Vegetarian Vitality » Healthy Eating

Do You Go With the Flow?

JGomez — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:22:53 +0000

Going with the flow

What does this involve on a nutritional level?

following the rhythm of nature i.e. the seasons for the produce we eat as far as possible,
buying local and organic – the natural state of produce!

What does it involve for sleep patterns?

going to bed between 10-11pm to be horizontal so that the liver can do its cleansing work.
as a general rule going to bed earlier and waking up earlier.

What does it involve in terms of your attitude to life

Savouring life – and everything it serves up to us.
Enjoy all that it has to offer and to create a supportive environment. This support will help us to digest on all levels so much more easily even when a situation or food is not necessarily what we thought we wanted.

How do you go with the flow of life? Share your experiences below.

Cool Off with Almond Milk

JGomez — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:15:24 +0000

In Ayurveda it’s is known that almonds are not only packed with nourishment but they have a cooling effect within the body. And soaking the almonds and removing the skin enhances this effect. In addition, they then become even easier to digest. This means that we are able to absorb even more nutrients with less effort.

This is good news with the heat wave we’re experiencing, when all we may want to do is to chill out.

Almond milk is sweet, lactose free and easy to make.

Here’s my recipe for this satisfying and nourishing drink, which is ideal for a quick breakfast.

Ingredients
4 dates (pitted)
20 almonds (approx. 25 grms)
Pinch of cardamom powder
Cup of water
1. Soak the dried fruit and the almonds in water in separate bowls overnight.
2. In the morning remove the skins from the almonds.
3. Put them along with the dates into a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds.
4. Pour into a glass and add the cardamom powder.
5. Stir and serve.

Enjoy!

This recipe is taken from my refreshing summer recipes booklet.

So what did you think of the recipe? How else are you staying cool this summer? Feel free to share your comments below.

Is My Eating Healthy?

JGomez — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:32:20 +0000

“I want to know if my eating habits are healthy, if I’m eating the right foods”, a client asked me recently. Since questions about healthy eating are among the most popular I get asked let me share ten pointers on how to eat healthily, quickly and easily to maintain digestive health.

1. Break the fast properly – Start the day with a balanced and filling breakfast, e.g porridge, muesli. This is important especially if you’ve got a heavy morning schedule. Slow releasing sugars are the best to sustain us between meals.

2. Munch through lunch – eat a satisfying lunch but light dinner and take a few moments to let it digest before you get up from the table. Ideally, this is your biggest meal. Rest for a few minutes after eating or go for a short walk before re-starting work.

3. Fresh is best – Use fresh, seasonal, organic, unprocessed foods as much as possible and include more lentils and beans in your diet. They contain nutrients and soluble as well as insoluble fibre, both important to balance our energy levels.

4. You’ve got to chew each mouthful thoroughly before swallowing it so you absorb the maximum amount of nutrients in your food.

5. Eat in peace – Eat at a comfortable pace and in a calm atmosphere to enhance the digestive process.

6. Drink plenty of water throughout the day but away from meals so your digestive juices remain at optimum concentration during mealtime.

7. Be wary of dairy especially if you have allergic reactions. Remember, moderation is the key!

8. Have a snack store – Stock up on healthy snacks such as unsalted and unroasted nuts and seeds, dried fruits, a variety of seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables. Be creative and make your own snacks, especially for when you’re on the move!

9. Go for wholegrain and cereals such as short grain brown rice and basmati rice, quinoa, millet, couscous.
Tip: to speed up the cooking time and digestion of brown rice, soak it overnight or for at least a couple of hours beforehand.

10. Use sweet spices – especially if you have a sweet tooth! Cinnamon and cardamom are two of my personal favourites for food and tea. Licorice is also a good option.
Tip: Keep a piece of licorice or cinnamon in your pocket to chew on!

Becoming Vegetarian – Am I Eating Enough Protein? 02/23/2009

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“Am I eating enough protein, especially as I want to move towards becoming a vegetarian?”

According to the World Health Organization we need a maximum of 10-15% protein in our daily diet. (This is, for example, the equivalent of 27 – 45 grams for a woman weighing 60 kg). This is not a large amount and most of us in the West easily take in more on a daily basis.

And since we are able to store protein, as long as we are eating a varied whole-food diet every day, we’ll be getting enough protein, even if we decide to take it in plant form.

In Ayurveda we are not told that we have to be vegetarian. What is important is to be conscious about what we are eating in relation to our activity or intended activity. Meat is intrinsically heavy and requires a lot of energy to digest. It is a very concentrated source of energy at all levels.

Traditional nutritional systems, like the Chinese and Ayurveda, sometimes suggest small amounts of meat as a quick way to build strength in tissues. However, questions are often raised nowadays about the quality of the meat because of how animals are kept and meat processed.

Simply put I have always found it much easier to get hold of quality plant-based protein sources. As a lacto-vegetarian, I eat dairy products occasionally but no red meat, fowl, fish or eggs. My diet consists mainly of whole-foods including nuts, seeds, pulses, grains, vegetables and fruits, all of which contain enough protein for me to cover my protein needs very well and consciously.

Moreover, a plant-based diet offers a lighter alternative to one that is meat-based. It can support those recovering from illness because less energy is used for digestion and more is left for the body to use in healing processes.

About the author: Janet Gomez, nutritional consultant, produces the “Nutri-Jyoti News”, a free bi-monthly e-newsletter for busy professionals. Feel ready to learn how to use nutritional strategies to manage your energy levels? Then sign up for her FREE e-course “5 Nutritional Keys to Vitality in your Life” at http://www.nutrijyoti.com

Becoming Vegetarian – Am I Eating Enough Protein?

JGomez — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:05:04 +0000

“Am I eating enough protein, especially as I want to move towards becoming a vegetarian?”

According to the World Health Organization we need a maximum of 10-15% protein in our daily diet. (This is, for example, the equivalent of 27 – 45 grams for a woman weighing 60 kg). This is not a large amount and most of us in the West easily take in more on a daily basis.

And since we are able to store protein, as long as we are eating a varied whole-food diet every day, we’ll be getting enough protein, even if we decide to take it in plant form.

Healthy Eating – A Taste of Ayurveda

JGomez — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:44:09 +0000

Ayurveda is a natural medical system that’s been going for over 5000 yrs. It’s made up of many different parts and is the “science of life” that offers us knowledge that comes from the beginning of time.

Traditionally Ayurveda is associated with India because of how long it has been used in this region but if you look at traditional cultural knowledge you will also see evidence of the information Ayurveda provides.

We have all heard the saying “You are what you eat”. In Ayurveda there is a saying

“without proper diet, medicine is of no use. And with proper diet, medicine is of no need”.

Diet is the basis of Ayurveda because our bodies are the result of what we eat or rather of what we digest. What’s more, it’s a practical and easy way to maintain good health to prevent illness – a main goal of Ayurveda. But the choices we have choices also mean we have responsibility.

The concept of “digestive fire” or agni is key to maintaining health and building immunity in Ayurveda. Depending on your body type at any given time, the season, your environmental stresses, the particular food you choose to eat etc., you can influence your digestive capacity or fire.

When I was at school we would go camping at weekends. We’d have to get a fire going to cook our food. If the fire was low, the food would take ages to cook. If the fire was too strong, the outside of the food would cook more quickly than the inside – often the food would be burnt! It was important to find a happy balance to satify our rumbling tums.

Our digestive fire is just like the camp fire. If our agni is too low then the food we ingest won’t be cooked/digested properly, leaving it to move undigested into the rest of the digestive system. Our cells can’t benefit from the nutrients in the food and waste matter clogs up the system and prevents the available nutrients from getting through. Not the more efficient way to get our energy.

If the digestive fire is too high then the food will “burn” i.e. move through the system too quickly, not giving our bodies the chance to extract the nutrients required. Not the best situation either to get the nutrients our intrinsic healing system needs to build our immunity and keep fit and healthy. So, how do we find the “happy balance” of nicely cooked food?

Here are three of my top tips on how to achieve the “happy balance” to be able to use food for greater energy and fuller health:

1. Eat food that’s right for your particular digestive fire.

2. Eat food when you’re hungry – when the “fire” is stoked up – so it digests properly.

3. Don’t throw (too much) water on the fire!

These simple tips are a way of taking charge of your health. You have tools to:

1. Save money on medical bills;

2. Save time going to the doctor; and

3. Most importantly start the New Year with plenty of energy to do all those things you’ve planned to do and enjoy them as well!

So what are you waiting for? Start looking after your digestive fire with a taste for Ayurveda!

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About the author: Janet Gomez, nutritional consultant, produces the “Nutri-Jyoti News”, a free bi-monthly e-newsletter for busy professionals. Feel ready to learn how to use nutritional strategies to manage your energy levels? Then sign up for her FREE e-course “5 Nutritional Keys to Vitality in your Life” at http://www.nutrijyoti.com

Are You Sleeping Well?

JGomez — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 22:47:05 +0000

With the days getting shorter and the nights longer we are moving into a period of the year when we feel even more the qualities of Kapha – heaviness, slowness. Yet we want to carry on at our normal rhythm, especially during the holiday season. Did you also know that the evening is the Kapha time of the day? Having a good night’s sleep is important for your health. Let me share some reasons with you.

Having a good night’s sleep is not only important to increase your energy but also to

1. boost your immune system

2. keep the mind and body young

3. avoid chronic diseases, such as diabetes

4. keep in shape

5. to feel more at ease and satisfied with your life

But what can you do if you have problems getting a good night’s sleep?

The key to getting quality sleep lies in having good digestion. However, digesting the food you eat well is just one part. It’s also important to “digest” all the experiences you’ve savoured throughout the day. Here are some of my top nutritional tips to help you and your family get that good night’s sleep in the coming months.

1. Avoid having drinks containing caffeine – coffee, tea, coca cola – before going to bed because they are stimulants. Your body may take, for example, up to 7 hours to digest the caffeine in a cup of coffee. Observe the effect such drinks have on your body, even if you have them late afternoon.

2. Drink little alcohol (if you drink any) and drink it earlier on in the evening. It can put you to sleep but also affects the quality and quantity of your sleep.

3. Eat satisfying meals which are rich in protein but light in the evening at least 3-4 hours before going to bed. Most of my new clients who regularly eat heavy meals in the evening tell me that they feel tired when they get up in the morning. If you’re not sure what to prepare, enjoy a “taste” of my book “Plans for Dinner?”

4. Go to bed about the same time every evening, preferably before 11pm.

5. Observe your breathes for a few minutes before going to bed. Give thanks for each experience you’ve had that day, happy and not-so-happy moments. When you’re lying down comfortably, continue to observe your breathe and slow it down.

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