Emily L. Glaser - Ayurveda for Women: The Power of Food as Medicine with Recipes for Health and Wellness

Ayurvedas Definition of Health Ayurveda is a complete medical systema nature-based knowledge that is timeless and eternal. The Sanskrit word ayur translates as life and veda as wisdom. This beautiful and ancient system of awareness provides an in-depth study of natures elements, expressed through self-care and self-love rituals that are simple to perform and bring long-term healing. Ayurveda teaches us to live in balance by bringing awareness of ourselves in relationship to our dynamic environment, understanding that our choices matter and everything influences our well-being. Ayurveda aims to find and treat the root cause of any ailment or imbalance by considering a womans unique expression of mind, body, and spirit. The foundation for sustained health and vitality is in the practice of choosing seasonally whole foods, enjoying a balanced lifestyle, cultivating peace in our hearts, and developing a sense of calm.

It is essential, especially in our modern lives, for women to consciously incorporate food and lifestyle choices that nourish and rejuvenate our health and well-being and then to offer nurturing and support to family and community. This book offers a basic understanding so that you can begin your journey by integrating Ayurvedas culinary wisdom into your health care plan. Why Food Matters One of Ayurvedas core principles is that everyone needs a healthy inner fire, called agni, to digest food and transform the breath into prana, our vital life force. The health or strength of a womans digestive fire is greatly influenced by the food she eatsfrom the actual ingredients and spices to cooking techniques and even the emotional energy of the person whos doing the cooking. Having a basic understanding of Ayurvedas culinary principlesincluding the importance of cooking with prana-rich vegetablesgives women today the opportunity to reclaim their wellness and support their health throughout the many seasons of life. when classical Indian culture experienced a rapid decline. when classical Indian culture experienced a rapid decline.

The medicine of Ayurveda was pushed out of the public and into the privacy of homes, becoming something of an underground kitchen medicine. Its wisdom was maintained through oral transmission, passed down from generation to generation. Today, Ayurveda is increasingly practiced around the world as a complete medical science. It emphasizes the role of food as medicine and that the right medicine for the right person at the right time is the most effective path to healing. Paying attention to what you eat and incorporating more fresh fruits, seasonal vegetables, herbs, and spices into your diet will have healing benefits beyond imagination. Eating with the Seasons Ayurvedas emphasis on seasonal eating is fundamental to the understanding that natures macrocosm reflects our inner microcosms and vice versa.

Ayurveda guides us to seasonally attune our diets and lifestyles to these larger cosmic patterns. By developing an awareness of Mother Natures food harvest cycles, we establish greater harmony with her rhythms. Simple seasonal modifications to the foods we eat throughout the year will assist us in adapting to our changing environment and make a vital contribution to the health of our internal biorhythms. Seasonal suggestions are included with the recipes later in the book.