Dude. Seriously. What’s the deal?? CAN we mix fruit with other food???

If its cooked, yes. The idea is that the fruit is introduced to the agni, pre-digested a bit, and it is working out its differences with the foods while they stew together. Regardless, Ayurveda may recommend you not do this every day, for optimal gut health.

Raw fruits for dessert or on the side, not so much.

Personally, I notice if I keep it simple, like just 2-3 ingredients: hot grain, bit of ghee, cooked fruit. It works. When its gets complicated and there’s lot of fruits, or some proteins plus grains plus ghee- or EGGS. Then I get gassy. THIS is how you know if its working. Gas.

Another thing I notice, honestly...as the years go by I am less drawn to mixing fruits with foods, and go for savory a lot more often. Period. I hardly eat fruits in the cold months. Except, of course apple crisp. It all goes out the window for apple crisp! : )

How do you cook fruits with food and how often??

FALL BREAKFAST RECIPE ALERT!

I can’t tell you how many people have told me over the years that this is their breakfast on those “I don’t know what to eat” mornings. When you’re not super hungry but you know you need something. Don’t eat something weird and processed- eat this!

Ghee Bomb Apples

The easiest recipe yet: 

Stir-fry one apple in a tsp ghee, add a Tbsp or 2 of water if it sticks.  Top with sweet cinnamon and ginger powders.  A light, warm breakfast.  Note: this works great with peaches too!!

Is it apple time yet where you are??

Taking care of yourself...

Taking care of yourself is about maintaining good health through a steady practice of self-observation. Ayurveda works when you pay attention to your Self. The information you gain about what makes you glow is pure gold.

Think about caring for plants and pets. You have to pay attention to them—figure out what kind of food they like, how much sun and water they need—by watching how they react to changes. Everybody knows you have to walk a dog and water a plant, but how often? Does it change as they age or at different times of year as the sunshine and rains shift?

There’s no judgment if a plant likes less sun or needs fresh soil. And there’s no need to judge what makes you thrive, like needing more rest than exercise or the other way around. There’s true intimacy, acceptance, and joy in this kind of self-discovery. I am feeling so lucky today that this is part of my work.

RASSPBERRY!!!

This year, my raspberry bushes are on their third summer and look what they did! I find greatest meaning in growing food at this stage of life. I wish I were better at it. Live and learn!

INNER CONFLICT ALERT!

I get overwhelmed by how many of the posts here are about “building your business” and “nobody ever told you this secret” about the algorithm and etc.

Honestly, my move to integrating social media has helped me begin to recognize your names and faces, to share my work, and has increased my income, my reach, and given me a current place to share what I'm thinking about.

Like this: if I am, as they say, an “influencer” I would in this moment like to influence you to put away the phone. Last days of summer. Our enjoyment of the moments as they arise is every bit as important as anything else. Somehow this space makes a person feel like they can never do enough.

I feel like I can never do enough time on the water. The experience links me to something so much greater, lifts my spirits, and refreshes me for the moments which still must be spent...here on this platform.

CUKAMINT!

Here’s a cool cocktail without the booze to quench your thirst.  A tumbler will make this drink look so nice, and have just enough ice to make the tinkling sound when you serve the drinks- 2 cubes- without freezing your belly.

2 cucumbers, peeled and deseeded

2 cups coconut water.

A few sprigs of fresh mint.

Juice of one lime

4 ice cubes

In a blender carafe, blend cucumbers and mint with half the water for one minute until liquified, then add remaining coconut water and lime to the carafe and blend again to combine.

Serve cool, pouring into two tall glasses, over 2 ice cubes and one lime wedge per glass.

More mushroom talk.

There is an ayurveda formulation for increasing sperm count that calls on a mushroom. The slimy, dense, heavy nature of the shroom can be a strong nourisher, grounder, and instigator of shukra- the vital and reproductive energy.

Serving mushrooms in damp weather however, or along with foods that promote dampness, such as cheese, is not something Ayurveda would recommend doing on the regular. Maybe sometimes, sure, especially if one is looking for an aphrodesiac.

Think of the shroom as a food to ground you, to support a vegetarian or vegan diet, and to increase sexy juices. For those seeking to elevate the consciousness in a yogic fashion, not so much.

Make sure its cooked, and with a bit of something sharp like ginger, to balance that slimyness.

One very often asked question which I have promised to discuss: what does Ayurveda say about mushrooms?

It may not be what you expect. Now, I am biased. I have HATED mushrooms my entire life. All kinds of them.

In classical texts, mushrooms are said to aggravate all the doshas and are almost never included in medicines and foods.

I once heard my yoga teacher answer to this question: “They grow in the dark, on dead things.”

From the yoga viewpoint, mushrooms are Tamasic. This means they can foster heaviness and inertia in the mind. Interestingly, these days, many folks may need and crave this kind of mental slow-down. Mushrooms are heavy in the earth and water elements, slimy and building. This makes them a better food for light, airy types, stressed-out folks, and for surviving cold climates.

You can imagine in the tropics, in medieval times, how mushrooms could appear rotten, and a little too close to the bugs and such that crawl on decaying vegetation.

It is however, a circle of life situation here! Stay tuned later this week for more on how and when mushrooms might be very useful.

CILANTRO!

I’ve been using this to garnish my soups and dosas, and making herbal water from its seeds. In Ayurveda medicinal substances are understood by their qualities- here’s the break down on cilantro, excerpt from the medicinal foods directory in The Everyday Ayurveda Guide to Self-Care:

Coriander and cilantro are different parts of the same plant. Their classification is the same, but the seed’s medicinal capacity is much stronger. Cilantro leaf is used all the time in Ayurvedic cooking to add color and cool. The seed is often the main ingredient in spice mixes.

Botanical name: Coriandrum sativum
Also known as: cilantro
Parts used: seeds and leaves
Rasa: pungent, astringent
Virya: cooling
Vipaka: sweet
Qualities: dry, light
Actions: improves absorption, is a diuretic, reduces burning sensations

How do you like to use cilantro or Coriander?

BIG HUGE NEWS FOR AYURVEDA PROS.

This has been 15+ years in process my friends. My interest in supporting the professional field for Ayurveda Health Counselors and Practitioners continues to grow, the more I work with y’alls (and the more I look back on my own struggles). My next move is to help you offer seasonal community programs safely and effectively to build your community and practice.

My community cleanses were an essential part of building my consulting practice. Bringing clients into community to share the work motivates, inspires, and keeps the relationship with Ayurveda fresh. Building a detox into an on-going wellness plan is potent indeed, and gets great results.

These seasonal detox programs have sowed seeds of change in participants. They come back season after season, they learn themselves better each time. These offerings have grown, and now sharing my model, evolved over fifteen years, with other practitioners is a natural progression for Ayurveda to continue to find her seat in those willing to undergo a process, and to help practitioners find their way into holding space for others.

What do you think?

Space is limited for Fall term, application required. Please find the link in my bio and LMK if you have questions AFTER following the link and reading about it.