Deepak Chopra M.D. - The Chopra Center Cookbook : A Nutritional Guide to Renewal / Nourishing Body and Soul

The Chopra Center
Cookbook

Nourishing Body and Soul

The Chopra Center
Cookbook

Nourishing Body and Soul

Contents

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ix

Preface

he most ancient and profound wisdom tradition of the world proclaims that a single undifferentiated realitySpirit-differentiates itself into all forms and phenomena. Observer and observed, knower and known, seer and scenery are different expressions of the same underlying spirit. The science of Ayurveda takes this insight to a very deep level in which body, mind, and soul are understood as interwoven domains along the continuum of consciousness. These differentiated aspects of consciousness-which is in its essence pure existence, pure knowledge, and unbounded love-express themselves as our physical body of matter, our subtle body of energy and transformation, and our causal body of information and intelligence.

Wherever there is energy, there is information, intelligence, and transformation. Life evolves by regularly consuming and recreating itself. On our sun-drenched planet, the energy of our nearest star nurtures the lavish and extravagant growth of the ecosystem that supports the great chain of Being. Ultimately, we are all beings of light, the dust of stars circulating in the cosmos. Quantum physics tells us that at its essence all matter is trapped light. The same field of electromagnetic energy that creates thunder and lightning in the sky also generates the ideas that emanate from the synaptic networks of our brains. Human language, emotions, and thoughts are as much an expression of the pattern of swirling energy of the universe as a rock, a tree, or a human body. In other words, even our thoughts are photons of light originally trapped by the plants that grow from the earth. All life nourishes itself through this light.

Ayurveda holds that food is more than just protein, carbohydrate, and fat. It is concentrated intelligent energy of the universe. In fact, an ancient Vedic hymn boldly declares, "Food is Brahman," that is, "Food is Consciousness." When we nourish ourselves with food that is derived from the blissful marriage of Father Sun and Mother Earth, this food nurtures not only our bodies, but our minds and souls as well. The same intelligence that differentiates into seer and scenery, biological organisms and their environments, and messenger molecules and their receptors, differentiates into six types of taste receptors and the six codes of intelligence that are expressed as the flavors in food. No other biological science has this deep and profound understanding that our taste receptors are designed to access the intelligence of the universe so that we can nourish ourselves in body and soul.

Subconsciously, we recognize the relationship between food and spirit, because our language uses taste metaphors to denote emotions. We are all familiar with expressions such as sweet love, sour grapes, salt of the earth, pungent remarks, bitter resentment, and astringent humor. Ayurveda suggests that a little sweetness adds delight to life, whereas too much can be cloying. A touch of sour adds interest, but too much makes us grimace. A little salt provides endurance, but too much raises our blood pressure. Bitterness, pungency, and astringency add spice and complexity to life, but too much may cause us to feel irritable, resentful, and withdrawn. The flavors of life in the right proportion add richness to both our food and our experience.

All this might be interesting philosophy were it not for the fascinating recent scientific discoveries that the most healing foods are those that contain potent concentrations of plant chemicals that are responsible for their flavor and color. The six tastes present in food are clues to these healing phytochemicals (phyto is Greek for plant), which demonstrate that good food is good medicine. Although a popular myth suggests that food that is good for you cannot be pleasing to the senses, the fact is that healthy food was designed by nature over millions of years of evolutionary time to be pleasurable. With our modern emphasis on nutritionally empty, highly processed, and additiverich foods, it is no wonder that we have epidemics of heart disease, cancer, and degenerative disorders. It is time for us to remember that nature provides us with the nutrients we need to create meals that are delicious and nutritious.

Over the years, thousands of people have come to the Chopra Center to heal themselves, to learn more about themselves, to improve their relationships, and to accelerate their spiritual evolution. Repeatedly they have told us that the meals they enjoy with us are among the most gratifying components of their experience. The food at the Chopra Center is designed to delight the senses, enliven vitality, and create joy for just being alive and having the opportunity to eat. As a result of the frequent requests of our guests we offer you the recipes of the Chopra Center for Well Being. We trust that you will experience for yourself how food can nurture not only your body, but also your soul.