In Ayurveda, every food has an energetic effect on the body. Understanding these principles allows one to use food as a tool for healing. To begin, one must have awareness of their present state. Do you generally feel warm or cold? Does your digestion seam fast or slow? Do you feel energized throughout the day? All foods have certain qualities and therefore can be used to bring balance to the body.
It’s also important to consider the time of year and current weather. In Ayurveda, autumn is ruled by the Vata dosha. The days are cool, dry, and crisp, which are qualities that can evoke Vata in the body. In order to stay healthy this time of year, one should incorporate foods that have a warming, moistening and grounding effect on the body.
Considering all this, let’s dive into the common energetics of Thanksgiving foods according to Ayurvedic principles.
Turkey
Considered to be heavy and warming. The leaner cuts of white meat are drier and more astringent which best balance pitta and kapha, while the darker and oilier portions of the leg are best for Vata dosha.
Sweet Potatoes
Generally safe for all doshas, sweet potatoes are cool, sweet and slightly heavy. These root vegetables are grounding and nourishing, making them a great choice for fall and winter! Due to their high fiber content they’re a great alternative to the classic white potato and a healthier option for Kapha types. Vata individuals can enjoy roasted or pan friend with oil, while kapha types might do best steaming or baking with a sprinkling of warming spices.
Pumpkin
Considered to be warm, sweet and heavy. Pumpkins are a great option for Vata dosha. The smooth and gooey qualities of cooked pumpkin are excellent at soothing inflamed surfaces and calming inflammation, which in moderation is an excellent food for calming pitta in the digestive tract.
Green Beans
Neutral, easy, and light, string beans are a great option for all doshas! Although they are considered a bean, the lower soluble fiber content makes them a great option for Vata dosha. Best enjoyed lightly steamed or stir-fried with other vegetables.
Cranberries
Cranberries are sour, astringent and cooling. The sour taste has a direct effect on the liver by stimulating the production of bile to help the body break down fats. The astringency of cranberries has a toning effect on the body by tightening tissues and cooling membranes. In moderation, cranberries can be enjoyed by all doshas to help with the digestion of heavy meals. Those with Vata imbalances should eat in moderation, as cranberries can be too cold and drying if eaten in excess. Cranberry sauce is a great addition to help digest your Thanksgiving meal!
Pecans
The heavy, oily, and warming nature of pecans are a great option for Vata body types. Pecans contain high levels of tannins, which have an astringent effect on the body, making it an acceptable option for Kapha constitutions when eaten in moderation. Pecans, like other nuts, are a great food for grounding and building ojas.
Please enjoy the following Ayurvedic inspired Thanksgiving dish!
Pumpkin and Green Beans
Ingredients
2 cups string beans
3 cups pumpkin
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons of oil or ghee
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp of fenugreek seeds
1/8 tsp of hing (asafoetida)
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ tsp of sea salt
2 teaspoons of coriander powder
1 tablespoon of brown rice and maple syrup
½ tsp of curry powder
Instructions
- Wash green beans and cut into 1 inch pieces
- Wash pumpkins and cut into one inch wedges, peel, then slice into 1 inch pieces.
- In a large skillet, add oil, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Heat on low.
- When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add in hing (asafoetida), garlic, and green beans. Cook on medium.
- After about 5 minutes add in the water, salt and pumpkin and continue to cook for another 15 minutes over medium heat.
- Add in remaining ingredients and mix well before serving.
Here is an excerpt from our upcoming book:
Energy is the quintessence of life. It is the root cause of the quality of our lives. Our energy determines the way we feel and think, how we respond to a stimulus, how we adapt to change, how we are able to accept life naturally as it comes. Ayurveda teaches an integrative awareness of matter as an expression of energy. Energy is stepped down into matter through vibrational frequencies. Vibration is the basic law of the universe. All of creation is a manifestation of energy in the form of vibration described on the physical level through the resonate frequencies of the five elements[i]. When we recognize that all life breathes and expresses the essential nature of vibration in rhythm then we can attune to the life energy which directs and orchestrates all biochemical events in the body we naturally experience true self empowerment and practice self-healing.
Ayurveda is an experiential science of living based on rediscovering the interconnectedness of all aspects of life. Our capacity for coming back into coherence with the interconnectedness or life creates the quality of our health, harmony of emotions, clarity of mind and facilitates the clarity of our sense of inner guidance. Our capacity for realigning with the natural order of life also structures the experience of our stamina and energy level and ultimately engages an experience of the source of our energy. Self-healing as well as our ability to facilitate healing in others arises from our capacity to come back into coherence with life’s natural order. Learning to live and heal with nature involves, according to Ayurveda, an understanding of the interconnectedness of life that is based on the causality of Spirit.
The Tree of Eternity has its roots in heaven above and its branches reach down to earth.
It is pure Spirit who in truth is called the Immortal.
All the worlds rest on that Spirit and beyond [which] no one can go.
Katha Upanishad
11/15/23