Did you ever think how our health gets imbalanced as we get older? One of the reasons this happens is because we ignore the various urges of our body. We should take a leaf out of babies books and respond to the urge as it comes up! #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #urgesofthebody #vegavidharana #listentoyourbody #naturescalling #callofnature

Join me and a few other teachers during the August Bank holiday weekend for an Ayurveda & The Elements Retreat. We’ll look at 🧘🏽 tailoring yoga practice to your Ayurvedic constitution 😊 I’ll be conducting a thorough workshop on understanding your prakriti and learning how to see the doshas at play within and around us 💆🏽‍♀️ I’ll also be doing an Ayurvedic massage workshop There will be other teachers to facilitate mantra, meditations and pranayama, the opportunity to go for a wild swim, nourish yourself with Ayurvedic meals and just connect to nature. 📅 August 23-26 2024 📍 Hardwick Estate, South Oxfordshire 🎟️ a variety available from the link in bio Excite to see you there! #yoga #ayurveda #sadhamayoga

#AD Did you know that what’s on your tongue 👅 is an indication of what’s going on inside your body? Tongue analysis or Jihva-Pariksha is one of the 8 methods of clinical examination in Ayurveda. It’s a whole detailed science, but here are a few things you can learn to correspond areas on your tongue to different areas of your body. And one of the best things you can do to keep your gut healthy is scrape your tongue every morning. This one from @arista.care is excellent. Made from strong and durable 100% copper - it’s clean, safe and suits all body types according to Ayurveda. A few tips about scraping your tongue: 👅 do it first thing in the morning - after brushing your teeth. And then rinse your mouth out with water. 👅 start from the back of your tongue, closest to your throat, and scrape forward and down to the tip of your tongue. Use gentle but firm pressure. Repeat this 2-3 times and you’ll see a white film develop on the inside of the tongue scraper. Rinse this off with water and scrape your tongue another few times until little or no white film develops. 👅 just keep it to a morning routine and avoid scraping your tongue in the evening. Tongue scraping stimulates your internal organs and digestion so it’s ideal for the morning, but not necessary in the evening when you want to wind down and rest the body. Image from Dr Vasant Lad’s book - Textbook of Ayurveda Volume 2. #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #tonguescraping #jihvapariksha #tongueanalysis

Thank you to the brilliant @chaitanyacharanofficial for giving us such a practical way to introspect and thus navigate our inner world. If you struggle with journalling, then definitely give this a try. #journaling #introspection #calmvata #calmyourmind

Karela-Cashews-Raisins Ingredients: - 5-6 karela (bitter gourd/melon) - salt - hing (asafoetida) - turmeric powder - red chilli powder - cumin-coriander powder - raisins - dessicated coconut, chickpea flour, sambhar masala - mixed together (rough ratio of 1 tablespoon: 1 tablespoon: 1 teaspoon) - fresh coriander Method: 1. Roughly peel the bumpy skin of the bitter gourd - some skin can stay on, just make sure the upraised portions are peeled off. 2. Cut in half length-ways, remove the seeds and then cut into smaller pieces. 3. Place the chopped bitter gourd into a bowl, sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of salt and massage well. Allow to sit for at least 10-15 mins to remove excess water. 4. Squeeze the excess water out from the karela. 5. In a wide saucepan, heat some oil and roast the cashews until golden brown. Once toasted, remove the cashews and keep to the side. 6. In the same pan, add more oil if need be, about 1/4 teaspoon of hing (asafoetida) and the salted karela. Mix well, add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Mix well and cover, and let it all cook for a few minutes. 7. Add in 1.5 teaspoons red chilli powder, 2 teaspoons cumin-coriander powder, the toasted cashews and raisins. Mix well and cover - let this cook for another 3-5 minutes. 8. Remove the lid and add in the dry mixture of dessicated coconut, chickpea flour and sambhar masala. Mix well and cook until the karela are soft and tender. Garnish with fresh coriander. 9. Serve with hot rotli, offer with love and honour with gratitude. #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #guthealth #listentoyourgut #appetite #karela #bittergourd #bitterrecipes

So @shyam_govinda thinks I have a monopoly over the meal planning process - so in an effort to involve him more - here’s what happened this week. Also - I don’t mind I get to do 100% of the cooking - please don’t come @ us for not sharing the cooking - this works for our household! #couples #humour #desicouple #mealplanning

Digestion is everything in Ayurveda, you’ve heard that time and time again. But did you know that one of the best predictors of a good digestion is having a good appetite? A strong hunger - from deep within your stomach. Not the ‘my-eyes-are-hungry-because-the-food-looks-good’ sort of appetite. Another example how we need to learn to cut through all the noise and start learning to listen to our body. Listen to your appetite - and before you sit down to eat a meal - ask yourself - AM I HUNGRY #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #guthealth #listentoyourgut #appetite

‘Fancy’ Friday Vegetables Ingredients: - chopped veggies of your choice (I used carrots, green beans, cauliflower, frozen peans and yellow capsicum) - paneer (cubed) (can replace with tofu to make it vegan) - ghee (can replace with oil to make it vegan) - 1/4 teaspoon hing (asafoetida) - 2 small green chillies - 1 inch piece of ginger - 1.5 teaspoons cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds - 2 teaspoons coriander seeds - 1 dried red chilli - 1 star anise - 2 green cardamom - 2 cloves - 1 small piece cinnamon - 1 black cardamom - 1/4 cup cabbage chopped - 3-4 tomatoes chopped - 1/3 cup cashews - 2 teaspoons salt - 1.5 teaspoons red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon turmeric powder - dried kasuri methi - coriander to garnish Method: 1. To prepare the gravy: sautee all the whole spices, asafoetida, fresh chillies and ginger in 1 tablespoon ghee until they become golden brown and aromatic. 2. To this, add in the chopped cabbage, fresh tomatoes and cashews - mix everything well. Cover and let it cook for about 10 minutes until the mixture is soft and you can see the ghee start to separate from the tomatoes. You may need to keep checking and stirring the mixture every few minutes until it is done. Allow the mixture to thoroughly cool, and then blend to a smooth paste - add water if it feels too thick. 3. Wash and chop the veggies and paneer of your choice. Start cooking the veggies in quick succession (keep in mind what takes longer to cook and add this first). Allow them to cook covered until tender but firm. 4. Once the vegetables are cooked, add in the blended gravy to the vegetables, along with the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Stir through gently, making sure everything is well mixed but being careful not to break the vegetables or paneer. You may need to add more water to clean out the blender jar and reduce the thickness of the gravy. 5. Crush the dried kasuri methi with your hands and add it to the vegetables + gravy mixture. Stir well and allow everything to come to a simmer. 6. Garnish with fresh coriander, serve with hot parathas or rice, offer with love and honour with gratitude.

This is one of my favourite lessons from Ayurveda. An explanation of how our body gets imbalanced. And the way it happens is so simple - so simple that we might even miss it. It’s another example of how doing simple little things everyday - like using our senses in a regulated manner - makes a HUGE difference in our health over a long period of time. Sometimes we think there’s too many restrictions in Ayurveda - we should eat like this, sleep at this time, do this, don’t do that - but it’s little things that set us up for good health for a lifetime. It’s our protection from getting sick. So let’s all learn to come back to the basics, listen to our body and act on our natural and intelligent cravings. #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda #introspection #conqueringmaterialnature #selfhelptips #selfimprovement #prajnaaparadha #parinama #asatmendriyarthasamyoga #causesofdisease

Many times, we are our own biggest enemies. How? Inherently, we know what is good for us. We know what we should eat and what we should avoid. We know we need to exercise. We know we should meditate. We know we should stress less. We know we should spend less time on our screens. Yet we still ignore what we know and do the opposite. We choose takeaway instead of cooking at home 🙈 We choose finishing the never-ending pile of work instead of going for a walk. We choose to stress over things we have no control over, instead of letting it go. We choose one more episode on Netflix instead of an earlier bed time. Of course once in a while, making the wrong choice is ok. But what about the times when we knowingly (or unknowingly) make the poorer choice, then first hand experience it’s negative consequences, but then still go on to make that poor choice - time and time again. It happens to all of us! This is prajna-aparadha - or crimes against our own wisdom or intellect. And according to Ayurveda this is one of the three main causes of disease. Have you ever succumbed to this? If so, let me know in the comments below. AND keep an eye out for part two where @shyam_govinda will share some wisdom on HOW we can avoid this! It’s great knowing how the mistakes happen but it’s even better knowing what we can do to avoid making them in the first place! #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda #introspection #conqueringmaterialnature #selfhelptips #selfimprovement

Khandvi Ingredients: - 3 cups buttermilk (made by mixing 1 cup yoghurt and 2 cups water) - 1 cup chickpea flour - salt - turmeric powder Tempering: - oil - mustard seeds - hing (asafoetida) - cumin seeds - sesame seeds - dessicated coconut - red chilli powder - coriander leaves Method: 1. Mix the chickpea flour, buttermilk, salt and turmeric well - using a whisk at first and then a hand/immersion blender to ensure there are no lumps. 2. Stir this mixture constantly (in a wide, thick-bottom saucepan) on low heat to ensure it cooks through and there are no lumps. You may need to use an immersion blender while cooking to ensure everything is mixed well and there are no lumps. You will see it thicken. 3. To check with the mixture is ready, spread a small amount on a clean counter top or the back of a metal plate/baking tray - once spread, let it cool and then see if it peels back smoothly. If it lifts off the surface cleanly without sticking, then the khandvi mixture is ready. If not, then return the mixture to the heat and keep cooking for longer. It should take about 15-20mins (total) on the heat. 4. Once the khandvi mixture is ready, spread it as thinly as possibly on clean countertops or the back of baking trays. Once the entire mixture has been spread out, cut into wides strips (about 1.5 inches wide) and roll gently from one end (just as if you would roll a yoga mat). We found it easier to cut one strip and then roll it, rather than cut them all and then roll them all. 5. Once your khandvi rolls are ready, you can cut the rolls into smaller pieces and arrange neatly on a serving plate. Sprinkle with red chilli powder. 6. Prepare your tempering by heating the oil in a small saucepan. Once hot, add in the mustard seeds, allow them to crackle and then quickly add in the asafoetida, cumin seeds and sesame seeds. Turn off the heat in 30sec-1min. 7. Spoon the tempering all over the rolled khandvi. Dust with dessicated coconut and garnish with coriander. 8. Offer with love and honour with gratitude! #khandvi #gujaratisnacks #highproteinsnacks #vegetariangujaratirecipes

For the past few months I’ve been more or less consistently practicing yoga three times a week. And all of this has only been possible because I commit to a one-on-one class with a teacher based in India. Dipika ben is a simple lady from Ahemdabad, who teaches me yoga. She’s not on social media, I actually found out about her from my grandfather (who she used to teach in person in Ahmedabad) and then my mother (who does online classes with her in Australia). But because of the committment to a class and more specifically a teacher, I was able to be regular with my yoga practice. We do the different asanas, pranayamas and also include a bit of laughter therapy at the end of every class. If you’re like me and need the push of a teacher to keep you going, then seek out a teacher in your local area, or see if there’s anyone who does classes online that you can attend. Sharing some of my favourite yoga teachers on social media (the ones who teach online) (if I’ve missed some, tag them in the comments and I’ll keep editing the caption to include them) below: @the_groundedyogi @yogawithjaina @guna.therapy @suhita.ayurveda @thetherapeuticyogi @roootedindia @vickstorrm @jai.gopali @joy_in_yoga @lotusyoga.108 #yoga #ayurveda #internationalyogaday #discipline #teachers #yogateachers

Tindora-Bateta Nu Shaak (Ivy Gourd and Potato Subji) (Sorry there aren’t any measurements! Completely forgot to measure! But hope you can figure it out through the video!) Ingredients: - tindora (ivy gourd) - small potato - neutral oil - asafoetida - salt - turmeric powder - red chilli powder - cumin-coriander powder - coriander leaves to garnish Method: 1. Wash the ivy gourd well and then keep submerged in a bowl of water. 2. Cut the ends of the ivy gourd and place back in the water. Then cut into thin strips. 3. Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into strips of a similar size to the ivy gourd. 4. Heat a wide saucepan to medium heat. 5. Add in 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, add in 1/4 teaspoon of asafoetida powder. 6. Add in the chopped ivy gourd and potato. Stir well. 7. Add in the salt and turmeric powder. Stir well and cover. Let the vegetables cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat. 8. Check to see if the vegetables are cooked by piercing a knife through the potatoes - they should be soft. If they’re not cooked, return the lid back on the pot and continue cooking. It should take around 15 minutes of cooking time with the lid on the pot for the vegetables to be completely cooked. Keeep checking and stirring well to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. 9. Once cooked, add in the cumin-coriander powder and red chilli powder and give it a final good mix. 10. Keep on the heat for a further 2 minutes with the lid off. 11. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Offer with love, serve with hot rotli and enjoy! #ivygourd #tindora #gujjumeals #vegetariangujaratirecipes #ayurvedicrecipes #simpleindianfood #gharkakhaana #everydayindiancooking

Have you ever noticed a particular vulnerable or weak spot in your body? That always flares up just before you get sick? There’s an explanation for that in Ayurveda - Khavaigunya! Let me know if you have any questions understanding or figuring out your Khavaigunya. #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda

Constipation Aids while you travel: 🥝 eat local and seasonal fruits as a snack ☕ cup of hot water at the beginning and end of the day - can boost this by adding in a herbal tea bag (ginger is best at stimulating digestion) 🚶🏽‍♀️lots of walking 🧈1 teaspoon ghee in a cup of hot water (in severe cases, can replace the ghee with castor oil) 🍑a few prunes or 1 stewed apples as a snack 🥖 limit the amount of processed foods, breads, cheese and meat that you’re eating What else keeps you regular 💩 when you travel? #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda #travelandayurveda #ayurvedictraveltips #constipationrelief

Travelling is fun - but it may not always be fun for your body. These are some simple things I do to keep my body and mind healthy and happy while I travel. Is there anything else that you do to stay healthy while you travel? #travelandayurveda #ayurvedicroutine #travelswitzerland #stayinghealthywhiletraveling #travelroutine #practicalayurveda #realayurveda #makingayurvedasimple #simpleayurveda

Fortunate are those that can eat a meal cooked by their mother ❤️ Friday’s thali: Khandvi Karela-cashew-raisins Whole urad dal Rice Rotli Mango Thank you @zakirkhan_208 for the beautiful audio. #maakehaathkakhana #motherscooking #motherslove #mumsfoodisthebest #thali #thaliinspiration #khandvi #karela

Ragi Gol Papdi/Sukhdi Ingredients: - 1/2 cup ghee (we could have gotten away with a little less) - 1 cup ragi flour - 3/4 cup jaggery (try to use natural/desi jaggery - it will be darker and softer) - 1/2 teaspoon dry ginger powder - splash of milk - fennel seeds to garnish Method: 1. Warm the ghee in a heavy botton saucepan or wok-style pan. 2. Once the ghee is warm, add in the ragi flour and dry ginger powder and stir continuously. It’ll take about 7-10 minutes for the ragi to get cooked - you should start to smell the nutty aroma of the ragi flour, and the mixture will become lighter and airier as the flour gets cooked. Add in a splash of milk towards the end (this prevents the end result from becoming too hard). 3. Add in the jaggery and turn the heat off. A lot of people also grate the jaggery in to ensure it’s mixed in uniformly. 4. Mix well and then pour into a tray - since our mixture had a little too much ghee, we didn’t need to grease the tray. If you’re using less ghee than I mentioned, you might want to grease the tray with a bit more ghee. 5. Flatten using the back of a spatula or small bowl. Sprinkle with fennel seeds, flatten again. 6. Cut into squares. Allow it to cool. Break into pieces, offer with love and honour with gratitude. #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda #ayurvedicrecipes #glutenfreesweets #golpapdi #sukhdi #indianglutenfreesweets #nourishingsnacks #ayurvedicsweets #ragiflour #ragirecipes

Talking Ayurveda, conception, pregnancy and postpartum with @dhyana.masla

When you introduce the topic of whether something is heating or cooling - everyone always wants a list - of course lists are helpful when you’re beginning your journey to understanding the potency or virya of foods. But as you discover more of Ayurveda, you’ll find that knowing whether something is heating or cooling is inherent in us. We need to see how it tastes, how it feels in our mouth and body - to determine whether something is hot or cold for us. #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda #ayurvedicrecipes #hotandcold #virya #heating #cooling #ayurvedicnutrition

Do ever get confused with heating and cooling foods? Here’s a simple little guide to understand it from an Ayurvedic perspective - remember we’re not trying to correlate this with Western science - just because modern science doesn’t have a corresponding term to explain the Ayurvedic principle of virya - doesn’t mean it’s not validated. We need to understand Ayurveda as Ayurveda and not try to impose other world views on this vast science. Let me know if you have any questions about Virya - or the heating and cooling potency - and I’ll try to answer them in a future post. #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda

Three main marma points on your head: 1. Start at the midpoint between your eyebrows and measure back 10 fingerwidths OR you can also find this point by placing the base of your palm on the eyebrows and reach back to where the middle finger touches. This is the Mūrdhni or Adhipati marma. 2. Come forward two fingerwidths and this is the Brahmarandhra. 3. Now move back 4 fingerwidths and this is the Shivarandhra. Massage each point with gentle to medium pressure - clockwise stimulates the energy flow while anti-clockwise pacifies and calms the flow of energy in the body. Begin your head massage with a few basic strokes (depicted in the previous video) and then move to the marma points. Marma points are the junction points of vata, pitta and kapha. They are also where tendons, bones, muscles, joints, veins, nerves, and other tissues meet. They’re situated on the nādis or subtle energy channels of the body so stimulating these points helps to clear blockages within the subtle layers of the body facilitating physical, mental and emotional healing. #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda #ayurvedicrecipes #listentoyourbody #ayurvedicliving #ayurvedicheadmassage #indianheadmassage #headmassage #headmassagetechniques #marmamassage

Simple Head Massage Techniques: 1. You can start off with a circular motion, to encourage more blood flow to the scalp. Do this for at least 1-2 minutes while you focus on bringing your mind back to the present, and ultimately help to quieten it. 2. Then imagine your head to be like a big football and gently squeeze it from both sides with both hands. Gently hold down with firm pressure for 5-7 seconds and then release - squeeze from the front and back, as well as from both sides. Repeat this for a minute or two. 3. Then using your fingertips, start at your hairline and run your fingers in a zigzag motion through your hair from the top of your forehead down to the base of your neck - do this thoroughly so you’re covering the entirety of your scalp. Repeat this so you’re combing your fingers through your hair, but this time start at the base of your neck and work your way up to the top of your forehead. Best Oils to Use: @reikabotanics @theayurvedicmum #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda #ayurvedicrecipes #listentoyourbody #ayurvedicliving #ayurvedicheadmassage #indianheadmassage #headmassage #headmassagetechniques

Health is so much more than a checklist of doing this or doing that. At the crux of good health is: listening to your body. And your body is always changing, so your habits should reflect this. #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda #ayurvedicrecipes #listentoyourbody #ayurvedicliving

Remember this is what works for me. Whenever I get sick, I generally know my pattern of illness - a really runny nose, stuffy head, real lack of energy and just generally feeling unwell. I usually don’t get a cough or sore throat. So everything I do, I’ve been putting into practice for a few years and this is what suits and supports me when I’m sick. Figure out what is the pattern of illness when YOU get sick, and implement herbal remedies to suit that. Here’s everything that I do when I get sick: - herbal tea with fresh ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom and clove - add in some local honey once the tea is at a drinkable temperature - I take Echinacea tablets - these are great at supporting the immune system when you have a cold or flu - Meals are light and easy-to-digest. Soups, kichdi, roasted veggies, mung dal - doTerra OnGuard essential oil blend as an extra immune support - steam inhalation with eucalyptus oil - first thing in the morning and last thing before I go to bed - sudarshan + ajwain decoction - an Ayurvedic remedy that my family have been using since I was a child - 𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁! 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 (𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲!). 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 - 𝘀𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻! #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda #ayurvedicrecipes #ayurvedaandspring #kaphatea #mucusremedies #coldsandfluremedies #toomuchmucus #ayurvedictea #ayurvedicimmunetea

Spring Clean Out Tea/Get-Better Tea - 1 cardamom pod - 3 cloves - small piece of cinnamon - 5 black peppercorns - 1 inch piece fresh ginger - pinch turmeric powder - honey to taste Crush the cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon and fresh ginger in a mortar and pestle. Add to 1 cup of boiling water - reduce to a simmer and keep on the heat for 3 minutes. Add 1 pinch turmeric powder and allow to simmer for a further 2 minutes. Take off the heat, strain into a mug. Once the tea is at a drinkable temperature, add a teaspoon of raw, local honey and sip! All the ingredients in the tea are warming which help to liquefy and melt the mucus. Honey has a special scraping effect which helps to pull everything out of the body. Sip this tea twice a day when you feel a little under-the-weather or have a lot of mucus and congestion in your body. #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda #ayurvedicrecipes #ayurvedaandspring #kaphatea #mucusremedies #coldsandfluremedies #toomuchmucus #ayurvedictea #ayurvedicimmunetea

A lot of people asked for foods to favour when there’s an excess of mucus in the body. So here’s that list! Share it with someone who constantly has a runny nose! #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda #toomuchmucus #runnynoseremedy #coldremedy

Ayurveda says to cook each meal fresh everyday. You and I both know that’s not going to happen. So what’s the next best thing? Planning and meal prep is definitely a way to go, but sometimes we don’t always cook exactly the right quantities (me pretty much everyday). And then we end up with leftovers. The not-wanting-to-waste food vs leftovers-have-no-Prana is a constant debate I’m playing out in my head. I hate food waste but I also know that food that is a day old doesn’t have much life left in it. So I’ll try to: ✔️ Pack some for friends and neighbours ✔️ Reheat the next day on the gas with some ghee and warming spices Other times we may know that the upcoming days are busy and we won’t get time to cook - we can stress out about this, plan to wake up at ungodly hours so we can cook fresh - or we can look after our mental and physical health and cook extra the day before. Yes I know that leftover food has no Prana or life energy in it, but at least you know what you’ve put in the meal, at least you’ve cooked with loving intentions and you know it’s food that will suit your body. So we know the ideal, but let’s not get carried away by it and try to implement it immediately. Look at your life and circumstances. Do the best you can with the situation you have. Take baby steps. Maybe you’ll aim to cook fresh three times a week if at the moment you’re only cooking fresh once a week. Maybe you’ll focus on fresh lunches and have the leftovers for dinner. 
Maybe you’ll focus on the quantities you’re cooking to work on getting the right proportions for most of your meals. Start where you are. #naturalrhythm #followthesun #agni #digestion #healthygut #healthydigestion #practicalayurveda #ayurvedaeveryday #livingayurveda #holistichealth #healyourgut #traditionalmedicine #naturalhealth #mindbodysoulwellness #practicingayurveda #ayurvedicrecipes #ayurvedaandleftovers #leftovers #stopfoodwaste #nofoodwaste #reducefoodwaste

Ayurveda is so beautiful in the way it teaches us what to eat and what to avoid at certain times in our lives. Using the 20 qualities or gunas that are described in Ayurveda is a great way to figure out: (a) what’s going on in your body and then (b) what you can do to keep yourself in balance Remember like increases like and opposites balance. Use this to figure out what you should be eating/doing and what things you should be avoiding. Here are the 20 qualities: Heavy - Light Slow (Dull) - Sharp (Penetrating) Cold - Hot Oily - Dry Smooth - Rough Dense - Liquid Soft - Hard Stable - Mobile Gross - Subtle Cloudy (Sticky) - Clear #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #listentoyourbody #bodyintuition #healthycravings #understandingayurveda #avoidingcoldsandflus #mucus #mucogenic #kapha #kaphapacifying

I haven’t used onions and garlic in my cooking for a long time and I don’t miss them one bit! Of course both have many amazing medicinal qualities but we have to look at how much we’re consuming them and the overall purpose of our life. Ayurveda exists to help us be healthy individuals - it’s not a spiritual science. But if you choose to prioritise your spiritual wellbeing, then you need to create habits that will help support that aim. When onions and garlic are eaten in excess, they agitate and over-stimulate the mind. Spiritual practices are focused on calming the mind. So the two kind of exist at opposite ends of the spectrum. If you’re looking to minimise the amount of onions and garlic you consume, then here are some alternatives: 🧄 garlic is used mainly for it’s taste - I often use hing (asafoetida) instead of garlic in most recipes 🧅 to help mimic the texture and crunch of onions, I often use thinly sliced cabbage or fennel Let me know if you have any other questions about onions and garlic below! #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #listentoyourbody #bodyintuition #healthycravings #understandingayurveda #noonionnogarlic #alliumfree #onionsandgarlic #noonionsandgarlic

Spring Cleaning - marketing gimmick or is there actually merit to the saying? A cluttered home can contribute to a cluttered mind and vice versa. So while you’re focusing on cleansing your body and mind in an Ayruvedic way, don’t forget your home too! Now I’m no organisation expert, but here are a few tips that might help you: 📝 Make a list before you start so you have a clear idea in your head of exactly what you need to do - otherwise when you start to clean one thing without knowing what you’re doing next can create a whole host of anxieties! 🏠 Focus on one room/area of the house at a time. Don’t be like me and open one drawer, take EVERYTHING out, get bored and then move onto another room/area. That drawer isn’t going to organise and fill itself! 🌿 Try and switch to natural cleaning products as much as possible. Do your research and choose brands that resonate with your values, or even have a go at making your own! Essential oils + white vinegar + water are a great place to start! 😀 Start with your least favourite part of cleaning first, that way you’re likely to get it over and done with before you move on to more *cough* enjoyable parts of cleaning. What other suggestions do you have to make Spring Cleaning more efficient and dare I say, FUN! #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #listentoyourbody #bodyintuition #healthycravings #understandingayurveda #springandayurveda #ritucharya #ayurvedaandspring #ayurvedicspringcleanse #ayurvedicspringdetox #springcleaning #springclean

Happy Birthday to the person who knows me better than I know myself. Who has a heart so big that he’s always thinking about the welfare and progress of others before he thinks of himself. Who is the best at encouraging others, helping them understand their nature and figure out their purpose. Who does everything with care and attention. And does things with the right intention. Who forgives and is quick to move on. Who is constantly working on himself. Who thinks deeply about the important things in life, and shares those thoughts with the world, in an effort you help as many as he can. I’m grateful to have you in my life, as my best friend and husband. Wishing you only the best for the year to come. ❤️ @shyam_govinda

Don’t blame the change in seasons for your colds and flus! Be proactive and support your body by doing a little cleanse in between seasons! #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #listentoyourbody #bodyintuition #healthycravings #understandingayurveda #springandayurveda #ritucharya #ayurvedaandspring #ayurvedicspringcleanse #ayurvedicspringdetox

Chickpea flour pudlas: - 1.5 cups chickpea flour - 1/2 cup each of at least 2-3 different vegetables - grated is easiest (choose from carrot, zucchini, dudhi (bottle gourd), chopped spinach, coriander, cabbage, corn, broccoli etc) - 1.5 teaspoons salt - 1 teaspoon turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon black salt (kala namak) - 2-3 finely chopped green chillies (optional) - water as needed - ghee or oil of your choice Chutney: - handful of washed coriander - handful of washed mint - 1-2 green chillies (optional) - 5-6 walnuts - 1/2 lime - salt to taste Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth - add water to help bring it all together. Method: 1. Combine all the ingredients except the water, and mix well. If it looks dry, then add water as needed to bring it to a batter-like consistency. 2. Heat a skillet/cast-iron pan to medium. 3. Once hot, add in some ghee/oil and ladle in a spoon of the batter (I find it easier to make smaller and thicker fritter-like pudlas). Cover with a saucepan lid to help everything cook faster. 4. Once you start to see bubbles appear on the top and the pudla start to dry out and cook a bit, flip to cook on the other side. Cover again with the lid and allow to cook for a few more minutes before taking off the heat. 5. Offer with love, and serve with a green coriander-mint chutney. #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #listentoyourbody #bodyintuition #healthycravings #understandingayurveda #springandayurveda #ritucharya #ayurvedaandspring

We’re told to listen to our body. And honour the cravings that arise. But what if we crave three doughnuts for breakfast? Or feel like we HAVE to watch just one more episode even though it’s so late? Our body will crave whatever will maintain its status quo. So if you’re in a stat of balance - you’ll crave healthy things. But if you’re in a state of imbalance - then your cravings won’t nourish you as they should. #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #listentoyourbody #bodyintuition #healthycravings #understandingayurveda

Who else uses this trick? #couplereels #relatableayurveda #whatsfordinner #whatshouldimake #desicouple

Spring is here! (And hopefully here to stay 🤞🏽) As we constantly reach for our phone for notifications and reminders, let’s learn to look out for Nature’s notifications. What are the changes in Spring trying to tell us? How should we modify our diet and lifestyle to suit this new season? 

For more tips like this, be sure to sign onto my FREE Spring Workshop that’s on next week - Tuesday 26th March 8pm UK Time. Link is in my bio. #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #ayurvedaandspring #ritucharya #springandayurveda #ayurvedicspringcleanse #ayurvedicspringtips #listentonature

Just like we change our clothes depending on the weather, we should change our diet and lifestyle too! Ayurveda stresses the importance of living in sync with nature and her rhythms and living seasonally is one of the best ways to do that. Join this free online workshop to: 🌷Understand what is happening in Spring (outside us and inside us) 🌷Know the best dietary practices to adopt 🌷Find out what lifestyle changes we can make to harmonise with Spring Link 🔗 in Bio! Can’t wait to see you online next week! #ayurveda #springandayurveda #ayurvedainspring #ritucharya #ritusandhi #practicalayurveda

Millet and Chocolate sweet White Chocolate with pistachios and cranberries Ingredients: - 1/4 cup each puffed quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth - 1/4 cup pistachios shelled - 1/4 cup cranberries - 1 block white cooking chocolate Dark Chocolate with macadamias and apricot - 3/4 cup puffed amaranth - handful of macadamia nuts - handful of dried apricots chopped - 1 block dark cooking chocolate Method (for both): 1. Start melting the chocolate in a double boiled method on low heat until is melted. 2. While the chocolate is melting, toast the puffed millets and nuts in the oven at 100 C for about 10mins or until slightly aromatic. 3. Allow the puffed millets and nuts to cool, roughly chop the nuts. 4. Add the puffed millets, chopped nuts and dried fruit to the melted chocolate. Mix well. 5. Place in a tray lined with greaseproof paper and pat down to a block shape. Sprinkle sea salt on the dark chocolate version if you wish. 6. Place in the fridge for a few hours to harden up. Cut into squares. 7. Offer with love, and honour with gratitude. #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #homemadesweets #homemadechocolatesnacks #homemadeisbest #michaelpollan #eatrealfood

Want to know what to do to recorrect an imbalanced digestion? 1. Simple meals - well cooked veggies, whole grains and lentils. Well spices. Familiar foods. 2. Fasting 3. CCF tea 4. Avoid processed foods #ayurveda #practicalayurveda #guthealth #digestivehealth #ayurvedicdigestion #ayurvedictips #smellyfarts

Does this ever happen to you? #kichdi #ayurveda #practicalayurveda #foodhumour #desicouple #reallife

Fresh Tomato Sauce Pasta Recipe Ingredients: - 1 red capsicum - 1 carrot - 3 ripe tomatoes - olive oil - dried mixed herbs - dried or fresh thyme leaves - salt - black pepper - hing (asafoetida) - chilli flakes - pasta - fresh basil Method: 1. Wash and chop the tomatoes, carrot and red capsicum. Place them on a baking tray, coat with olive oil, salt, pepper, dried herbs and thyme leaves - massage well and then place in the oven at 200 degrees celcius for about 20-25 minutes or until slightly charred. 2. Once the vegetables are cooked, allow them to cool and then blend until smooth. 3. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add in a teaspoon of salt and place the pasta in the boiling water. Cook according to packet instructions until al dente. 4. In another saucepan, heat some olive oil, add in the hing (asafoetida) and chilli flakes and allow to temper for 1 minute. Add in the blended vegetables and mix well. Add in salt, turn the heat to low and cover. Cook until you see the oil separate from the sauce. 5. Drain the pasta and reserve some pasta water. Add in the cooked pasta to the sauce and add in pasta water as needed to loosen everything up. Top with fresh basil leaves. 6. Offer with love and honour with gratitude. #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #tinnedfoods #freshnottinned #pastasauce #veganpastarecipe #vegetarianpastarecipe #veganayurvedicrecipe

While we celebrate women a little extra today #internationalwomensday let’s use this day as a reminder to honour and remember the original woman: Mother Nature. Listening to her rhythms and cues on a daily basis can be the best investment we make to our health as women. #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #internationalwomensday #womenandayurveda #ayurvedaandwomenshealth #listentomothernature #mothernature #listentonature

Ekadasi Ramen Ingredients: - lemongrass, ginger, chillies and fresh turmeric - Ekadasi hing (pure asafoetida) if available - veggies: carrots, capsicum, pak choi and broccoli - paneer - coconut milk/creamed coconut - buckwheat noodles (or sweet potato noodles) - oil - salt and pepper - jaggery - limes, roasted and crushed peanuts, chillies (optional), fresh coriander Method: 1. Make the base of the soup paste by blending the fresh lemongrass, turmeric root, ginger and green chillies with some water. 2. Chop the paneer into cubes and saute in some oil with salt and pepper and stir-fry until golden brown. Set aside. 3. Prep all the veggies by slicing in strips and sauteeing separately in oil. Season with salt while sauteeing and then set aside. 4. Make the coconut soup by sauteeing the Ekadasi hing and the lemongrass paste in some oil. Cook on low heat and once you can see the oil start to separate, then add the creamed coconut or coconut milk and gently stir. Allow this to come to a simmer. Add in the jaggery, salt and pepper, allow to come to a final boil and then switch off. 5. Cook the buckwheat/sweet potato noodles as per packet instructions. 6. Assemble the ramen bowl by placing the noodles in the centre, ladle a few spoons of the coconut milk soup on top. Place the paneer and sauteed veggies all around and garnish with the remainder of the toppings: roasted peanuts, lime juice, chopped coriander and chilli if using. 7. Offer with love and honour with gratitude! #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #ekadasi #vratkirrecipe #ekadasirecipes #fastingrecipes #scienceofekadasi #ayurvedicrecipes

Farts always cause laughing fits when they happen - farting is normal - but when they’re smelly, that’s when your digestion is imbalanced. Your body is trying to tell you something. Let’s learn to look out for these small signs so we can use our body’s own intelligence to help us heal. #ayurveda #naturalmedicine #naturalhealing #listentoyourbody #farts #fartsarenatural #smellyfarts #poordigestion #guthealth #listentoyourgut

Being “into Ayurveda” isn’t a life of this or that. It’s a balancing act - learning how to balance how you feel with the environment around you. What else did I miss about being “into Ayurveda”? #ayurveda #ayurvedamemes #ayurvedainreallife #realayurveda #trendingreels #practicalayurveda #funnyayurveda

A lot of people need their morning brew before their bowels begin to wake up. While this practice may be comforting and ensure you’ve cleaned out your insides, it could be damaging your intestines more than you’re aware of. If you’re in this category, work towards decreasing your dependence on tea and coffee as a stimulant to move your bowels. It may be uncomfortable at first, you may end up feeling constipated from not having moved your bowels - but be patient and persist. A good wholesome diet, adequate nourishing fats and oils, exercise and plenty of water - will all go a long way in helping you become regular and reduce your reliance on tea and coffee as a stimulant. Plus there are many natural laxative alternatives if you need any extra help in getting things moving. Remember when you want to adopt a more positive habit and it requires you to let go of a habit which doesn’t serve you, do it in a gradual way. #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #tea #masalachai #ayurvedicchai #chocolate #coffee #matcha #greentea #ayurvedaandcaffeine

Most natural sources of caffeine like tea (whether green or black), coffee and chocolate affect the body in similar ways - some more intense than others. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝗹: 𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁/𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗱𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀. If you can handle them in small doses, then check out the best ways to incorporate them into your diet so they work for you rather than against you. ☕source good sources of your tea/coffee/cacao/matcha etc - good farming and processing techniques will mean there’s potentially less chemical pollutants entering your body ☕try and have it before 10am, at the latest before midday. Before 10am is the kapha time period - when there is a natural heaviness and stagnantion in the external environment - so the stimulating nature of your caffeine will help bring some movement and action in this time. And before midday so you’re less likely to disrupt your body’s circadian rhythm ☕having it with milk with reduce the overall acidic nature and heat of your beverage ☕have your beverage after having eaten something (not on an empty stomach) ☕when it comes to cacao/chocolate - cacao on it’s own (without the sugar) has the health benefits. The moment it’s processed with lots of sugar and additives, you get the harm associated with those ingredients. Favour using cacao in its natural form and include it in ingredients yourself so you can control what else goes in and how much of it. ☕be creative with the way you make black tea - chai is best and you can play around with so many different spices (ginger, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, fennel, ajwain, lemongrass, mint, black pepper, rose) these spices come with their own set of medicinal properties.

Ok here’s a pretty comprehensive summary of coffee, how to best consume it depending on your natural constitution, coffee alternatives etc. #‪makingayurvedasimple #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #coffee #ayurvedaandcoffee #coffeeaddiction #coffeealternatives #ilovecoffee #ayurvedaandcaffeine #ayurvediccoffee

We’re going to spend this week look at coffee from an ‘Ayurvedic’ perspective. We’ll focus on: - The pros and cons of coffee - Who is best suited to coffee - Best coffee-drinking practices - Alternatives to coffee - Other forms of caffeine If you have any other questions about coffee and Ayurveda - drop a comment below and I’ll make sure to address it in all my future posts this week! #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #coffee #ayurvedaandcoffee #coffeeaddiction #coffeealternatives #ilovecoffee #ayurvedaandcaffeine #ayurvediccoffee

We often try to suppress symptoms of illness when they start appearing. Of course no-one wants to get sick - but when it happens, we shouldn’t just try to suppress the symptoms - our body is trying to tell us something, so take the time to listen. 
 This information is for the beginnings of a fever - of course if your fever has progressed then please go and see a medical professional. But let’s learn to listen to our body when it whispers (early signs of a fever) rather than wait to hear it scream (more serious imbalances). #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #fever #ayurvedaandfever #fevermanagement #starveafever

Ragi Hot Chocolate Ingredients: 1 tablespoon ghee/coconut oil 2 tablespoons ragi flour 1 tablespoon cacao powder 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder 1.5-2 tablespoons cane sugar or sweetner of your choice 1 cup milk (animal or plant) 1 cup water Method: 1. Melt the ghee in a heavy-bottom saucepan on low-medium heat. 2. Once the ghee is hot, add in the ragi flour and continue whisking until the ragi cooks and you smell a nutty/earthy aroma - this should take 2-3 minutes. 3. Add in the water, milk, ginger powder, cacao powder and contine whisking. You want to keep stirring continuously because lumps can quickly form in the ragi - I alternated using a whisk and a spatula to ensure I’m mixing in anything that may have stuck to the bottom or sides of the pot. 4. Once the mixture starts simmering, add in the cane sugar or sweetner or your choice. Keep stirring - you will see the hot chocolate mixture thicken. If it looks too thick for your liking, add a bit more water or milk to thin it out. 5. Once you see the hot chocolate come to a boil, switch off the heat - the whole process should take about 6-8 minutes on the heat. 6. Offer with love and honour with gratitude! #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ragi #fingermillet #glutenfreerecipes #ayurvedicrecipes #superfoods #superfoodrecipes #healthyhotchocolate

If you’re a New Year, New Me kinda person and start your diet in the new year, then watch this video. Winter is the time to enjoy your foods, not begin a diet or a detox or a cleanse. #ayurveda #practicalayurveda #newyearnewme #newyearsresolution #winterandayurveda #ayurvedicfood #realayurveda

Bajra Pudlas/Fritters Ingredients: - 1 cup grated zucchini - 1 cup grated carrot - 1 cup corn kernels - 1 small green chilli finely diced - 1 teaspoon grated ginger - small handful chopped coriander - 1.5 teaspoon salt - 1 cup bajra (pearl millet) flour - water as necessary - ghee Method: 1. Mix the grated vegetables, green chilli, ginger, salt, coriander and bajra flour well into a bowl. Add water once it’s been mixed well (as some water will release from the vegetables). 2. Let the batter rest for 10mins. 3. Heat a skillet on medium flame - pour a small ladle of the batter on the pan once it is hot. Spoon ghee onto the edges of the fritters and cover with a small saucepan lid. 4. Cook the fritter on one side for 3-4 mins (until you see bubbles appear on the surface of the batter). Once it’s cooked, lift the lid of the saucepan and flip to cook on the second side. Again cover with the saucepan lid and allow to cook for a further 3-4 minutes. 5. Repeat until you’ve used all the batter - the measurements above should yield enough fritters for 2 people. 6. Serve with your favourite chutney, and honour with gratitude! #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #bajra #pearlmillet #glutenfreeayurveda #glutenfreerecipes #ayurvedicrecipes #quickmeals #vegetarianrecipes #bajrarecipes

Sweet potato/Squash Parathas with a cheesy filling! Ingredients: - sweet potato/pumpkin/squash of your choice - olive oil - dried mixed herbs - salt - atta/wheat flour/spelt flour - water - mozarella cheese (can substitute with paneer or cheddar) - olives - fresh parsley or other herbs of choice - black pepper Method: 1. Wash, peel and dice the sweet potato/pumpkin/squash. Coat generously with olive oil, dried mixed herbs and salt and roast in the oven at 180-200 Celcius until they’re tender and slightly charred (around 20 minutes). 2. Allow the sweet potato/pumpkin to cool and then mash well in a big bowl - add the flour of your choice (I used atta) and knead until it forms a soft dough - add water during the kneading process. Once everything is well mixed, allow to rest for at least 10 minutes under a damp tea towel or air tight container. 3. Grate the mozarella/paneer into a bowl. Add chopped olives, chopped fresh parsley (or fresh herbs of your choice), salt and pepper. Mix well and then form into small balls. 4. Heat a skillet/cast iron pan on medium heat. Divide the sweet potato/pumpkin dough into small golf-size balls. Dust with flour and roll out into thick circles. Fill with the olive-herb-cheese filling. Seal the dough well and continue rolling into a thinner and larger circle. 5. Cook on the skillet until light brown spots appear on one side, brush with olive oil or ghee, flip and cook on the second side for another minute. Flip again and coat the second side with olive oil or ghee. Cook the second side for a second time and then remove from the heat. 6. Offer with love, and honour with gratitude! #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #parathas #cheesyparathas #lunchboxrecipes #fusionrecipes #italianindianfusion

I’ve noticed New Year’s to be a bit over hyped in the last few years (sorry to be a party pooper!) of course it’s a great time to change things up, improve your habits etc. But really it’s just another day - so don’t get stressed if you’re not a ‘New Year, New Me’ person. Instead look at the New Year in a different way - it’s 365 chances at living 24 hours again! We can use sankalpas to help frame our day, or even the very activity we are concentrating on – for as little or big as the task is. It’s a powerful method of setting your intention, and cultivating a strong inner resolve. So don’t worry if you haven’t been able to catch up with your new year resolutions – there is a new day waiting ahead 🙂 #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #newyears #newyearsresolutions #newyearnewme #goalsetting #planyouryear

Ekadasi Quesadillas Ingredients: - Farali flour - dried herbs - olive oil - salt - veggies of your choice (capsicum, zucchini, asparagus, broccolini, carrots, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, olives) - chilli flakes - Ekadasi hing (if available, I get mine from a shop in Vrindavan, India) or pure Hing (without any rice flour/wheat flour added in) - grated cheese - ghee Method: 1. Make your Ekadasi rotis by kneading together the farali flour, some mixed herbs, olive oil and warm water. Knead till you get a soft dough and keep covered while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. 2. Finely dice the vegetables of your choice - choose 3-4. 3. Place a wok/saucepan on high heat and add in ghee, chilli flakes, dried herbs and the diced vegetables. 4. Continue stirring and cooking on high heat so most of the water can evaporate. Add salt and Ekadasi hing (optional) and continue stirring on high heat until the remainder of the water evaporates. You want to be left with a fairly dry vegetable mixture. 5. Divide the Ekadasi dough into small balls (the shape of a golf-ball). Dust in Ekadasi flour and roll out to a thin circle shape (like a roti/tortilla). 6. Cook on a skillet on medium heat for about 1 minute on both sides (until light brown spots appear). Continue until you’ve rolled and cooked the remainder of the Ekadasi dough. 7. Spread the veggie mixture on half a roti, top with grated cheese, fold into half, spread both sides with ghee and cook on the skilled until golden brown and crispy. 8. Offer with love and honour with gratitude! #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ekadasirecipes #fastingrecipes #vratkakhana #vratrecipes

Those of you who know me, know that soups will feature heavily on my weekly menus during winter. It’s easy to overdo it with heavy, cheesy and rich foods during winter - and sometimes vegetables often get neglected - soups are a great way to make sure you get all the prana and goodness from fresh vegetables, and help you eat the other foods in moderation. These are some of my favourite soup combinations: - bottle gourd (laukhi), tomato and carrot - beet, asparagus, carrot and tomato - zucchini, peas, potato, spinach and mint - roasted in the oven: tomato, carrot, red capsicum and zucchini - fennel, asparagus, carrot and sweet potato What are some of your favourite combinations? #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedaandimmunity #immunebostingrecipes #soupseason #soupfordays #vegansouprecipes #vegetariansouprecipes

So you've heard that good digestion = good immunity. But what happens when you feel you're starting to get sick (you know niggles in your throat, low appetite, fatigue, altered bowel movements, feeling a little rundown, sniffly nose - all that jazz) and you're not sure what to eat? You've heard so much about 'easy-to-digest' food but don't really know what it is. I've got you! Here's a little guide on what sort of foods to favour and eat when you feel like you're about to get sick! #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedaandimmunity #immunebostingrecipes

Mediterranean Rice Serves 8-10 people Ingredients: - 1 cup green lentils - 1 cup basmati rice - 1 small sweet potato - 1 medium zucchini - 1 red capsicum - olive oil - asafoetida (hing) - za’atar spice blend - Baharat spice blend - salt - fresh parsley - pomegranate - lime Method: 1. Wash and then soak the green lentils in boiling water for at least two hours. 2. Wash the basmati rice at least 2 times, and leave to soak in water for at least 30 mins. 3. Peel, wash and chop the sweet potato into cubes. Spread on a tray, drizzle with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons of the zaatar spice blend. Mix everything well. Roast in the oven at 200C. 4. After 10 mins of roasting in the oven, take the tray out. 5. Wash and chop the zucchini and red capsicum into cubes. Add to the tray of roasted sweet potato, drizzle with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons zaatar spice blend. Mix everything well and return the tray to the oven to roast until all the vegetables are cooked and slightly charred. 6. In a large sauce pan, heat some olive oil. Once hot, add the 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida and 2 teaspoons of the Baharat spice mix. Add in the soaked green lentils (drain the water first), another 1-2 teaspoons of the Baharat spice mix, the soaked rice (and drained), salt to taste and mix well. Add in boiling water - at least 3 cups. 7. Bring the heat to low so the rice and lentil mixture is simmering and cover with a lid. Leave to cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes - check after 7 mintues to see the level of water - if need be, add more to make sure everything gets well cooked and nothing sticks to the bottom. Once cooked, turn the heat off, and leave the lid on for a further 5 minutes. 8. Add in the roasted vegetables to the rice and lentil mixture and stir very gently until everything is well combined. 9. When serving, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, fresh pomegranate seeds and a squeeze of lime juice. 10. Offer with love and honour with gratitude! #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedaandimmunity #immunebostingrecipes #veganrecipes #vegetarianrecipes

Want a quick way to boost your immune system? I wish I could give you one but the truth is that our immune health is dependent on a lot more than taking a few herbs. Join me over the next few days/week as I share more information on how we can strengthen our immunity from its roots. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedaandimmunity #immunebostingrecipes

Simple Fried Rice Ingredients: - 1/2 cup jasmine rice - 1 cup vegetables of your choice (I used capscium, green beans, mangetout and carrots) - firm tofu - hing (asafoetida) - turmeric powder - black pepper - 1/2 inch fresh ginger - sesame oil - 1 tablespoon miso paste - 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (chili sambal) - 2-3 tablespoons soya sauce - white sesame seeds Method: 1. Wash the rice at least twice and soak for 30mins. Cook the rice at least 3-4 hours before making the stir-fry. 2. Wash and chop the vegetables of your choice and set aside. Chop the tofu into long cubes and set aside. Grate the fresh ginger. 3. Heat some sesame oil in a wok, add in the asafoetida, tofu, turmeric powder and black pepper in quick succession. Stir well until the tofu is coated in the spices and it begins to turn golden brown. Then take of the heat and set aside. 4. In the same wok, heat some more sesame oil. Add in the grated ginger and chopped veggies and stir well for 1-2 minutes. Once the vegetables have started to soften, add in 1 tablespoon miso paste and 1 tablespoon sambal oelek. Stir well until the two pastes are well combined with the veggies. 5. Add in the cooked rice and soya sauce. Stir well but gently until everything is well combined and the rice grains are nice and separate. Add in the tofu and continue stirring. 6. Garnish with white sesame seeds, offer with love and honour with gratitude. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedicrecipes #veganayurvedicrecipes #veganayurveda #veganrecipes #simplerecipes #quickdinners

Tips to stay warm without turning on the thermostat 1. Take short movement breaks throughout the day. 2. Wrap up - keep head, neck and feet warm. 3. Warming foods and spices. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #wintertips #stayingwarmwithouttheheating #winterandayurveda

Does your digestion need a bit of a break after all the fancy and rich foods over the last few festive days? Here’s a simple gut-reset guide. #gutreset #ayurvedalifestyle #ayurvediceating #guthealth #giveyourgutabreak #digestivereset #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda

It’s World Ayurveda Day and here’s an important message I have wanted to share for a long time! Let’s appreciate Ayurveda for Ayurveda. Let’s appreciate both the science and art of Ayurveda. Let’s appreciate anyone and everyone who has helped us understand and implement Ayurveda in our lives. #dhanteras #worldayurvedaday #dhanvantari #ayurveda #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #ayurvedictips

A few tips to help you make the most of your festive season: 1. COOK the meal rather than relying on catered or pre-prepared food. 2. CHOOSE wisely from the options. 3-4 things on your plate: 1 well-spiced protein, 1 grain that’s cooked with a healthy fat, 1-2 vegetable dishes, and 1 sweet. 3. SKIP soft drinks and mocktails for hot herbal drinks. 4. MOVE - more exercise to help balance out some of the heaviness from all the rich foods. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #festiveeating #overeating #diwalifeasts #healthydiwalitips #healthyeatingtips #mindfuleating #intuitiveeating

Puffed Quinoa, Amaranth and Buckwheat Chikki Ingredients: - 1/4 cup puffed amaranth - 1/4 cup puffed quinoa - 1/4 cup puffed buckwheat - 1 teaspoon ghee (or coconut oil if vegan) - 1/8 teaspoon ginger powder - 1/4 + 1/8 cup jaggery Method: 1. Toast the puffed quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat on a tray in the oven at 120 C for about 10-15 mins or until it smells nutty. 2. Meanwhile, warm the ghee in a wok-style pot and once hot, add in the jaggery. Keep stirring on low heat until the jaggery melts and starts becoming a little frothy. 3. Add in the ginger powder and keep stirring. 4. Once the toasted puffs have cooled down slightly (out of the oven), add them to the frothy jaggery. 5. Keep stirring gently until everything is well incoporated. 6. Spread out on parchment paper, cover it with more parchment paper and gently roll using a rolling pin. 7. Once the mixture has been spread to even thickness (around 5mm) then peel back the top layer of the parchment paper. 8. Cut into even diagnoal shapes and allow to cool. 9. Offer with love, honour with gratitude. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #grainfreerecipes #ekadasisweets #chikki #indiansweets #ayurvedicrecipes #diwalirecipes #glutenfreesweets #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreedesserts

A few people have asked me about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and what to do. Here are a few things that have helped me! #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedaautumn #seasonalaffectivedisroder #ayurvedaandsad #sadlamp #winterblues

It’s World Vegan Day and here are a few things to remember when it comes to following a Vegan diet while still trying to maintain the principles of Ayurveda - the two can work together and here’s how: - Understand that while you can use plant-based alternatives within recipes, they won’t yield the same health benefits. Just like you can’t get the properties of a carrot by eating an orange, you can’t get the properties of cows milk by drinking almond milk. - Do your research when it comes to choosing plant-based counterparts. - Eat balanced meals. What other questions do you have in terms of Ayurveda and the Vegan diet? #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedandveganism #worldveganday2023 #veganayurveda

Here’s an easy key to understand the seasons. Look at the key words for each season: if you eat and live in a way that mimics the qualities of the season, then you’ll aggravate the characteristics of the season. If you eat and live in a way that opposes the qualities of the season, then you’ll stay in balance. 🍁Autumn: cold, windy, dry, rough, light and erratic
❄️Winter: cold, heavy, moisture, grounded and static 🌱Spring: moisture, warmth, growth 🌞Summer: heat, dry, light and active Music: Youth Musician: @iksonmusic #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedicrecipes #ayurvedaandseasons #ritucharya #seasonalliving #intuitivehealth #intuitiveliving

It’s #worldmentalhealthday and while it’s such a HUGE topic, Ayurveda speaks about the importance of using your senses in the right way for a healthy mind and body. #mentalhealthawareness #ayurvedaandmentalhealth #ayurvedaandthemind #senseperception #healthymindandbody #ayurvedaandsenses #purifyingsenses #cleansingthesenses #healthysenses

Mix Vegetable Paratha Ingredients: - 3 small potatoes (boiled and then peeled) - 2 handfuls cauliflower florets grated - 1 large carrot grated - handful peas - salt (about 2 teaspoons) - garam masala (about 1.5 teaspoons) - turmeric powder (about 1/2 teaspoon) - 1 green chilli finely chopped - small knob ginger grated - 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing) - 2 tablespoons ghee/oil of choice - handful chopped coriander - spelt flour - 3 tablespoons oil - leftover paneer whey (or water) - ghee Method: 1. In a saucepan/frying pan, heat the oil. 2. Add the asafoetida, green chillies and ginger and saute for 1 min. 3. Add in the grated cauliflower and carrot. Mix well for 2 mins. 4. Add in the garam masala, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well for 2 mins. 5. Add in the frozen peas and mix well. Add in the boiled potatoes and mash everything with a potato masher. 6. Once the cauliflower and peas are cooked, turn off the heat and add in the fresh coriander. 7. Mix the spelt flour, oil and paneer whey/water into a soft dough. Let it rest for 10 mins. 8. Make small golf-ball-size balls and dust in flour (I use rice flour). Roll out until about 0.8cm thick. 9. Place a ball of the cauliflower-potato-carrot-pea mixture into the centre. Fold the dough into the centre and pinch the excess off. Seal the ball shut and shape out into a disc with your hands. 10. Dust with a little more flour and roll out (using light pressure) until it’s reached a larger circle (a little smaller than a dinner plate). 11. Cook on a gridle/frying pan (that’s already hot) for 2 mins on each side - apply a generous amount of ghee after each side has cooked once, then cook again on each side for about 30 seconds. 12. Offer with love and honour with gratitude. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedicrecipes #vegetableparatha #paratha #ayurvedicfood #guthealth #plantpoints #plantdiversity

Hasta Abhyanga - Hand 🤚🏽 Massage 1. Rub some warmed oil over your hands 2. Using medium-firm pressure, begin massaging from the base of the thumb, up to the tip. Repeat the same process for each of the other four fingers. 3. Massage vigorously over the whole palm area, making sure to massage the grooves in between each finger. 4. Massage the backside of the hand, again concentrating on each finger - beginning from the base of the thumb to the tip, and repeating for the remaining fingers. 5. Circulcar massage motions around the wrist joint. 6. Massage the key marma points in a clockwise motion. 𝙎𝙆𝙄𝙋 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙈𝘼 𝙋𝙊𝙄𝙉𝙏𝙎 𝙄𝙁 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝙋𝙍𝙀𝙂𝙉𝘼𝙉𝙏. a. Bahya Manibandha: benefits the wrist and hand, detoxifies the liver, enhances immunity b. Angustha Mula: enhances circulation and relieves congestion, relieves pain and headaches, benefits liver and spleen functions, calms the mind and releases suppressed emotions c. Manibandha: frees movement in wrist joint, relieves localised pain, influences reproductive organs, unfolds mental tranquility, balances emotions, strengthens rectum d. Tala Hrida: balances heart and mind, harmonises emotions and relieves stress, regulates functions of lungs and diaphragm e. Kurcha: reduces stress, enhances flow of prana and benefits lungs, enhances immune response f. Kurcha Shira: benefits wrist joint, influences reproductive organs 7. Make a fist with the massaging hand, and use the knuckles to massage the palm of the hand you are treating. 8. Massage the whole hand again, finishing off with some squeezing actions. 9. Take a small hand towel that has been rinsed with hot water and then wrung out. Place this on top of the hand you have just been massaging and allow the steam to open the pores of the hand. Keep the towel on for at least 30 seconds - 1 minute. Wipe the excess oil off your hands with the towel. 10. Repeat daily! #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedicmassage #massage #marmamassage #handmassage #selfcare #selflove #selfmassage

Millet Upma/Pulao Ingredients: - 1/2 cup kodo millet - finely chopped green beans, carrots and frozen peas - Ghee/oil of your choice - 1 tsp mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp urad dal - 1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida) - 1-2 green chillies finely chopped - 1/4 cup cashews - small handful cranberries - turmeric powder - 8-10 curry leaves - salt - lemon juice - finely chopped fresh coriander Method: 1. Wash the kodo millet at least twice till the water runs clear. 2. In a saucepan on medium heat, add the ghee. 3. Once hot, add in quick succession the mustard seeds and urad dal - once the mustard seeds have popped, add in the hing, cashews and cranberries - mix everything well. Add in the curry leaves and the chopped veggies. 4. Mix well, add in the turmeric powder and salt, add in the washed kodo millet and at least 1.5-2 times the amount of water. Give everything a good mix. Allow the water to come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover the saucepan. 5. After about 10-12 minutes, check to see if the kodo millet is well cooked through, replace the lid and turn the heat off. Allow the millet to cook further in the residual steam. 6. Leave the lid on for at least 5-7 minutes, then add in lemon juice and fresh coriander and stir well. 7. Offer with love and honour with gratitude. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedicrecipes #ayurvedicfood #foodcoma #digestiontips #millets #yearofmillets #milletrecipes #glutenfree #ayurvedicrecipes

What to know my opinion on pizza? Yes it’s an Ayurvedic nightmare: yeasted bread and nightshades + cheese - an overwhelm for our digestion. But it’s also delicious! And I was born a foodie, so what my tongue thinks is sometimes more important than what my stomach thinks 🙈 Yes there are ways around it - you can make a yeastless base, a nightshade free sauce and use cashew mozarella - but truth be told, once you’ve tasted pizza with tomato sauce and dairy cheese - it’s hard to appreciate anything else. So pizza is one (amongst a few others) thing you won’t see me Ayurved-ize. And I’m ok with that. Because even within Ayurveda, the way in which you eat the meal has a big impact on how you digest it. Eating with love and gratitude can sometimes overshadow the any Ayurvedic rules that you may be bending! 🏠When we eat pizza, it’s always homemade - we take the time to make the dough, the sauce, prepare all the toppings and cook it with love. 🕛I always try and have it for lunch (or a late lunch) so I can give my stomach enough time to digest it during the day. Normally on pizza days we won’t have dinner. 🍵We will sip on lots of hot water before and after our pizza, and may even have a fresh ginger and fennel tea to assist with digesting all that cheese! 🌿And to make sure my digestion is left nice and clean the day after pizza, I’ll have some triphala or ghee in warm water in the evening just before bed. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedicrecipes #ayurvedicfood #foodcoma #digestiontips

Hopefully I’ve answered everyone’s questions on cheese - comment below if you have a specific question and I’ll do my best to answer it. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedicrecipes #paneer #homemadepaneer #cheese #ayurvedaandcheese #softcheese #hardcheese #guthealth #digestivehealth

Homemade Paneer: 1. Bring 2L of milk to a boil in a heavy-bottom saucepan. 2. Once the milk has come to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and squeeze in the juice of 1 lime/lemon. You should see the milk start to curdle and the solids separate from the whey. 3. Keep gently stirring the milk so the solids start to really separate from the liquid (whey) portion of the milk. If the whey is not clear and still a bit murky, add a bit more lemon/lime juice to encourage the curdling process. 4. Switch off the heat. 5. Arrange a colander with a cheese/muslin cloth inside, and place the colander over an empty pot. 6. Pour the curds and whey mixture into this cheese cloth + colander setup. The solid cheese/curd part will stay in the cheese cloth, while the whey liquid will be collected in the empty pot underneath. 7. Cover the curds/cheese with the cheese cloth and place some heavy weights on top to allow most of the whey/liquid portion to be collected underneath to yield a firmer cheese. Leave this for 3-4 hours. 8. Transfer the liquid whey into an empty bottle - you can use this to cook rice/soups/dals in, or use it to bind your bread/chapati doughs. 9. Take the solid cheese and store it in an airtight container - use within 3 days. This is paneer - use it in subjis/curries, as a stuffing for parathas/breads and in many other recipes! #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedicrecipes #paneer #homemadepaneer #cheese #ayurvedaandcheese #softcheese #hardcheese #guthealth #digestivehealth

Simple Date and Cacao Balls Ingredients: - Handful of hazelnuts (or other nut/sunflower seed of your choice) - 10 medjool dates - 1 tablespoon hemp seeds - 2 tablespoons cacao powder - 1 tablespoon coconut oil - coconut to dust Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees celcius. Take the seeds out of the dates and place them along with the hazelnuts on a tray and into the oven for about 10 minutes. 2. Once the dates are warn, roughly chop them and add to a mixing bowl. 3. Lightly crush the hazelnuts (or other nut) to a course texture. Add this to the mixing bowl with the dates. 4. Add in the hemp seeds, cacao powder and coconut oil. Mix everything until well combined. 5. Roll into small golf ball sized balls (makes around 9-10). Dust with coconut. 6. Serve with love and honour with gratitude. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedicrecipes #dateballs #cacao #hempseeds #medjooldates #michaelpollan #foodrules

Yoghurt Rice. Making homemade yoghurt: 1. Heat 1 L of milk till it comes to a boil. Then turn the heat off and let the milk cool. 2. Once the milk has cooled down enough for you to stick your finger in it (the milk should be warm, but not hot to touch), add in 3 tablespoons of yoghurt. 3. Whisk everything together well until no lumps have formed. 4. Place in a warmish place - I turned my oven on to 100 C for about a few minutes, then turned it off so the oven was warm and kept the yoghurt in here. Leave it here overnight or for about 8 hours. 5. In the morning, place the yoghurt in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days. Yoghurt Rice: 1. In a small sauce pan, place about 2 tablespoons ghee and allow it to come to medium heat. 2. Add in mustard seeds, urad dal, hing (asafeotida), fresh ginger, curry leaves and a small green chilli. Mix everything well and sautee for about 1-2minutes. 3. Add to cooked rice along with a handful of fresh coriander, salt to taste, yoghurt and roasted cashews. Mix well, serve with love and honour with gratitude. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #yoghurt #ayurvedaandyoghurt #goodgutfood #probiotic #guthealth #digestivehealth

Want the scoop on poop? Here it is! A handy guide to constipation and what to do if you need help moving things along. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #constipation #constipationrelief #ayurvedaandconstipation #constipationremedies #guthealth

One of the food incompatibilities mentioned in Ayurveda is beans and cheese. A lot of Mexican food commonly contains this combination, so here’s a Mexian bowl which avoids beans and cheese together but doesn’t compromise on taste. It may requre a little more time in the kitchen - but believe me, the end result is worth it! Mexican Bowl: Beans 🫘 1. Soak kidney beans overnight, pressure cook the next day until soft. 2. Saute in oil: hing, chili flakes, cumin-coriander powder, fresh tomato and smoked paprika powder. 3. Add to the cooked kidney beans and simmer on low heat until the beans thicken. Add salt. Rice 🍚 1. Wash and soak rice of your choice (I used sona masoori). 2. Sautee hing in butter, add the washed rice and mix well. Add salt and water and cook the rice like normal. 3. Once the rice has cooked, and cooled in the pot with the lid on for about 10-15mins, add in chopped fresh coriander and lime juice. Salsa 🍅 1. Roughly blend: fresh tomatoes, chopped coriander, fresh or bottled jalapenos, salt and lime juice. Potatoes 🍠 1. Roast potatoes or sweet potatoes in olive oil, salt and mediterranean herb mix (or simply use dried herbs and smoked paprika). Corn 🌽 1. Grill corn on an open flame till well charred. 2. Mix butter, smoked paprika powder and salt. Scoop with half a lime and spread all over the chargrilled corn. Others: Charred padron peppers, sour cream, avocado and corn chips. You don’t need to add ALL of these items to your bowl - work with the ingredients you have and the time you can spend on cooking. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #mexicanfood #vegetarianmexicanrecipes #glutenfree #ayurvedicfoodincompatibilities #ayurvedicfoodcombining

Don’t be a stickler for routine! Go with the flow.

Now I know this isn’t the most Ayurvedic recipe - but if you ever want to have ice-cream, have it in Summer, have it during the day, and chew on some fresh ginger + lime juice later in the day (to help break up the excess mucus which may be formed from the ice-cream). Here is a super simple, no-fuss ice-cream recipe - and it’s perfect for Ekadasi too! Ingredients: 500ml double cream 1 tin (397g) caramel Handful of pecan nuts Method: 1. Roast the pecan nuts in the oven at 150 C for about 5 minutes until they’re well toasted (slightly brown). 2. Roughly chop the pecan nuts and set aside. 3. In a mixing bowl, whip 500ml of double cream until stiff peaks have formed. 4. Add in the caramel and gently mix again until everything has been well incorporated. 5. Mix in the chopped nuts. 6. Divide into small bowls, ice-cream/popsicle moulds, or transfer to a large freezer-safe container. 7. Freeze for up to 8 hours or overnight. 8. Defrost at room temperature for 5 mins, offer with love and honour with gratitude. Variations: Instead of caramel, you can use condensed milk and add in either of the following flavouring options: pureed fresh strawberries, pureed and chopped fresh mango, chopped cherries + dark chocolate, saffron strands, pistachio paste + chopped pistachios. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #icecream #homemadeicecream #ekadasirecipes #vratkirecipes #faralirecipes #fastingrecipes #glutenfreerecipes

I love learning about the benefits and nutrition of traditional fruits and vegetables from India - many of which were written about in the Ayurvedic texts. But the reality is that I’ll probably only get to try and cook with these if I’m in India - which is not the norm for me. So what can we do? While some of the basic Indian veggies like laukhi, tindora, karela etc are available at a well-stocked Asian grocery store - not everyone has the luxury of finding such produce. So rather than take the wisdom of Ayurveda literally - and just eat what is written about in the traditional texts - let’s try to apply the wisdom to our own life and geography. Eat local foods, eat foods which are grown in your geographical area, eat foods that are familiar and traditional to you - this is also Ayurveda! Thank you @shahshrads for the videos of the Indian veggies 😊 #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedicfood #eatlocal #eatseasonal #ayurvedicvegetables #indianvegetables #bottlegourd #laukhi #karela #snakegourd

Have you ever hear the saying that a spiritual person should strive to be like salt? Watch the video to understand why! #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedaandsalt #salt #himalayansalt #blacksalt #mineralsalt #rocksalt #seasalt #spiritualseeker #devotee #spiritualist #compassion #kindness #humility

While there are more than 5 different types of salts written about in the traditional Ayurvedic texts - not all of them are readily available around the world today. Here are the names and properties of a few of the common varieties of salt available in most parts of the world. Stock your pantry with Himalayan pink or rock salt, sea salt and black salt. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedaandsalt #salt #himalayansalt #blacksalt #mineralsalt #rocksalt #seasalt

Salt! An integral part of our everyday diet - and like all other foods, when taken in the right proportions it has a whole host of benefits to our body: 🧂increases salivation and supports digestion, absorption, assimilation, and elimination 🧂promotes growth, supports muscle strength, moistens the body, and helps maintain the water-electrolyte balance 🧂energising, nutritive, demulcent, grounding, and soothing to the nervous system 🧂clears the channels of the body, prevents stiffness, and enhances the spirit 🧂helps combat dullness, sadness, and a lack of creativity in our lives But when we have too much of it, salt can: ❌ cause sodium and/or water retention, which can lead to thick and viscous blood, thickening and narrowing of the blood vessels, and excess thirst ❌ aggravate skin imbalances and may cause uncomfortable feelings of excess heat in the body #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #ayurvedaandsalt #salt #himalayansalt #blacksalt #mineralsalt #rocksalt #seasalt

We all love a good home remedy. It’s safe because it generally uses natural ingredients and it addresses the problem. But let’s not get into the mistake of relying solely on these home remedies to help heal us. We have to take into account our individual and unique constitution - the home remedy may not be the best one for us, it may be better for us to take it in a different way - remember what works for one, doesn’t mean it works for all. If we’re not addressing the lifestyle factors that caused our ill health in the first place (poor diet, stress, lack of exercise and unresolved emotions) then the home remedy will be of no use. So look to correcting your lifestyle along with taking the home remedy. If you’ve come across a home remedy that you think might suit you - pick it if it uses local, traditional or familiar ingredients. Try not to pick something with obscure ingredients you’re not familiar with. And remember best use of home remedies is under the care and guidance of an Ayurvedic doctor or practitioner. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul

Ayurveda can seem overwhelming when you’re first introduced to all the guidelines. But the key to its successful implementation is about adding in small, tiny changes in a way that you hardly notice it from day-to-day. What are some tiny, minute changes that you’ve made? #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul

Ekadasi bowl: - Your choice of gluten-free grain (buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth) - Veggies of choice - pick at least 4-5 (sweet potato, potato, asparagus, zucchini, beetroot, carrot, squash, fennel, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts) - 1 red capsicum - handful of walnuts - 1 dried red chilli - salt and black pepper - smoked paprika - dried herbs - olive oil - paneer - avocado - greens of choice (spinach, rocket, lettuce) - fresh herbs (mint, parsley, dill etc) - toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds - fresh lime 1. Wash and chop veggies, and coat them in a mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and herbs. Then bake in the oven at 200 celcius. Be mindful of starting with vegetables that take longer to cook (potatoes, cauliflower, carrot first) then add in others that take him less time (asparagus, zucchini, fennel, broccoli, brussel sprouts). I boiled the beetroot instead of roasting them. You could also decide to roast some and boil/steam the others. 2. In the same tray, wash and cut the red capsicum into half, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Bake in the oven until charred. Soak the walnuts and dried red chilli in boiling water for 15 mins. 3. Cut the paneer into cubes, and coat with olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and herbs. Pan fry until golden brown. 4. Cook the quinoa or buckwheat according to packet instructions. 5. Grind the roaste red capsicum, soaked walnuts and red chilli, salt and pepper into a smooth paste. Squeeze 1/2 fresh lime on top. 6. Assemble the bowl with the greens at the bottom, quinoa/buckwheat/amaranth, veggies of your choice, paneer and avocado. Top with toaste pumpkin and sunflower seeds, freshly chopped herbs and the red capsicum and walnut dip. 7. Offer with love and honour with gratitude. #ekadasi #glutenfreerecipes #ayurvedaandekadasi #ekdasirecipes #grainfreerecipes #ayurvedicfood #vediclifestyle

Fasting can happen in many different ways and for many different reasons. But one of the most important things to do with fasting is ensuring you break the fast in the right way. Your digestive system has just had a big break and reset so it’s important to stoke the digestive fire with something small in quantity, easy to digest, warm, with digestive spices and preferably liquid. Whether you’re fasting for health or fasting for spirituality - make sure you break the fast in the right way. Ginger/jaggery tea 🫖 Fresh ginger 🫚 (can use dry ginger powder as a replacement) Jaggery Lime Bring fresh or ginger to a boil. Once simmered for about 5mins, strain into a mug and squeeze some lime juice on top. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #fasting #intermittentfasting #breakingyourfast #ekadasi #paryushan #ramadan

Sometimes we’re a little too reliant on processed flours and breads. It’s so easy to buy loaves of breads for our breakfasts, lunches and dinners. There’s two problems with this: we often fail to notice all the other unnecessary ingredients that are added to the breads to preserve them for longer, and overconsumption of refined flours can be taxing to our gut. 

You’ve probably heard all this before and know what you need to do, but sometimes the best way to help change your habits is experience. We know too much refined flour and gluten is bad for us. But WHY? Because it breaks down into a sticky mess into our digestive system and blocks the absorption of nutrients into the body, as well as being difficult to digest. So how do we curb our refined flour consumption? Bake your own breads. 
HOW will this help? When you make your own bread, you get to use your senses to experience the sticky dough before it’s baked. This same sticky dough is what will line your small intestine after you’ve baked and eaten the bread. When you work with the dough you’ll realise how sticky it is, and how difficult to clean up. Think of this same situation inside your digestive system - and how hard your body has to work to excrete it. When you’re engaged in the process, you’re more aware of the end result in your body, and this will work as a reminder to moderate your consumption of refined flours, and choose healthier alternatives instead! #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #wellnesstips #listentoyourgut #glutenfree #bakeyourownbread #stickygut #leakygut #ayurvedaandgluten #refinedwheatfree

One of the best fruits to have - pomegranate! ✅ hrdaya - good for the heart ✅ laghu - light (to digest) ✅ snigdha - unctuous ✅ dipana - appetiser ✅ pacifies all three doshas Best to have as local and ripe a variety as possible, have it as a snack in between meals rather than in combination with other foods #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #wellnesstips #listentoyourgut #pomegranate #bestfruit #pomegranatebenefits #dadima

We LOVE to put labels to things. This is good. That is bad. But the truth is the world isn’t black and white. One of the most important principles I learnt during my time at Vaidyagrama was that ‘𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙙’. Of course some things don’t suit us, our digestions, or we’re having them in the wrong season or we’re consuming them in the wrong way - and this is when we should consider avoiding that food or practice, either for the time being or for the long run. But just because something doesn’t suit us, doesn’t mean it’s ‘bad’. So let’s learn to understand what makes our body tick and what doesn’t, rather than trying to eat from a ‘good food list’ and avoid things from a ‘bad food list’. Same goes with lifestyle practices. Life is so much more than living by a list! 📝 #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #wellnesstips #listentoyourgut #ayurvedichealing #intuitiveeating

Like many other foods, the problem we have with them isn’t in the food itself, but it’s how much we consume. Be aware of how much you consume tomatoes. While there is no standard measure or rule to tell us how many grams of tomatoes to eat each day, be honest and take stock of how much you’re consuming daily. It’s an easy food to add to any meal, and without realising it we tend to overconsume it. Otherwise when you do choose to eat tomatoes, remember these few tips: 1. Local and seasonal tomatoes 2. Fresh over canned, pureed, bottled or tomato pastes 3. Peel and deseed them when you can 4. Cooked tomatoes are preferable to raw #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #wellnesstips #nightshades #ayurvedaandnightshades #ayurvedaandtomatoes #inflammation #ayurvedandinflammation

How to know if you’re experiencing a lot of heat in the body, and therefore it may be beneficial for you to avoid tomatoes for 5-7 days to see how you feel. You have a few or many of the following symptoms: ✅ acid reflux, gastritis or heartburn ✅ inflammation in the joints ✅ indigestion, diarrhea or burning bowel movements ✅ discomfort or nausea upon missing meals ✅ excess anger, irritability or frustration ✅ excessive sweating and bad body odour ✅ often tend to be impatient, critical, judgemental or intolerant ✅ suffer from sensitive skin like psoriasis, eczema or rosacea #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #wellnesstips #nightshades #ayurvedaandnightshades #ayurvedaandtomatoes #inflammation #ayurvedandinflammation

An easy way to reduce your consumption of tomatoes and sneak in a few veggies while you’re at it. The olives are a gamechanger and make all the difference in this sauce. Ingredients: - 1/2 sweet potato peeled and diced (can use butternut squash instead too) - 1/2 zucchini diced - 1 medium carrot diced - handful cherry tomatoes + 3 whole tomatoes - handful black olives (Kalamata is best) - olive oil - dried thyme or dried mixed herbs - chilli flakes - asafeotida (hing) - salt - fresh basil - pasta of choice Method: 1. On medium heat, add some olive oil into a sauce pan/wok. Once this is hot, add in the dried thyme, asafoetida and chili flakes. 2. Add in the chopped sweet potato/butternut squash, zucchini and carrot. Stir well and place the lid on to let the vegetables sweat for about 3-4 minutes. 3. Add in the crushed, peeled and deseeded cherry tomatoes to the other vegetables. Mix everything well, place the lid back on and cook for another 3-4 minutes. 4. Blanch, peel and chop the large tomatoes - add these into the pot along with the black olives. Start cooking your pasta on the side in another pot. 5. Keep cooking the pasta sauce on low heat, add salt and half the chopped fresh basil. Cover the pot and let everything cook well for another 5 minutes. 6. Everything should be well incorporated - now blend the sauce with an immersion blender until smooth. You may need to add some pasta water to loosen the sauce. 7. Bring back on low heat, add the rest of the fresh basil, the cooked pasta and mix everything well. 8. Take off the heat, offer with love and honour with gratitude. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #wellnesstips #nightshadefreerecipes #aryurvedicrecipes #veganayurvedicrecipes #hiddenveggies #vegetarianpastasauce #veganpastasauce #toddlerfriendlyrecipes #kidsrecipes

Looking forward to your weekend sleep in? It may be doing your body more harm than good! It’s actually better for our bodies to live a regulated life regardless of if it’s a weekend or weekday. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #wellnesstips #weekendliving #weekdayliving #regulatedlife #routineiskey #dailyroutine

Food prep is something we all struggle with - especially trying to live up to the ideal of cooking each meal fresh everyday. And Ayurveda frowns upon batch cooking for a few days at a time, since cooking and then reheating robs the meal of it’s Prana or vita life force - the meal becomes heavy to digest and hardly provides any nourishment. But I’m all about practically - how can we use the Ayurvedic principles to help guide us and also set a standard for us. And that ideal for each person will be different depending on our life circumstances, and constantly evolve as we strive to better our health and wellbeing over time. So here are a few tips from me. Let me know what else you’ve found helpful when it comes to meal prepping the ‘Ayurvedic way’. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #wellnesstips #ayurvedicmealprepping #mealplan #ayurvedicmealplan #realisticayurveda

Ragi dosa (feeds 3-4) Ingredients: - 1 cup whole ragi - 1/4 cup red rice (or normal rice) - 1/4 cup urad dal - 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds - salt - ghee or oil - water Method: 1. Wash and soak the ragi grain, red rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds. Wash about 2-3 times and discard the water each time. 2. Cover the mixture with fresh water and let it soak at least 4 hours. 3. Grind the mixture with minimal water until it forms a smooth and thick batter. 4. Mix this a few times with your hand (helps with fermentation). 5. Put in a warm place overnight or for 8 hours. Here in the UK it’s still cool, so I switch my oven on for about 5 minutes and then turn it off. I then keep the batter in the slightly warm oven. A lot of people also leave it in the oven with the oven light on. 6. Add salt to the batter once it’s fermented. 7. Heat a non-stick or cast iron pan and brush generously with oil or ghee. 8. Spoon a ladle of the ragi-dosa batter and swiftly spread it using outward circles. Drizzle with ghee or oil. 9. Once cooked on the first side (should be about 1-1.5 minutes), then flip and allow it to cook for about 30seconds-1minute on the second side. 10. Pair it with a chutney or sambhar, offer with love and honour with gratitude. #ayurveda #ayurvedictips #realayurveda #practicalayurveda #livingayurveda #ayurvedicwisdom #mindbodysoul #wellnesstips #ragi #ragidosa #millets #glutenfree #vegan #ayurvedicrecipes #glutenfreerecipes #veganandglutenfree #dosa #quickdinners #vegetarianrecipes #veganrecipes #ayurvedicveganrecipes