Ayurvedic Food; Are you Kapha?

Recently when I was travelling around India one of the ayurvedic doctors I met diagnosed me with having a dosha of Kapha.  I have since read that kapha people have a strong build and excellent stamina, large, soft eyes; smooth, radiant skin; and thick hair. I am expected to sleep soundly and have regular digestion.  When Kapha builds to excess, I may suffer from weight gain, fluid retention, and allergies.

I like the bit where it says  Kaphas are naturally calm, thoughtful, and loving. They have an inherent ability to enjoy life and are comfortable with routine. If I stay in balance, Kaphas are strong, loyal, patient, steady, and supportive. On the flip side I may tend to hold on to things, jobs, and relationships long after they are no longer nourishing or necessary. In the face of stress, the typical Kapha response is “I don’t want to deal with it.” I can remember saying this before.

The ancient practice of Ayurveda believes we're made up of three different 'body types' that correspond to our physical and personality traits, known as doshas. These are: vata, pitta and kapha, each of which represents two of the five universal elements (a combination of ether, air, fire, water, earth). 

According to Ayurvedic principles if I support Kapha and balance pitta and vata my health should on the most part remain good.

Next Year Adore Yoga is running Ayurvedic workshops and An introduction to Ayurvedic course in India.

Watch out for this at www.adoreyoga.com.au

Ayurvedic Food; Do you live to eat or eat to live?

When I visited an Ayurvedic hospital in India, I learnt about their ways to use food as part of the healing process.  The food is prepared to be simple and easy on the stomach. They advise 'Do not allow your mind to get distracted by the lack of variety in food'.  They believe that every ingredient in the food should benefit your body in some way.  I found it very tasty and loved getting my nutrition from all the herbs and vegetables they had growing on the hospital grounds.

Our doctor posed the question "Do you live to eat or eat to live?".  Good question especially when you look at some of our western habits.

As we ponder this question let me introduce to you the 10 principles of a healthy Ayurvedic diet.

• Food needs to be hot (usually cooked).
• Food needs to be tasty and easy to digest.
• Food needs to be eaten in the proper amounts, not too much or too little.
• Food needs to be eaten on an empty stomach, after last meal has been digested, and not before.
• Foods need to work together and not contradict one another in their actions.
• Foods need to be eaten in pleasant surroundings with the proper equipment for their enjoyment.
• Eating should not be rushed.
• Eating should not be a horrendously drawn out affair, either.
• It is best to focus on food while eating.
• Only eat food which is nourishing to particular constitution and which suits mental and emotional Temperament.

If you would like to experience Ayurvedic Food first hand we are running an Adore Yoga Retreat next November.  Introduction to Ayurvedic Medicine.  Up on the Adore Yoga Website soon

Organic Dahl Mix; Food For medicine

The name for lentils in general is 'dahl'.
In India, people eat dahl nearly everyday with rice or chapatis (flat whole wheat bread). It is inexpensive, easy to make, and rich in protein.

Best ever Dahl and Fennel
 Ingredients
1 onion large finely chopped
3 garlic clove crushed
1 tsp ginger grated
1 bay leaf
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup red lentils
2 tsp Indian curry powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
3 cups vegetable stock (liquid)
1 cup sweet potato chopped
1/2 red capsicum
1/2 cups coconut milk
2 cups baby spinach chopped
Fennel cut into 2 inch pieces

Fry the onion, garlic, ginger and bay leaf in the olive oil until the onions are soft. Add the lentils, curry powder and turmeric and fry for two minutes, stirring continuously. Pour in stock and add the sweet potato and capsicum then the coconut milk. Cook for about 30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally, making sure the dahl does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add more water or stock if required. Add chopped spinach at the end of cooking and stir through for two minutes before removing from heat. Serve with fennel

or Now Available online or in Store at Cranes Pharmacy
Love my Earth
Quick Stix Dahl Mix
$7.95

Protein Balls; Food For medicine

It's easy to eat the wrong things when you get the munchies between meals.

These are portable High Protein Snacks, easy to make and Yum

High Protein Snacks are the secret weapon for stamina and endurance.
Protein is linked to muscle gain, portion control, weight loss, and the feeling of satiety. When you reach for a snack,  think of protein first.

Here is a quick and easy answer  Protein Ball Mix  $14.95
Flavors available;

• Cookie Dough
• Vanilla and Coconut
• Chocolate and Chia

The great thing is that these products use our Clean Lean Protein as the base ingredient so it has the same high quality as Nuzest.

Buy Online or in the shop at Cranes Pharmacy

Almond Milk; Food for Medicine

Almond milk is a good substitute to dairy and is easy to make.

10 great reasons to make Almond Milk today;

1. Heart Health-contains omega fatty acids
2. Weight Loss -lower calories than milk
3. Strong bones -contains calcium & vitamin D
4. Good Digestion-contains fiber
5. Glowing skin -contains vitamin E
6. Muscle strength- contains protein and B vitamins
7. Blood Sugar stabilizer- low glycaemic index
8. No lactose- many people are lactose intolerant
9. No refrigeration required
10. Tastes good

Almond Milk Pack  includes Nut Milk Bag, Recipes & Almonds $24.95   Buy Now or in store at Cranes Pharmacy

Make Almond Milk
in 3 Easy Steps*Soak*Blend*Strain

The Thyroid Gland looks and acts like a Butterfly

The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland at the base of your neck is highly responsive to stress. This is because of it's interaction with the adrenal gland.
The  adrenal glands are the little glands sitting on top of your kidneys.  They  do a lot in the body on a daily basis and when we don't take care of them (or ourselves) they ramp up and/or burn down. Within their three layers, they are responsible for producing a multitude of hormones you are familiar with such as cortisol, DHEA, epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine, testosterone, and progesterone.

The adrenal glands interact with many other endocrine glands, but in particular is the thyroid.  When stress is high or ongoing, the thyroid system down regulates and less thyroid hormone is produced. High cortisol also reduces the conversion of T4 to T3 (which is why many clinicians test reverse T3 too).  This makes a big difference if your goal is to fat burn.  I see it in the clinic again and again, the best weight loss results happen when you slow down and destress.  At any time of the year  we try and do more and just a little bit more pushing the adrenal gland, down regulating the thyroid and halting fat burning.  So SLOW DOWN, treat the thyroid like a delicate butterfly and it will perform for you.

The second thing to know is this butterfly is very reactive to chemicals and pesticides.  This means cleaning up your act.  Plan some regular safe detoxing at least twice per year.  Try our Clean Within program and we can taylor it to do on a regular basis.

The third thing to know is that you can't cheat with weight loss.  If you want to burn fat, you can, but you need to be 100% compliant.  Don't think you can hide the odd potato or sandwich and get good results.  Take a thyroid supplement to nurture the gland and be really really good with your food choices and you'll find you can still reach your health goals.