Fasting – what does Ayurveda say?

Everyone is talking about fasting. There is so much (sometimes conflicting) information out there about fasting, what does Ayurveda have to say about it?  And how can fasting be personalised to our individual constitutions? Find all the answers to these questions here. Ayurveda has a LOT to say about fasting Read more…

Quick purge

Panchakarma – powerful therapy, intense results

The elder tree that lurks in my garden makes an attempt each year to take over.  Every year, I chop it back to its stalk and ensure it doesn’t achieve its goal.  Every year I think I should probably dig it up and prevent any further dashes for glory but Read more…

Masala dosa

After several stints in South India, my favourite Indian food has to be masala dosa – scrummy pancakes stuffed with masala (spiced) potatoes (but you can also use any fillings you want, or none at all).  The pancake flour is made from rice and pulses so they do contain protein Read more…

Tamarind egg curry

Eating vegetarian and reducing tomatoes is sometimes tricky so I love this recipe for a tamarind egg curry.  Ayurveda recommends small doses of tomatoes only as they slow digestion and cause aama.  Lots of curries contain tomatoes so it is always great to find recipes which aren’t tomato based.  If Read more…

Cleansing Mung Bean Soup

This is an excellent soup for times when you need to cleanse.  This may be when you are feeling unwell, sluggish or have poor digestion.  It is also a fantastic soup to have as a cleanse at the turn of the seasons, when doshas are most likely put out of Read more…

Wind tree

Watch the wind – it’s a tricky little fellow

Given my usual fascination with digestion, you’d be forgiven for thinking I mean that kind of wind.  But, for once, I don’t.  In this instance, I refer to vata, the ‘wind’ (or air and space) principle in your body and mind.  It is one of the three doshas (vata, pitta Read more…

Oil

The myths of oils and fats

Oils and fats are a much misunderstood area of our modern diet.  We moved away from cooking with saturated fats (e.g. meat fats, dairy fats) as we were told they were causing us too many problems.  We started processing seed oils to replace them and jumped from the frying pan Read more…