Sahara Rose Ketabi - Eat Feel Fresh: A Contemporary, Plant-Based Ayurvedic Cookbook

We are living in a time where the masses are waking up to the connection between the mind, body, and spirit. This connection is not new, but rather an age-old wisdom stemming from Ayurvedic tradition in ancient India over 5,000 years ago. We are observing that our bodies are synchronistic displays of our spirits; that our physical health is a reflection of our internal state of being; that the way we eat impacts the way that we feel.

Ayurveda is a subject I have deeply studied and wrote about in this lifetime. My book, Perfect Health, published in 1991, was the first to popularize Ayurveda in the West and bridge it with modern medical science. I have dedicated my entire career to adapting ancient Vedic teachings to todays times so they can be experienced by todays people. And I stand proud that millennials like Sahara are continuing to share and modernize this wisdom, so it can live on for future generations in our ever-changing global climate.

Ayurveda is a living science; one that has transformed and moved throughout the centuries to match the needs of the individuals it serves. Yet its tenants remain the same: the foods we eat become the very foundation of our bodies, seeds of our thoughts, and essence of our consciousness. Everything that we consume contains an energetic effect, and through food, we change the entire fabric of our being.

More than ever, we must bridge the worlds between science and spirit, ancient and modern, Eastern and Western. Saharas theory on Alkaline Ayurveda displayed in Eat Feel Fresh deeply reflects the importance of consuming a nutrient-dense, plant-based diet that incorporates the physical, mental, and spiritual bodies, all of which are deeply connected. The very illusion of separation is what has held us back from health in the past.

In Vedanta there is an expression, As is the atom, so is the universe; as is the microcosm, so is the macrocosm; as is the human body, so is the cosmic body. This is the very essence of what Sahara shares in Eat Feel Fresh. We are deeply attuned to nature, which provides us with the instincts we need to maintain balance. Ayurveda helps us uncover and sharpen these instincts, so we can make better choices for our overall well-being.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that feels called to take a deeper look at the foods they eat and the implications it has on their mind, body, and soul. Sahara Rose is a millennial thought-leader who is taking the torch of Ayurveda and burning it brightly. This is the second book of hers I have had the pleasure to introduce and an example of her dedication to modernizing Ayurveda so its wisdom can transcend time. Let it inspire you to make food choices that serve not only your body, but also your spirit.

Deepak Chopra, MD

What if I told you that I could tell a lot about your personality just from hearing about your digestion? If you were anything like I was six years ago, youd have a hard time believing it.

Flashback to 2012: Im sitting in the humble waiting room of an Ayurvedic doctor waiting to be seen. Pictures of Hindu deities adorn the wallDurga riding a tiger, Saraswati sitting atop a lotus, and Dhanvantari, the four-armed God of Ayurveda. I see a monkey playfully dangling out the window, looking for his next meal; a familiar sight in New Delhi. I dont have cell phone service, so my eyes drift to a poster of a meditating woman with colorful circles stacking up the centerline of her body; muladhara chakra, svadisthana chakra, manipura chakra. This office is a far cry from the hyper-sanitary doctors offices in Boston where I had spent a huge part of the past year trying to figure out what was wrong with me, but at this point Im willing to try anything to unravel the mysteries of my health.

Im given a client intake form and start filling out the questions. How is your digestion? How is your sleep? The questions are off to a predictable start, but they soon become a bit more personal. What sort of dreams do you have? Are you floating, fleeing, or flying? Are they realistic and problem-solving? Are they romantic and sweet? I wasnt sure why I was being asked about my dreams in a digestion consultation, but hey, its India, you never know what youll be asked, so I go with the flow.

A jubilant woman in a red sari approaches me with a welcoming Namaste and a deep bow.

My name is Dr. Priyanka Gupta, Ill be seeing you today. Please follow me.

I follow her through the office, the pungent scent of oils and herbs dancing in the air. This earthy smell is a stark contrast to the whiffs of Febreeze and hand sanitizer that usually accompany my visits to a medical establishment. I sit on the chair and stare at her three-foot-long braid, wishing my own could grow that long and lustrous. She reviews my health and personality assessment, and to my surprise, just about begins telling me my life story.

Oh, a LOT of Vata, I see. You must have trouble sleeping. Staying up at night thinking. You think too much.

Okay, maybe she noticed the bags under my eyes, I think.

Your joints always cracking. Crack, crack, crack. Youre too young to have back pain.

Can she see that my posture is off? I wonder as I sit up straighter.

She proceeds to look at my tongue and take my pulse.

Very low agni, she tells me, which I later learn means digestive fire.

Agni very low, not digesting food properly. Body not taking in the nutrients. Though you are eating, body is malnourished.

Malnourished? I am literally eating all day, I think, envisioning the suitcase of snacks I brought with me on my three-month volunteer trip to India.

Agni so low that body shutting down. No more period. Very, very bad. You are too young for this.

Okay, I told her all about my digestion and dreams, but how does she know about my period?

It was true. My period had been MIA for over a year now. At first I didnt pay too much attention to my periods absencewhat girl wants her period? But after a year without it, I intuitively knew something was wrong, despite numerous Western doctors telling me to stop worrying and just get back on the pill.

No period very serious. You have all Vata (air energy) imbalances: cold body temperature, dry skin, bloating, gas, constipation, no period, weak muscles, cracking joints, insomnia, anxiety, worrying too much. If you continue like this, later in life you can get osteoporosis, Alzheimers, and worst of all, no baby. You too pretty to not have baby.

Wait, wait, wait, hold up. Did I just hear the words osteoporosis, Alzheimers, and infertility? This cant be possible. Im a Holistic Health Coach and pretty much a raw vegan. My life is