variation of Gazpacho that I like to make with watermelon, tomato, and cucumber during the hot summer days. However, as the season as transitioned, Mama Earth has also...
Health Benefits Of Mustard Seed When mentioning mustard, most of the western world will think of the delicious accompaniment to hot dogs and burgers. However the origins of the mustard seed are well documented with vast health benefits – when used correctly. There are over 40 varieties of mustard plants yet there are three main types that are used to make mustard seeds – black, brown and white. The black mustard seeds are the most pungent and the brown mustard seeds are usually used to make Dijon mustard. The white ones, which are actually yellow in color, are the most commonly used to make American yellow mustard as they are the mildest of the three. Ayurvedic Cooking Essentials – Stimulate Your Digestive Fire A common cooking spice, mustard seeds can be found in kitchens all over ...
Making Homemade Ghee As a wife and mother, I am always on the lookout for wholesome and healthy food for my family. Having studied Ayurveda – a holistic science dating back thousands of years – I have been able to help bring some of that knowledge to the dinner table. However it is hard work! Finding the right types of foods and organic local products is a constant work in progress! So I decided to start simple. And I stuck with the basics. Oil! The basics of cooking usually start with some sort of oil or butter that the main dish is created in. This particular type of fat can affect the whole chemistry of the dish. It can bring health, a conglomeration of the foods together and not to mention taste to a whole other level. Since I have been personally raised on ghee and have been aware of ...
Health Benefits Of Pomegranate Revered since ancient times, this bright beautiful red fruit has become well known for its sweet astringent taste and healing properties. It also plays a role in myths and poetry! In fact, in one of the most popular Olympian telling of the story of Persephone, pomegranate seeds play an important role! Premium Amla Berry According to Ayurveda, amla is the best among rejuvenative herbs. This is an excerpt of the story: Zeus, the king of the gods, it is said, permitted Hades (god of the underworld), who was in love with the beautiful Persephone, to carry her off as her mother Demeter was not likely to allow her daughter to go down to Hades. Persephone was gathering flowers in a field when Hades came to abduct her, bursting through a cleft in the earth. De...
The Ayurveda Guide: Spring Season The shift to springtime weather and energy has begun. Fickle, changing hot-and-cold days send mixed signals to the body. This natural weather flux demands more flexibility in the body, because the body senses the shift of seasons on a cellular level and begins a natural detox. Many of us experience that, during the cold weather, we tend to eat more. Eating more then is natural, as it is Vata-pacifying (Vata is the mind-body operating principle that governs movement and is associated with fall and winter). The extra weight naturally keeps us warmer and feeling more comfortable in the cold winter months. Ayurveda honors that change within … We have all had the experience of feeling cold when we have missed our main meal. Food is the fuel that al...
The Story Of Disease There’s a fascinating story I’ve heard that describes the “Summary of The Process of Disease Formation,” according to Ayurvedic Medicine. First, disease begins when we forget our true nature. This is known as the “Primordial Cause” of disease. We forget how we as spirit are spiritualizing through the human experience. According to Marisa Laursen, a professor at the California College of Ayurveda, “the mind is a place of purity and clarity. The thought comes along and disturbs the mind.” the “Primordial Cause” of disease. “Thought is part of ego and the chatter becomes the smoke screen that disturbs us from the true self.” The ego creates stories and draws upon attachments to the past and projection...
Health Benefits Of Lemongrass Lemongrass or Bhutrna, which literally means “earth grass”, is an aromatic and flavorful herb which brings excitement and delight to many recipes worldwide. It is a stiff, sharp bladed perennial which is native to India but has made its way to south eastern Asia, where its popularity is second to none. Its usage in recipes is extensive, and can be consumed dried, fresh or powdered in teas, soups and a variety of dishes. Although it adds a unique citrusy flavor to numerous cuisines, it is nonetheless revered for its medicinal properties. Herbal Di-Gest Supports improved digestion and balanced appetite; helps with gas, bloating, and discomfort. Lemongrass: Grow Harvest & Preserve EZ method Properties Lemongrass is a light dry and penetrating herb. It has a...
Absolute Health With Yoga By Priya Singh From the moment we begin to exist, our mind and body is absorbing sights, sounds, touch impressions, and emotions. Every single stimulus is recorded in our brain, cells and tissues on a cellular level. This concept of mind and body is widely discussed, but do we actually fully understand it? Do we understand the enormity of the emotional and physical toll life takes on us? Our environment, every stress and every positive/negative emotion essentially affects us to a level that changes our very being, body and inherent spirit. the body is not separate from the mind & spirit In times past, Asian cultures made esoteric practices a part of their daily life, wherein these practices included prayer, and means to strengthen and cleanse physically and me...
The Healing Power Of Spices Five magic spices to help improve your respiratory and digestive health Eating all the wholesome and healthy foods in the world is of little value if your body is not able to digest and absorb the nutrients in order to put them to good use. Therefore, we put together a list of top 5 healing spices to help improve both your respiratory and digestive health. Organic Digest Tone (Triphala Plus) Good health depends on strong, efficient digestion. Want to know how to use cardamom? Top 5 Healing Spices… 1. Ginger called ‘vishvabheshaja’ – “Universal Medicine” Ginger effectively works on digestive and respiratory systems and is therefore useful in managing cough, asthma, bronchitis, allergies and congestion. Ginger is also well known fo...
Making Health Happen There are ideals and there are realities when it comes to health. We almost all know how profoundly different our lives could be if we ate right, exercised regularly, and rested when required. But life happens. We have soaring, sparkling goals but our ability to follow-through can fall short – the realities of social gatherings, packed work schedules, and life-long less-than-ideal living habits make health a true hurdle. So the question stands, how do we make health happen without making ourselves inflexible or insane in the process? How do we find balance between holding ourselves accountable for necessary growth and transformation, and simultaneously allow space for spontaneity and enjoyment. Our reality is that what we set out to do isn’t always as easy to ac...
Nasya – The Pathway To Our Inner Pharmacy Breathing is so natural yet we hardly ever think about it. Interestingly, seventy percent of waste is eliminated through the lungs just by breathing. In his book, Breathing: The Master Key To Self-Healing, Dr. Andrew Weil comments on the importance of breathing on our overall health. He states, “improper breathing is a common cause of ill health. If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be to simply learn how to breath correctly. There’s no single more powerful or more simple daily practice to further your health and well-being than breathwork.” “The nose is the door to consciousness and the pathway to our inner pharmacy.” – Dr. Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic Physician Similarly, Ayurveda, explains that “p...