Vegetarian Balance

Vos plats ayurvédiques sont extraordinaires et j’aimerais beaucoup commencer aussi la journée par un petit-déjeuner ayurvédique.

Pouvez-vous me conseiller comment le faire ou même s’il y a des livres que je puisse lire ?

Il y a des plats dans mon livre que vous pouvez utiliser pour le petit-déjeuner, par exemple, l’en-cas power ou le lait d’amandes avec une bouillie d’avoine ou autre.

Voici une recette pour le petit-déjeuner qui est dans mon nouveau livre électronique, un granola. C’est un plat bon marché et sans lactose. À manger avec le lait d’amandes! Les quantités sont pour environ 15 portions.

Granola maison

1 kg flocons d’avoine
50 g graines de sésame
50 g graines de tournesol
pincée de sel
2 poignées raisins secs
1/2 sucre non-raffiné
1 c.s cannelle en poudre
1/2 c.s cardamome en poudre
1/2 c.s muscade rapée
300 ml eau chaude
2 c.s huile d’olive/sésame

1. Préchauffer le four à 150°C
2. Mettre les flocons d’avoine, graines de sésame, les graines de tournesol, le sel et les raisins secs dans un bol et mélanger bien.
3. Verser l’eau dans un bol et ajouer le sucre et les épices et mélanger bien pour faire un sirop.
4. Verser le sirop dans le bol qui contient les ingrédients secs et mélanger pour bien couvrir le tout.
5. Verser de l’huile dans un plat à gratin et l’étaler pour bien couvrir le fond.
6. Etaler le mélange dans le plat et le mettre au four pendant une heure.
7. À toutes les 15 minutes, sortir le plat du four et bien mélanger pour créer des petits morceaux.
8. Après environ une heure, quand le granola sera légèrement bruni, le sortir du four et laisser refroidir.
9. Verser dans des bols et déguster avec du lait d’amandes!

Si vous avez aimé cette recette, vous pouvez trouver d’autres recettes de ce genre dans mon livre électronique “Nouvelles recettes faciles”

Recently clients and friends have been asking me how they can deal with their “hunger” when they get home from work. Sometimes the hunger is real because they’ve had a light lunch that didn’t have all 6 tastes we learn about in Ayurveda nutrition and a  snack of some trail mix or a sweet fruit with a cup of herbal tea can be a useful quick antidote. However, often the hunger is linked with emotions. We may be feeling tired because we have been giving/serving all day. We need to do something to quell  our “hunger”.

For example, one friend and client I recently met with commented how he feels the need to eat something when he gets back from work and finds that in the evening he eats the most amount of food, something he would rather avoid.

As I listened I thought about how this reaction would be interpreted in Ayurvedic terms. During the day when we work we are serving, constantly giving. Many of us spend the day constantly busy interacting with colleagues, clients and customers  or working on projects that require a lot of mental energy. After a day working like this we may either have a lot of nervous energy or feel drained. When we get finish work we often feel the need to give something to ourselves, to nurture ourselves in some way because of all we have been giving out but it’s important also to manage our energy levels.

In Ayurveda nutrition the sweet taste is associated with love, affection, nurturing so the most simple and instinctive  way  we have of nurturing ourselves is to eat something, usually something sweet to give our cells a boost. Sometimes we grab something to eat because we feel physically  hungry but even after the hunger pangs have gone we continue to eat to satisfy a possible emotional hunger. So I’d like to share with you  7 simple strategies to to nurture yourself when you get back from work/in the evening that don’t necessarily involve eating but will help you move into a space to nourish yourself regularly on a more sustainable level.

1. Lie down and do a relaxation exercise – start from the head  and silently instruct each part of your body to relax.
   “I am relaxing my  …[insert part of the body]. [insert part of the body]is/are relaxed”
   If necessary record the instructions with your own voice and then listen to them.
   This autosuggestion technique is effective and will take you about 10 – 15 mins
2.   Do some physical exercise – go for a walk, run, swim, cycle on your own
3. Have a quick shower – water is a good way to wash away the tensions of the day
4.   Listen to a relaxing piece of music or sing a few of your favourite songs.
5. Do 6 rounds of alternate nostril breathing
6. Have a massage or give yourself a massage
7. Drink a cup of freshly brewed tulsi tea – tulsi is one of  my favourites!

Est-ce que je dois manger des produits laitiers et si je n’en mange pas comment je vais faire pour avoir assez de calcium?

J’ai beaucoup de clients qui me posent cette question, surtout si elles sont en phase ménopause. Souvent elles ont augmenté leur consommation des produits laitiers parce qu’on nous dit que c’est une bonne source de calcium et elles ont peur d’en manquer et de développer de l’ostéoporose.

En même temps elles ont lu que les produits laitiers provoquent des problèmes digestives, surtout si vous êtes intolérant au lactose, entre autres, les crampes abdominales, la diarrhée, le ballonnement et la fatigue anormale.

D’ailleurs, puisque la pasteurisation et l’homogénéisation créent des changements aux protéines du lait, il peut être alors plus long à digérer. En plus nous reconnaissons que beaucoup de produits laitiers actuellement commercialisés contiennent des hormones et des antibiotiques donnés aux animaux dans leur nourriture, qui par la suite nous ingérons.

Selon la nutrition ayurvédique, on reconnaît le lait pour être un aliment complet. Cependant à cause de la façon dans laquelle beaucoup de produits laitiers sont actuellement commercialisés il est important d’être prudent lorsque nous l’utilisons et aussi d’agir en fonction de notre dosha Ayurvédique – qui doit en equilibre. Utilisez toujours de préférence du lait cru.

Le lait peut vous soutenir un bon sommeil mais il faut le chauffer et aussi rajouter quelques épices, par exemple une pincée de muscade et du cardamome. Les épices réduisent les qualités refroidissant et lourde du lait, qui provoquent souvent les problèmes associés.

Pour ceux qui ne peuvent pas ou ne veulent pas manger de produits laitiers il y a des alternatives pour avoir du calcium.

• les légumes feuilles vertes foncées, le brocoli,
• Les graines de tournesol et de courges (par ex. en format pâte de la recette du livre « Recettes ayurvédiques faciles »
• les graines de sésame – excellent source de calcium et facilement digéré

C’est vous, finalement, qui décidez en fin de compte ce que vous mangez et comment vous vous nourrissez. Pour vous soutenir, donc à réussir votre objectif d’un équilibre même avec une vie trépidante à travers la nutrition ayurvédique, je vous offre ces mots : réfléchissez avant de consommer.

After my ashram retreat I spent some time with my sister and her family. It was strange to cook for 5 after cooking for over 100 people but I adapted quickly. Towards the end of my stay my sister, who was vegetarian for just over a year a while ago but has been eating meat for the taste for sometime now, said she could happily be vegetarian if she could enjoy such soups on a regular basis. So I gave her a private session on how to make a simple soup with all the trimmings! It’s an easy dish that doesn’t cost much to prepare and is suitable for all three ayurvedic body types, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. It’s especially good for this time of the year as it’s light, yet the soupy aspect with slightly heating spices makes it perfect to balance excess Vata as we move into the back to school period.

Cumin, ginger, turmeric and black pepper are the basic spices you must include for flavour and digestion. Fennel and coriander – more summery spices – are optional.

Also go for any seasonal vegetables you have available and to add a handful of your favourite pasta for a one-pot meal.

Here is the basic soup recipe I shared with her. – Enjoy!

Split pea/lentil soup -for 2 people
100 grs mung dahl/red lentils
300 g seasonal vegetables
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ginger cut into small pieces.
3 tsp (in total) olive oil and sesame oil, coconut oil
salt – to taste

1. Wash and drain the mung dahl/ red lentils until the water is clear.
2. Put in a large pot with at least three times the amount of water to dahl/lentils.
3. Bring to the boil and leave on a rolling boil for 10-15 minutes (until a lentil crushes easily between your fingers)
4. Put the oil in a pan.
5. Sauté the spices (seeds) in the wok.
6. Add the ginger and after a minute the turmeric and black pepper.
7. Add the spice mix, the vegetables and optionally a handful of pasta to the softening lentils.
8. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes

Fancy some more delicious simple recipes for autumn? Grab a copy of my “Recipes for Autumn” booklet for easy preparation and digestion during this season.

I recently attended a weekend course with the French ethnobotanist, Jean-François Henri, to refresh my knowledge of edible wild plants. We also picked enough plants to prepare delicious and energising dishes each evening. Inspired, one of the first dishes I prepared when I arrived here was “Potato and nettle curry”, a recipe from my latest recipe booklet “New simple vegetarian recipes”. It’s a simple dish that doesn’t cost much to prepare and is suitable for all three ayurvedic body types, Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

One person who tasted the potato and nettle curry told me that she appreciated the high level of energy she felt was in the dish due to the freshness of the nettles.

The nettle is the plant that contains the highest amount of protein of all green plants. It also has a high level of minerals, especially iron, and vitamins, especially Vitamin C. It’s true that you cannot easily buy nettles but it is an easy plant to recognise with opposing leaves that have a jagged edge and a sting you cannot miss! Fortunately, once you cook them the sting goes. So, how about  organising a plant picking session with friends to find some and to make the most of the wealth and richness that Nature offers us. (If you have a garden you may find you don’t need to go far!)

Here’s the recipe. – Enjoy!

Potato and nettle curry (for 2 people)
a potato (cut into small cubes)
200 g nettles (well washed)
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ginger cut into small pieces
2 tsp olive oil and sesame oil
salt – to taste

1. Put the oil in a wok.
2. Sauté the spices (seeds) in the wok.
3. Add the ginger and after a minute the turmeric and black pepper.
4. Add the potato and mix well.
5. Let everything cook until it all starts break up.
6. Put the nettles in the wok and mix.
7. Leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
8. Serve and savour with, for example, basmatic rice.

Recently a participant of one of my yoga classes shared with us her experience of “desk lunches”, a way of having lunch while still working on the computer. As I heard her speak I recognised a theme that has been recurring with a number of my private clients who lead busy lives and often don’t feel they can take the time to eat or when they do eat they feel tense and stressed.

Did you know that if you eat on the go or when anxious or stressed this practice can lead to poor digestion and eating more? When you eat on the go your energy is not focussed to support digestion and, even worse, when you are stressed all your body systems are activated for “fight or flight” except the digestive system. It is the only one not activated, infact it slows down. This means that the nutrients in the food you eat, regardless of whether it is organic, local and seasonal, are not well assimilated into the cells in your body. Since your body still needs to be nourished you want to eat more.

So what can you do if you are feeling stressed and don’t feel you can take time for lunch?

Here are 3 strategies to use when you feel stressed.

1. Spend a few minutes doing some deep breathing exercises – if you know alternate nostril breathing, a hatha yoga technique, this can help you quickly destress.

2. Call a friend – sometimes just a few minutes connecting with someone can help you put things into perspective and let go of the tension/guilt you’re feeling about taking time just to eat your lunch and do nothing else.

3.Have a large warm drink – often our cells are dehydrated and hold on to tension/toxins. A warm drink, it can just be water, helps to improve elimination.

And once you’re feeling calmer and ready to eat remember this key point to support your digestion further.

Savour (and sip) - enjoy every mouthful of the food you eat, chew slowly to start the digestion process.If you’re eating with friends or family, enjoy their company. Also sip, don’t drink too much, so as not to dilute your digestive juices and reduce your digestive capacity.

Do you have questions about eating when stressed? Or experiences to share? Feel free to share your experiences/ questions below.

What do you think drains your body of energy most?

Often our choices are the main problem. We may know what will support our health from that which we have heard, read, seen. Sometimes we feel instinctively what is good and not so good for our bodies. Then we make appropriate or not so appropriate choices.

In Ayurveda we have tools that support the health of our body and mind. The concepts of the three body types/doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha, and the 6 tastes, sweet, sour, salty, hot, bitter and astringent, form the basis of Ayurvedic nutrition. Depending on the season and our particular body type we can eat to enhance the health of body and mind.

During the last cooking class, for example, participants learned how the dense Kapha quality of winter becomes lighter and liquid as Spring starts. The transition period between Winter and Spring can be a delicate time for our bodies. How many of us have been experiencing pre-Spring sniffles and sinus problems? The advent of Spring is the perfect time to do a cleanse because Nature supports our efforts.

Let me share 5 seasonal tips of how to use Nature to help achieve balance and harmony within our bodies at this time.

1. Since the Spring season is usually wet, using warming drying foods and spices such as millet, barley, lentils, turmeric, cinnamom and ginger to counteract the humidity.
2. Incorporating into our daily life cleansing techniques such as dry skin brushing, which works on the lymphatic system to support the natural clean-out that the body is having over the Equinox period, and the technique of neti to keep nasal passages clear and our energy flowing.
3. Enjoying warm baths and taking regular dynamic exercise. If you practise yoga, for example, sun salutations should be done more quickly while breathing deeply.
4. Since most of us eat breakfast between 6-9am when the heaviness of Kapha is present, have a light warming meal at that time, for example of cornmeal porridge, or millet cream, to assist digestion
5. Eating plenty of green leafy vegetables for the cleansing and energising qualitities they provide.

Bonus tip: Giving your digestive system a rest and/or doing a cleanse. This can simply involve not eating between meals, eating a mono-diet for a day or two or doing a simple juice cleanse.

Take advantage of the rising energy of spring and the seasonal flavours to boost your energy and enhance your health.

Question: Pourrais-tu stp m’indiquer combien de grammes / kg de poids faut-il de légumineuses? (avant cuisson)?
Et combien pour couvrir les protéines journalières?
Et quelles sont les plus digestes pour nous occidentaux?

Selon l’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé, nous avons besoin d’un apport de 10 à 15% maximum de protéines par jour. Par exemple pour une femme de 60 kilogrammes il faut 27 à 45 gr. d’apports de protéines par jour.
Voici des renseignements pour 2 types de légumineuses:
Avec 100g de pois chiches (avant cuisson)  vous avez environ 23 gr. de protéines. (Source: http://www.pulsecanada.com)
Avec 100g de lentilles (avant cuisson) par ex vous avez environ 26 gr. de protéines.(Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/)

Pour rendre les légumineuses plus digestes, il faut les tremper la nuit et utiliser des épices comme le curcuma, le gingembre, et le cumin pendant la cuisson et la préparation.

Question: Les menus du soir doivent-ils comprendre une source de protéines, si il y a déjà par ailleurs eu des protéines à midi?

Cela dépend de la quantité de protéines que vous avez mangée à midi mais je dirais, de manière générale, il est bien d’avoir des protéines légères dans votre repas du soir pour que le repas soit équilibré.

Question: Je suis pure Vata, et pour cette constitution, on conseille en général de limiter l’apport de légumineuses à une ou deux prises par semaine, qu’en pensez-vous ?

Si vous avez des difficultés à digérer des légumineuses il est important de limiter votre consomption de ces aliments et de trouver d’autres sources de protéines que vous arrivez mieux à digérer. Cela dit, dans la plupart des cas on peut améliorer beaucoup la digestion en rajoutant des huiles et des épices appropriés, par exemple huile de sésame  et le gingembre et le cumin.

D’autres questions? Commentaires? Partagez-les en bas.

According to Ayurveda, a person in good health will not be affected by even the most contagious disease because natural resistance to disease is part of being in good health.

In Ayurveda, immunity is dependant on the digestive fire,  our capacity to digest and assimilate  nutrients. If your body is healthy the immune function is strong and foreign bodies are destroyed and removed so that it can return towards a state of homeostasis. If your body is not healthy, foreign bodies can survive in that environment. Toxins from undigested food also provide a favourable environment for foreign bodies.

So, how can you improve your eating habits and lifestyle choices to enhance digestion. Here are a few dietary, lifestyle and yoga tips to set you on the right track for enhanced immunity this autumn.

Dietary tips to enhance digestion

Be aware of

• how you digest (how do you feel after a meal? light, satisfied?)
• the size of your portions and when you have eaten enough
• the foods you eat – do they suit your constitution ?

In Ayurveda, foods such as milk, ghee or clarified butter and honey  (in moderation) are also considered important for enhancing immunity.

Other suggestions:

• Include many fresh organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans in your diet. To get the nutrients for an enhanced immune function, make sure that there’s always plenty of fresh organic produce around.

• Sip hot water or ginger tea throughout the day but not during mealtimes to enhance your digestive capacity.

• Reduce your sugar intake and alcohol, both of which affect the activity of white blood cells

Lifestyle tips
There are several lifestyle choices that can tip the scales towards either illness or health. Try the following ideas to help boost a healthy immune system:

• Be regular with your mealtimes so that the body is prepared for periods when it will be nourished.
• Maintain a healthy body weight (ideally BMI between 20 -25) Being underweight or overweight places stress on your organs and body functions, thus adversely affecting the immune function.
• Have a good night’s sleep
• Exercise regularly – 3-5 times a week for 30 minutes is the recommended minimum

Yoga tips

• Savasana, the basic relaxation position, can help to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and heart rate, reduce muscular tension, reduce fatigue, improve sleep, and enhance immune response.
• regular meditation e.g. simply sit in a quiet place for a short period each day
• do alternate nostril breathing to balance the mind and body and boost immunity

Many of the practices to support good health and immunity are intertwined. Lowering stress levels can help you to sleep more soundly and choose more nutrious foods. Sleeping more soundly can give you more energy to exercise. Ayurveda’s holistic approach can help you develop a lifestyle that is good for your body and your mind while supporting health and immunity.

I asked this question to a good friend and colleague who recently told me about the healthy breakfast of yogurt and fruit  she’d had that particular day.

Yogurt  and fruit are certainly healthy foods but even healthier separately. Fruit is best eaten away from meals or before a meal (if your digestive capacity is good) because it digests more quickly than other foods. Also, according to Ayurveda  it’s best to eat yogurt at lunch or latest by early afternoon. This is a good way to keep your digestive system happy.

So, what did she reply to my question about her normal breakfast?
Usually I actually have carbs..so cereal, milk and blueberries right now.  Sometimes I get on a peanut butter kick!

Let me share my response to her with you as I’m sure she’s not alone.
There’s nothing wrong with carbs. It would just be better to eat the blueberries separately, say as a mid-morning snack (for the reasons mentioned above). Also you may be lactose intolerant (many people are) so trying a plant-based milk if you’re not already could help improve digestion. Try my easy recipe for freshly-made almond milk  .

Finally what type of cereal do you have? Is it wheat-based? Many people have an intolerance to wheat so you might like to try switching to oatmeal or another non-wheat based cereal.
Peanut butter is fine – as long as you’re not allergic to peanuts, you have it occasionally and in moderation, and it’s organic  and has no hidden extras (read labels carefully).

She was happy for me to share our exchange with you so that you could benefit from the breakfast tips to start your day and I’m happy to carry on the discussion with you. So, feel free to  share your comments below.