The New, New Thing of Old! The Ayurvedic Diet.

NAMASTE

The age old practice of Yoga has long been reinvented, repackaged and is resold throughout the world and is very mainstream in the US. The practice of Yoga is mentioned in the Rigveda, a composition  of Sanskrit verses that is 4000 years old. It has come a long way since then, becoming a multi billion dollar industry. According to industry stats Americans spent $16 billion onYoga clothing and equipment in 2016 alone. Growing up in India very few of us have escaped this exercise form. Either at school or at a local aunty's home or a class, we were all exposed to Yoga. In those days it seemed to pale in comparison to the all steel and mirrors Talwalkar's gym and aerobic workouts. So I am particularly unable to get over my sense of bewilderment when I see Yoga studios on every street corner here in DC. These Yoga studios are quite intimidating. Gone are the days when you could wear comfortable clothing while doing Yoga, a loose kurta and some tights or a salwar. Now its all about lululemon see-through Yoga pants and midriff revealing extra tight Yoga tops. My local studio is overrun with men and women with rippling muscles, flat stomachs and perfectly toned bodies, completely self-absorbed in the beauty of their own appearance while grunting determinedly into the most complex asanas. I laugh when I remember my Power Yoga sessions in the community hall of the Bandra police colony without air-conditioning or frankly any room to spread out the mat.  We did 100 Surya Namaskars! That was Bikram yoga in its most natural form in the sweltering heat and humidity of the month of May in Mumbai!  

When the instructors talk about Yogasana and explain how the mind and body and cosmos and Om are all linked,  I am reminded of an evening in Bruges, Belgium several years ago. It had been several days of traveling through Europe and we had checked into our charming bed and breakfast and made our way to the town center. In the very midst of it, in this ancient city with cobbled streets, proudly stood a restaurant named Bhawani, named after a very strong and earthy Indian goddess. We were craving for some Indian food by that point in our trip and made a beeline for it. While there, the chef walked by our table and narrated to us the importance of turmeric in food. Surely he saw my mom sitting at our table with a big bindi on her forehead. The irony! Its a similar feeling with Yoga classes in my neighborhood. 

And here we are now, the next big industry is Ayurveda. My dear grandfather often made statements about pitta and vata and random things that did not seem to make sense. He urged me among other things to never skip meals, not to drink refrigerated water after my baby was  born and himself ate a spoonful of ghee everyday while announcing "ghritam aayuh" ( ghee is life! ) He has had the last laugh I have to admit. Almost everything he said about food was correct. All around me there is the buzz of Ayurvedic diet.  I was especially intrigued that my daughter attended an Ayurvedic cooking class in NYC! I am again floating in a sea of bewilderment.

This time I was determined to not be the last person to board the bus and decided to read up. 

Being a Sanskrit student, I know the meaning of the word Ayurveda = Ayuh : life + veda: knowledge.

5 elements of the universe ( space, air, fire, water and earth) combine to make three doshas in our bodies; vata (space and air), pitta (fire and water) and kapha (water and earth). Each one of us manifests a combination of these doshas. Mind you, dosha also means fault as opposed to guna that means a good quality in you! It is the balance of these doshas that determine your health; mental and physical.  It is the food that we eat that play a big role in shaping our doshas. 

It is not surprising that Ayurvedic studies have captured the imagination of the world at large. With the increase in inexplicable illnesses including among children such as asthma, allergies, eczema etc, allopathy has limited answers. Allopathic medicines have severe side effects. Whereas Ayurveda is a long term approach to better and healthy living. Ayurveda requires patience as there are no quick fixes. In case of any serious illness there is no alternative other than allopathy. 

A basic search on the web revealed the usual overload of too much information.  How do I sift through all this? Then I got to thinking, am I not already following the Ayurvedic diet?  Everytime I cook my Maharashtrian or Indian meal, I throw in a mix of spices and ingredients, no questions asked. Generations before me have cooked exactly in the same way. What is it that I throw in the hot oil when I cook and why? Pretty much everything I make starts with heating a couple of tablespoons of oil and adding in a blend of the following items: Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chillies, and turmeric. Many times the preparation involves, kokum, tamarind, jaggery, kala masala, garlic, ginger, whole spices such as cloves and cardamoms, sometimes methi seeds and so on.

                                                            Marathi Kala Masala 

Following this simple traditional home diet my beloved grandparents enjoyed a long and healthy life span and passed away without any prolonged hospitalization.  I decided that there must be some strong reasoning behind this technique: I decided to investigate each ingredient.* 

Turmeric:

Curcumin which is contained in turmeric is an anti-inflammatory substance. Hence it is beneficial for all conditions that include inflammation, ranging from cancer to headaches. Many times it is applied topically as an antiseptic. 

Mustard seeds: Contain selenium and magnesium which are anti inflammatory and also contain phytonutrients which aid digestion. Selenium helps with Asthma and Arthritis and magnesium with blood pressure. In addition mustard seeds have other components which are beneficial to your health. 

Cumin seeds: While used for various reasons, primarily aid digestion. 

Asafoetida: Primarily aids digestion but it is also found to have properties to fight bronchitis and asthma apart from acting as an anti oxidant. 

Curry leaves:   

Packed with carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, phosphorous, irons and vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, curry leaves help your heart function better, fight infections and can enliven your hair and skin with vitality.

Green chillies:  These boost ones metabolism, are cancer fighters, help fight cardiovascular disease and actually lower the body temperature by tricking the brain. This is a great property in hot countries. They contain endorphins, Vit C and beta carotene. 

Ghee: My favorite fat! The good fat that beats all the evil bad fat and tastes divine. Its the most superior dairy product. Cream the floats on top of milk is made into yogurt, which is churned into butter milk, out of which white butter is extracted, which when cooked turns into ghee. 

  

I feel so much better! I am an it girl, in with the new, new thing! All I have to do is continue preparing food that I am most familiar with and that I have grown up eating and hopefully I am ensuring good health for myself and my family. How did the gurus and yogis and housewives figure all this out thousands of years ago? It is an eternal mystery. All I need to reduce are the not-so-occasional forays into deep fried foods and alcohol. 

When I got married, I was gifted a masala box as were all my friends. The best wedding present ever!  The key to a healthy and long life. 

I would like to add that in my opinion, each culture has its own unique healthy cuisine which is the secret to good health and longevity. Whether it is Japanese, Italian, Mediterranean or Ethiopian, follow your cuisine with sincerity and expect good results. 

* All of the above information is obtained from websites such as NDTV, WebMd, Times of India. 

* I have deep knowledge of neither Yoga nor Ayurveda.