Eating for My Dosha

This month's Goddess Provisions box was Ayurveda-themed, and it included The Idiot's Guide to Ayurveda. I really love The Idiot's Guide series because the books have a way of breaking down concepts and philosophies in a way that's fun to read and easy to understand. I'm about halfway through the book, and I'm really into the idea of Ayurveda!

Ayruveda is an ancient Indian system of medicine, which is based on the idea of balance in bodily systems and uses through diet, herbal treatment, and yogic breathing. I've long been curious about Ayruveda, but I've never really looked into it. Now thanks to this book, I've taken a dosha quiz and learned that my dosha is vata-pitta. In a nutshell, that means I have a thin frame with dry skin and tend to be cold all the time. I'm also creative, always on the go, and an over-achiever who thrives on ambitious goals.

According to Ayruveda, there are certain ways to eat depending on your body type. I'm more vata than pitta, so I'm supposed to focus on warming foods (to balance my cold nature), moist and fatty foods (to help with my dry skin), and foods that are easy on my digestion (vatas have the most sensitive digestive issues). The Idiot's Guide suggests a few recipes, one of which was this breakfast suggestion of Quinoa Porridge (mine has almond milk, cinnamon, cardamom, walnuts, and pumpkin and hemp seeds). 

It's warming, and it contains whole grains, which are great for vata types. Nuts and seeds are also recommended since they're higher in fat. I had this yesterday morning, and I did feel pretty great all morning. It was filling, and it didn't cause any gassy issues (my biggest digestive problem).

For lunch yesterday, I had the Curried Tofu Coconut Curry from the book. 

Vatas are supposed to limit beans and legumes because they're hard to digest, but tofu is supposedly easier to digest so it's recommended. Also the coconut milk is high in fat, and that's great for vata too! This curry also has carrots and okra. It was really hearty and delicious.

I won't be eating for my dosha all the time, but I'd like to focus on this as much as I can without giving up my junk foods, beans, or salads (vata are supposed to limit raw veggies because they're harsh on the digestion). I only ate this way yesterday until dinner, and then I had some vegan pizza! But during the day, when I was eating the Ayruvedic way, I felt pretty amazing. No digestive issues, and I felt satisfied. 

I ordered the Vegan Ayruvedic Kitchen Cookbook too, but I haven't had a chance to dig in yet. I'll probably use that book to do a full 3-day (or maybe even a week) Ayruvedic diet just for fun soon!