Foods for Vata
I am continuing with the requested recipes from the book party and accompanying it with information on how to balance your state of mind body and spirit with food.
Finally we are at Vata and not fast enough as Vatas are not used to being last.
These quixotic change agents get bored easily so they tend to act quickly. Their quick metabolism gives them the willowy silhouette so in fashion today but also gives them the disadvantage of lower stamina, inability to gain weight, premature aging.
Their strength is in the spiritual and conceptual. They adapt easily to change, take risks and embrace innovation. But in imbalance, they have the tendency to show signs of premature aging, to suffer from nervous disorders, to appear flaky, to seem forgetful and to be chatty.
If you are not a Vata but exhibit any of the above symptoms, you can be suffering from a Vata imbalance and can also follow the following advice to return to balance.
Things that can tip the scales to manifest these negative tendencies can be triggered by Vata Weather – cold, dry – eating Vata Foods –popcorn, ices, cabbage, dried meats, salads – or hanging out with Imbalanced Vatas – people who are overly frenetic, changeable, scattered or unstable.
The general rule is to eat nourishing and warm -- favouring flavours that are sweet, salty and sour and minimizing eating those that are spicy, bitter astringent.
The big no-nos are dry crispy (crackers, dry nuts), stimulating ( caffeine, white sugar), gassy (carbonated drinks, cabbage) and cold foods.
And the balancing foods can include red meat, dark meat of fowl, root vegetables, dairy (cheese), oils, and whole grains rice.
A sample daily menu can be;
Breakfast
1. Eggs with whole-wheat bread with a glass of milk
2. Smoothie with fruit and yogurt with herbal tea
3. Cooked whole grains with raw nuts and fresh or dried fruit
4. Melon (summer)
5. Whole grain bread with nut butters with Herbal tea with honey.
Lunch
Finally we are at Vata and not fast enough as Vatas are not used to being last.
These quixotic change agents get bored easily so they tend to act quickly. Their quick metabolism gives them the willowy silhouette so in fashion today but also gives them the disadvantage of lower stamina, inability to gain weight, premature aging.
Their strength is in the spiritual and conceptual. They adapt easily to change, take risks and embrace innovation. But in imbalance, they have the tendency to show signs of premature aging, to suffer from nervous disorders, to appear flaky, to seem forgetful and to be chatty.
If you are not a Vata but exhibit any of the above symptoms, you can be suffering from a Vata imbalance and can also follow the following advice to return to balance.
Things that can tip the scales to manifest these negative tendencies can be triggered by Vata Weather – cold, dry – eating Vata Foods –popcorn, ices, cabbage, dried meats, salads – or hanging out with Imbalanced Vatas – people who are overly frenetic, changeable, scattered or unstable.
The general rule is to eat nourishing and warm -- favouring flavours that are sweet, salty and sour and minimizing eating those that are spicy, bitter astringent.
The big no-nos are dry crispy (crackers, dry nuts), stimulating ( caffeine, white sugar), gassy (carbonated drinks, cabbage) and cold foods.
And the balancing foods can include red meat, dark meat of fowl, root vegetables, dairy (cheese), oils, and whole grains rice.
A sample daily menu can be;
Breakfast
1. Eggs with whole-wheat bread with a glass of milk
2. Smoothie with fruit and yogurt with herbal tea
3. Cooked whole grains with raw nuts and fresh or dried fruit
4. Melon (summer)
5. Whole grain bread with nut butters with Herbal tea with honey.
Lunch
This will be your main meal for the day
1. Salmon with vegetables and brown rice
2. Lamb with vegetables and sweet potato
3. Whole wheat pasta with meat sauce and vegetable
4. Dessert can range from crème brule to cheesecake or as per Snack suggestions
Snack
Vatas can graze. So snacking between meals is encouraged.
1. Whole grain Muffin sweetened without white sugar
2. Yogurt
3. Any pastries made with whole grains and without white sugar
4. Sweet fruits like melons, papaya, mangos
5. Soaked nuts and seeds
Dinner
Dinner is lighter but is highly nutritious. Vatas can also snack, of course choosing nutritious snacks --- or suggestions see the above snack section.
1. Vegetables with whole grain pasta without cheese or cream sauce
2. White fish with vegetables and brown rice
3. Legume and vegetable stews
4. Veggie burger with steamed vegetables or salad ( depends on season) – No fries
Vatas can graze. So snacking between meals is encouraged.
1. Whole grain Muffin sweetened without white sugar
2. Yogurt
3. Any pastries made with whole grains and without white sugar
4. Sweet fruits like melons, papaya, mangos
5. Soaked nuts and seeds
Dinner
Dinner is lighter but is highly nutritious. Vatas can also snack, of course choosing nutritious snacks --- or suggestions see the above snack section.
1. Vegetables with whole grain pasta without cheese or cream sauce
2. White fish with vegetables and brown rice
3. Legume and vegetable stews
4. Veggie burger with steamed vegetables or salad ( depends on season) – No fries
Vata Hors d’oeuvres ( from the book Party)
The food ingredients follow the Ayurvedic diet for Vatas
Use whole organic food ingredients
Minimal waste – edible containers
The dishes chosen can follow the “hundred Mile” whole foods diet, which is very suitable for Vatas
The ingredients in the recipes are easily substituted
I recommend modifying them to suit your taste
1. Wild Rice + Peanuts (if not Hundred Mile diet - you can add a small box of saffron
a. Steam 10 – 20 leaves of collards or any dark green leaf vegetable
i. Drain and carefully place leaves flat to cool
b. Cook 1 cup of herbs wild rice as per package instructions
i. When cooked – put aside
c. Cut up fresh herbs – choose from scallions, basil, sage, garlic greens, garlic, parsley
d. Put 3 cups of cauliflower clusters in a pot of boiling water
i. Lower temperature to simmer
ii. Put into food processor or blend to make creamy and let cool
iii. Take 2 cups of the creamed cauliflower (the left over cup is
- saved for the fish) and add in the following;
1. 1 table spoon tahini
2. ¼ teaspoon sea salt
3. handful of the cut fresh herbs
4. if not following Hundred Mile Diet – you can add any of the following
a. 2 tablespoons hoi sin sauce
b. 1 tablespoon Tamari sauce
c. Tablespoon of curry
d. A box of saffron
e. 1 teaspoon of turmeric
f. 1 teaspoon of cumin
g. ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
e. Mix together the wild rice, 1 cup of Ontario peanuts with skin, fresh herbs and the cauliflower based sauce
f. Place the mixture on a collard leaf and fold leaves over to cover and then roll
2. Salmon trout on Belgian Endive
a. Baking the fish
i. Use the fresh herbs from the Wild Rice + Peanuts recipes
ii. Finely dice up onions, grate fresh ginger
iii. Olive oil a pan and sprinkle on the onions, sea salt and ginger
iv. Place filets of salmon trout on the pan skin on the bottom
v. Rub oil on the filets
vi. Sprinkle on the cut fresh herbs on the top side of the filets
vii. Put into oven 350 degrees for 10 minutes
b. The sauce
i. 1 cup of the creamed cauliflower
ii. 2 tablespoon of tartar sauce
- c. Mix the sauce with fish
d. Cut up Belgian endive into leaves
e. Place the fish mixture onto the firm part of the leaves
3. Pumpkin cheesecake
a. Go to http://www.joyofbaking.com/PumpkinCheesecake.html for the recipe
b. Replace white sugar with stevia or xylitol.
c. Replace brown sugar with Demerara sugar
d. Replace the ground ginger cookies with more graham cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon of dry ginger
e.
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