In Ayurveda, the seasons are a barometer for diet guidelines. So, as Summer turns into Fall in the eastern United States, this ancient healing system leads us into Vata Season.

It’s important to draw any excess heat out of the body and this can be done with food, as well as herbal preparations. At the same time adding moisture to the body, (from the inside out) in prepartion for a cold dry winter.

Nature provides for our needs at this time of year…….pears, apples, and grapes all help to draw heat and toxins out of our system. Pumpkins, beets, carrots and other abundant root vegetables being harvested at this time provide moisture to our bodies……..not to mention Yuuummm!!

Some find it confusing at the change of season, ” What should I be doing to balance my dosha? ” is a frequently asked question.

If you are a Pitta type you should be cooling and cleansing your system if you have had an Pitta imbalances this summer. If you are a Vata type you should be warming and cleansing. And if you are a Vata/Pitta type you should do a little of both.

Here’s a recipe for a nourishing soup/stew that satisfies both. You can adjust the spices, vegetable and seasonings to suit your tastes.

There are several variations to a basic kitcheri recipe and the one below is basic, easy to start with, and balancing to all three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha).

You will find that the ingredients are readily available at most health food and East Indian grocery stores.

Ingredients:

2-3 TBS ghee (clarified butter)
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 small pinch of asafoetida (“hing”) powder
½ cup split yellow mung dal, rinsed well, soaked overnight and drained.
1 tsp rock salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup white basmati rice, rinsed well and drained.
4 ½ cups water if using a pressure cooker or about 6 cups if using a regular pot.
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
4-5 thin slices of fresh ginger root

Using either a pressure cooker (much faster) or a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the ghee on medium heat. Ghee burns easily, so be careful. Sauté the mustard seeds and cumin seeds in the ghee until the seeds pop.

Then add the drained mung dal, asafoetida powder, turmeric and salt. Stir until the mix almost starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. Then add the rice, water, cumin powder, coriander powder and ginger. Stir well, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pressure cooker or pot.

If you are using a pressure cooker, fasten the lid on and turn the heat to high, let full pressure build up. Once the pressure has built up, turn the heat low and let cook five minutes. Then take the cooker off the heat and let it sit until there is no more pressure and you can safely open the lid.

If you’re using a regular pot, cover and bring it to a boil on high heat. Then turn the heat down and let it simmer until both the rice and dahl are mushy.You may have to experiment with how much water you use to find a consistency that you like. (The more water, the thinner the consistency). A thinner consistency is preferable if your digestion is weak.

You will notice that kitcheri will thicken when it cools and you may need more water than you originally thought.In order to provide the best quality of energy to your body, Kitcheri should be made the day that you wish to eat it and served hot.

Garnish:
Fresh cilantro (great for pitta – ok for vata and kapha)
Coconut (great for pitta, good for vata, but not so good for kapha)
Lime (ok for everybody)

Sometimes I get a little frustrated. I have, “been around” as they say, when it comes to our western “mainstream” medical system.   As a registerd nurse for the last 19 years, I’ve worked in  just about EVERY facet of our healthcare system, (both as a provider and consumer).  It is because of what I have “seen” that I chose to be a provider of natural health services,  a holistic practitioner and educator.

At times I can tend to have a rather harsh take on the medical community, and it can almost be seen as a negative, “alarmist” point of view.  My intention is to let you know that YOU are your own best “specialist”. I have personally healed from many chronic and acute health issues over the last 18 years…….because I was educated and listened to my self and my body, (and also because I had the insider’s scoop).

You can do the same…..you should do the same. No one knows your body, mind, and spirit better than you. Be willing to take responsibility for your self and your own needs.   Be willing to educate yourself about all the options available to you…the western mainstream choices, and the complementary/alternative ones.

Before I knew better, I had 3 surgeries on my low back…..an injury resulting from lifting a patient.  But years later I had the right tools and information so that I could avoid the surgery that 3 doctors said I needed for the herniated discs in my neck.

Let’s get real…they are surgeons, that’s how they make a living, what else would they say?   It’s also what they’ve  studied and what they are fluent in……it is their language.   But are they able to learn another language?  Some are.   We are beginning to see an emergence of doctors that are willing to learn new ideas about medicine and healing.  I believe it is because enough patients have defied the previous “laws” of science and medicine……healed through  universal laws that apply to body, mind, and spirit……and the results are large enough that they can’t be ignored any longer.

At one point I had a fierce conversation with a worker’s compensation attorney until he represented MY interests and requested acupuncture visits from the worker’s compensation board.  Acupuncture treatment was not part of their language for health and wellness.  After 10 visits, (and some other care that I bartered for), I completely recoverd without surgery.   It was a much better deal for their pocket books. 

Listen to your inner self, your inner healer. More people die from hospital acquired infections than the medical condition they originally went in for!

In all cases, whether holistic medicine or allopathic medicine, the practitoner is seeking to facilitate a healing; to alter the current state of dis-ease in the body.  It is up to you how that occurs.   I urge you to take pause from the “norm” and consider what all your options might be, working most closely with the innate healing wisdom of nature and your body, rather than relinquishing control of the circumstances and outcome to  a mechanical system.

Learn to shift your focus and ask questions that are in your best interest.   Become willing to entertain the notion that every imbalance in the body can present the opportunity for growth and change.  Rather than lamenting, “Why is this happeneing to me ? ” ponder the thought, “What can I learn about my body and my self from this experience ? “  In that surrender is the potential for great healing, sometimes almost spontaneous.

This is where your inner healer comes to life, when you ask a different question and listen patiently for a reply from within, you have accessed your inner healer.