What a yogi eats

I keep several journal-type notebooks in which I jot down inspirational quotes, notes from my current reading list, and reflections. Really, I have so many of these lying around my house that I sometimes lose track of them! I came across one of them the other day that I kept three or four years ago. In it was this really nice - and very simple - description from a book by Yogi Vithaldas of what a yogi eats (for the "why" get the book!):

• "light" foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole rice, fresh milk, fresh cheeses, and butter, should comprise the major part of the diet because of their capacity to stoke the jatharagni (digestive fire).
• Vegetarian diet is preferred (because meat foods are "heavy" and dwindle the digestive fire and/or generate ama, toxicity)
• unleavened bread is preferred
• depending on your body (and digestive) type, eat mostly raw or mostly cooked foods. The three major body/genetic types are vata, pitta, and kapha and vary according to their innate capacity for digestive power (among other things). In general, vata types should eat mostly warm, well-cooked foods, pitta types should eat a combination of warm, well-cooked foods and light, cool, raw foods, and kapha types should eat mostly raw, cool, light foods. Learn your type.

Recipe for a "Yogic Salad" - good for all types, especially pitta & kapha

leafy greens

shredded beets & carrots

tomato

nuts (fresh, raw, unsalted)

herbs such as parsley, watercress, chive, cilantro (to taste)

grated fresh coconut

simple dressing of good oil & freshly squeezed lemon with sea salt & cracked pepper

Recipe for a "Yogic Hot Meal" - good for all types, especially vata
beans (mung, lima, soy, navy, or black, depending on type) cooked well with a little onion, garlic, and a pinch of herbs such as marjoram, sweet basil, or thyme
whole, fresh rice

For more Ayurveda tips and balanced meals, visit this blog frequently! You can also use these online resources:
6 week mini-course on Ayurveda
optimal food combining
Suggested diet for your type

(Picture above is of Yogi Vithaldas)

Favorite Fall Foods

It's no secret that fall is my favorite season. As a schoolgirl, I loved back-to-school, specifically the frenzy of new teachers, new classes, new notebooks & pencils, new friends. Now I love fall fashions, returning to my knitting (yes, even Floridians knit), and celebrating my favorite foods. Fall inspires me to be more creative, it reminds me that summer (in Florida, more a perpetual state rather than a transient season) is almost over, and it brings the return of some of my favorite foods.

Some of my favorite foods are sweet potatoes, kale, beets, and figs. I hope you enjoy the recipes below - our family loves these - for your fall gatherings and special menus.

Sweet potato, chickpea, and kale saute with wild rice
Believe it or not, this is my "I'm so hungry I could eat my arm go-to meal." If you cut the sweet potatoes small, they'll cook quickly. Put the rice onto cook immediately (even before you start chopping) but if you can't wait for the rice to cook, forget about it - the sweet potato saute is a meal unto itself. You can also save time by doing the chopping earlier in the day (like before work) so all you have to do is toss it in the pan when you get home.
2 sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped into 2" cubes
1 can chickpeas, partially drained
1 bunch fresh kale, stems removed and cut into thin strips
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1" piece fresh ginger, peeled & minced
1 Tb. each cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne (less cayenne if you don't like spicy food)
olive oil (or butter or ghee)
1 cup wild rice (cook separately & serve the sweet potato mixture with it)

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, warm 2 Tb. olive oil on medium heat. Add spices and allow to blossom for 10 seconds, stirring constantly. Add garlic, ginger, and onions and allow to cook for a minute or two. Add sweet potatoes, stirring well to coat (add more oil/butter/ghee if necessary). When sweet potatoes are nearly done, add the chickpeas and kale. Turn heat to low, stir well, add a little water (or broth), and cover to allow the kale to soften. Serve warm over wild rice. Season with salt & cracked pepper to taste.

Pomegranate Arugula salad with Fig vinaigrette
I love fresh arugula - it's so bitter at first, but magically becomes sweet - and the tart pomegranate seeds and sweet fig dressing complement it so nicely. If you're in a hurry, certain grocery stores now carry the pomegranate seeds (prepped for you!).
2 bunches fresh arugula (or 1 bag if buying commercially)
1 fresh pomegranate, seeded
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup pistachios
4 Tb. fresh goat cheese (or more if you really love it!)
Combine above ingredients in a large salad bowl and prepare vinaigrette below. Makes about 4 dinner size salads or 2 larger, salad-meals.

Fig Vinaigrette
This is a variation on the classic vinaigrette. Everyone in my family now knows how to make the "classic" dressing; it's so easy and once you start making your own dressing, the store-bought kind just doesn't cut it. To make the classic version, simply omit the figs (add them to the salad instead), feel free: this eliminates the need for the blender.
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
~1/2 cup EVOO (you can use canola or walnut if you prefer)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb. stone ground mustard
1 Tb. local honey
the juice of 1/2 lemon (fresh makes all the difference in the world!)
5 dried figs, stems removed
Combine above ingredients minus the olive oil in a blender or food processor and puree. CAREFULLY drizzle the oil into the mixture until it reaches desired consistency. Season with salt & fresh cracked pepper. Serve over your salad and enjoy!

Beet and Apple Slaw
I first had this salad in Switzerland, when I was working at a meditation camp. I love the combination of the bright, citrusy, granny smith apples, and the earthy, sweet beets. We sliced everything in matchsticks, but you can do it this way, too. Also, if you're short on time, just grate the apples and the beets.
2 granny smith apples, cut into matchsticks
2 beets, cut into matchsticks
1 shallot (or onion), minced
the juice of 1 lemon
sugar, to taste
Olive (or walnut) oil
Nuts, optional

Combine above ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with fresh olive oil, season with salt & pepper, and serve.

Easy Nutrition

Fall is a natural time for detoxifying, cleaning up your diet, or beginning a new health habit. Fall is the season of change, of harvest, and of new beginnings (figuratively). Grow your personal arsenal of health tricks by following the Rule of Threes.

3 colors
Every time you eat a meal (snacks don't count here), choose 3 different colored foods. Not only will this amp up your vitamin intake, your plate will look more appealing and you'll satisfy your visual appetite as well. It's true that we eat with the eyes (Ayurveda places much more emphasis on this than does western nutrition), so creating an appealing visual palette will result in a happy, satisfied, postprandial tummy.

3 categories
At each meal, aim to choose something from 3 of the 5 major food categories (dairy, meats/beans/legumes, vegetables, fruits, whole grains). Your body is a very intelligent organism and absorbs nutrients more effectively when they come in a mixed bag. One of the best examples of this concept is how Vitamin C enhances iron absorption (so squeeze some fresh lemon on your salmon, eat a fresh tomato salsa with your rice and beans, or have a slice of orange with your duck).

3 breaths
Take three deep breaths between bites to slow down your mealtimes and allow your belly to rest. Unlike the "chew each bite 50 times" technique, this method of mindfulness-based eating allows you truly pause and enjoy the process of nourishing yourself. It will also discourage over-eating because of the volume-pressure relationship between the abdominal and thoracic cavities; when you inhale deeply you expand the thoracic cavity and compress the abdominal cavity. As most of us know, it's difficult (and uncomfortable) to breathe deeply when we've overeaten; inhaling deeply between bites gives you the opportunity to stop BEFORE overeating.