My Living Art when not working at Tattva’s Herbs!

Each year we observe the natural process of existence through the seasons and cycles of life, death and rebirth. Our world is in constant flux and flow, and this can be seen in the plant world as well. As the sun gets stronger and heat becomes rampant we enter summer time, Pitta season. Pitta Dosha consists of the fire and water elements so it is necessary to balance out the heat in our bodies with cooling foods, herbs and activities. Green salads and vegetables, berries and other fruits are great for a summer diet. Of course it is necessary to soak up some solar energy to warm the bones, as long as we’re careful not to get too much. In Ayurveda many things can be either medicinal or poisonous, so long as we consider moderation, then we can balance from a holistic perspective.

So we need to look no further than our own gardens for medicine! Fresh greens for salads and teas cool the blood and provide nutrition and lightness. Edible goodies sourced locally have ample prana or life force energy, being most fresh from the earth.

1-2 TBS. Ghee

1 tsp. Fresh Ground Cumin seed Powder
1 tsp. Fresh Ground Coriander seed Powder
1 tsp. Whole Cumin seeds
1 tsp. Mustard Seeds
1 tsp. Fenugreek
1 Pinch Hing

Fresh Zucchini or other summer squash, cut in cubes
1 Cup Fresh Asparagus
1/4 Cup Red & Yellow Bell Pepper

1 tsp. Salt
1/4 Cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions: Melt Ghee in medium sauce pan. Add the spices except for salt and sauté until the mustard seeds pop. Add vegetables and cook on medium heat, stir often to prevent burning of veggies. When veggies are semi-soft add the salt and garnish with cilantro before serving. This is a basic recipe that balances all three Doshas. The preparation is easy to digest and you can try different vegetables for variety, according to the seasonal availability and your particular body type.

Boswellia Serrata, a small deciduous tree member of the Burseraceae Family, produces the Indian Frankincense Resin when wounded.

This gooey, intoxicating substance is secreted by the trees when they are wounded, and is a gift for any human to ever consume in turn, to ease the pain of our own wounds.

This is our raw material.

Pine Resin Drop

After growing these trees organically in India, our partners carefully harvest their resin and perform a Supercritical (CO2) extraction. This process yields a potent concentration of the plants’ highly active terpenes, or volatile oils; the molecules responsible for the aroma that commanded the price of Gold. You will not find another supercritically extracted Boswellia supplement in herbal commerce. It’s too sticky. No one but Tattva’s Herbs will give the time and attention necessary for this arduous task.

Boswellia Serrata, Indian frankincense or Salai is called Shallaki in Sanskrit. While it is true that our Boswellia CO2 extract contains 257 mg of Boswellic Acid per capsule, the part of the plant studied for it’s effect on pain receptors, let us not mistake milligrams with United States currency. Today one can purchase a 120 count bottle of Boswellia Serrata CO2 extract for $49.95 U.S., however this aromatic treasure still holds preeminence in religious rituals, has been offered as a sacred gift to royalty, and widely traded for riches such as gold and jewels throughout human history.

In our next edition, we will explore the medicinal applications of this precious substance Mother Earth so graciously loans us, along with Her stern instruction to use this medicine wisely and with gratitude.

Though diet plays a vital role in Ayurveda’s healing modality, these “rules” flex and bend gracefully according to the transient nature of living in your particular body. Your constitutional make up (prakriti) is unique as are your current needs for balance (vikriti); thus, your dietary needs are also unique. You will not find pre-set body weights or calorie counting instructions in Ayurvedic Dietary Theory. You will find recommendations for listening to the voice of your physiology to hear what, where, when and how you should eat. You will find instructions to include the six different tastes – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent – at every meal, favoring those tastes that are suited to your current needs and incorporating lesser amounts of the rest. Including different tastes at each meal reduces cravings and balances appetite and digestion naturally, providing clear instructions via the senses, supported by the voice of your own physiology.

Food influences both physical activities and psychological activities. Agni requires food to maintain the body’s constant activity, much like a furnace providing heat in exchange for the life of a tree; the body of Earth. Improper, excessive, heavy, and cold food extinguishes this fire and produces endotoxic substances called Ama. For supplementation, Tattva’s Herbs offers Ginger, Triphala, Chyawanprash and Trikatu to stoke the fire of Agni.

The Ayurvedic way of cooking brings together a harmonious collection of fresh wholesome ingredients into a feast for all your senses. In a well-prepared Ayurvedic meal, a medley of tastes, textures, colors, aromas and flavors blend together to restore balance to your body, mind, spirit, senses and emotions.

Satvik

A Satvik diet consists of fresh fruits like pomegranates, apples, berries, oranges, grapes, grains, and dairy products like milk, yoghurt and ghee (clarified butter). These foods sustain a lean and agile body while encouraging a calm and quiet mind. Fresh buttermilk, fresh green vegetables like spinach, green beans and green peas or split peas are all examples of Satvik food. Although a mild sweet taste is considered Satvik, a strong sweet taste as in chocolates and heavy sweets increases Tamasik qualities.

Rajasik

Food recipes of a spicy, salty and sour nature are considered Rajasik. Vegetables like onions, garlic and spicy or sour preparations like ketchup and vinegar have Rajasik qualities. Wines, pickles, meat (especially red meat), and stimulating drinks like coffee and tea, and all types of alcoholic drinks are Rajasik in nature. These foods can aggravate Pitta and Vata and increase restlessness, anger and irritability. Some Rajasik foods, if vegetarian and taken in moderation by Kapha types can be energizing.

Tamasik

The Tamasik diet is comprised of stale, over-heated, oily, heavy to digest, canned meat and fish products containing lots of preservatives. Large quantities of cold pasteurized dairy products like milk and yogurt are also considered Tamasik. These foods increase Kapha and lethargy, ignorance and apathy. Frozen and preserved foods as well as hybrid foods also increase the Tamasik quality.

Of note, from the Magical Rachael of Tattva’s Herbs, on listening to the body; “That’s the Beauty of Ayurveda, everything is poison and medicine at the same time depending on how you use it!”

Ayurveda approaches health through diet based on eight simple concepts – these are the second four:

Five: Place (Desha)

The classification of Places into distinct types, for example; marshy, dry and normal, reflects diverse climatic conditions and their influence on the body when she eats. As the individual perceives a complimentary environment, the body absorbs nutrients from food with ease, which in turn exerts positive effects on both body and mind.

Six: Time or Period (Kala)

Food consumed at proper intervals gives the body freedom to digest and assimilate. Once a meal is properly digested, the next meal may be eaten. Types of foods eaten, as well as quantities and quality should conform to seasonal changes, both in environment and availability. As a general rule, the main meal should be eaten between 11 to 2 in the afternoon.

Seven: Rules for Eating (Upayoga Sanstha)

If one observes the above mentioned, eating as per his/her constitution, digestive capacity, season, time of the day and digestion status of the last meal consumed, then the Body has upmost opportunity to make thorough use of the Blessing of Food provided.