Meals prepared with love are one of the cornerstones of Ayurvedic cooking practices. Local, doshically appropriate, and seasonal are what I consider to make up the other three corners. One of the cookbooks I grew up around was “Joy of Cooking” What an amazing title, holding such great reverence for the ancient science of Ayurveda without even trying. When we bring joy into our food while we cook we are able to take in that joy through consuming the meal or sharing it with family and friends. (Shop our Ayurvedic Cookbooks)
Everyone benefits from being a joyful cook.
Spices are one of the things that really increase my joy with cooking, it’s like seeing in color. When we know how to flavor our food appropriately it not only aids in the digestion and assimilation of food but it brings an abundance of joy through flavor. Ayurveda loves spice, each dosha benefits differently from all different spices, herbs, and foods. Below are just a few commonly used holiday spices to get your creative juices flowing when cooking for specific doshic types.
- Vata loves: Cinnamon, Ginger, and nutmeg (Shop FarmTrue’s Warming Spice Blend)
- Pitta Loves: Coriander, cardamom, and peppermint (Shop FarmTrue’s Cooling Spice Blend)
- Kapha Loves: Clove, mace, and black pepper (Shop FarmTrue’s Cleansing Spice Blend)
What is balanced digestion? Ayurveda considers balanced digestion to be experienced as nothing noticeable, no discomfort, and very minimal if any gas after eating. The following are examples of how each dosha can go out of balance in their digestion leading to deeper and more significant issues.
- Vata dosha is composed of Air and Ether and tends towards dryness and cold digestion. (constipation)
- Pitta dosha is composed of Fire and a little water tends towards heated digestion. (loose stools)
- Kapha dosha is composed of Earth and water, which tends towards cool and damp digestion. (sluggish)
When cooking this holiday season understanding how the food will affect other individuals is a whole other layer of effort and skill. These three spice combinations could be used to inspire baked goods or even as a post-digestive tea to offer up after a big meal. Individuals may want to have an understanding of their individual dosha beforehand or perhaps have them choose intuitively.
As always the best way to fully understand your dosha would be to sit down with an Ayurvedic practitioner so that they can help determine the best assortment of herbs, foods and lifestyle practices for you.