Day 11

Today’s meditation topic could not have been timelier. I went to Ilona Daniel’s (chef_ilona) cooking class tonight - she is truly an artist and everything she touches turns to gold. She talked a lot about the importance of choosing organic, colourful foods, and balancing our meals. She prefers whole, natural food that comes from the ground and that is locally grown where possible. She put so much TLC into the food she prepared tonight and everything was so flavourful, colourful and nutritious. We had such a beautiful meal by the end of the class, and it was amazing to learn so much about the food she was preparing and the best methods to cook it.

Food is consciousness. It is concentrated, intelligent energy that nourishes our body, mind and spirit. When we eat natural, whole foods and drink fresh water, we enhance our prana. The life giving energy, that enlivens our entire beings. In Ayurveda, a balanced diet does not revolve around fats, carbs, proteins, calories and vitamins. Many of us know these aspects of what we eat through our intellects, not through direct experience. Instead ayurvedic nutrition’s origins are in nature and doshas. 

Our body composition plays an important role. When we take our first bite of a meal, the doshas receive a great deal of information, primarily through taste. We find ourselves instinctively drawn to those foods that incorporate a mixture of 6 essential tastes; sweet sour, salt, bitter, pungent, and astringent. We favour some tastes more than others to align with and balance our doshas. We learn to follow our innate intelligence and intuitively eat a balanced diet. It is important that we appreciate and celebrate nutrition and all that it does for our bodies. Eating with awareness, taking our time and sitting at the table instead of in front of TV - habits that create an ideal a metabolic environment for both our mind and body. 

Opting for fresh, organic produce ensures we get the maximum nutrients nature has to offer. Choosing foods that offer a variety of colour, helps keep our meals balanced and phytochemical rich, while pleasing our senses of sight, smell and taste. We feel energized and alive. As we learn to eat in harmony with our bodies we begin to eat in ways that truly benefit us. Choosing foods intuitively using nature’s cues, helps prevent and heal us from illness and enables us to feel balanced, vital and whole.

Centering Thought:

I choose foods that help me thrive.

Sanskrit mantra:

Om Vardhanam Namah. - I nourish the universe and the universe nourishes me.

Mindful Moment:

While we often learn about food from external sources, Ayurveda teaches us to trust the inner wisdom of our bodies which guides us to make the correct food choices. It is important to make choices that are in tune with our bodies and eat with awareness in order to stay healthy and thrive.

Prepare one meal today that includes a full range of colors. Try to also use all six tastes. Savor each bite, eating with awareness, and witness how your body feels after your meal.

Interesting Links:

Harness your gifts and fulfill your purpose

What to eat when you are feeling blue

 

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." —Hippocrates