Whole Food Matters
Exploring the many aspects within the whole food landscape
Essay #002
Our Elemental Nature
© Jude Blereau June 2019
For some time now, we as a society have been asking ourselves, what makes the food we eat wholesome and healthy, ethical and sustainable?
Dietary paradigms that offer an answer to this question abound – vegan, vegetarian, high fat, low fat, high carb, low carb, blood type and the current faves raw or paleo.
I’ve seen many of them come and go during my 25 years of this whole food life and what I know for sure is that any paradigm that considers the answer to be a black and white issue is simply kidding itself. I love being older and seeing a larger lay of the land, and there are far more fundamental issues at play than whether the food you eat is raw or the belief that dairy or carbohydrate is evil. These underlying issues form the basis of my wholistic approach and inform all my teachings, including my online classes. There is, however, one paradigm that I have huge respect for, see working and always at play - and that is Ayurveda.
Meaning the science of life, Ayurveda is the 5000-year-old system of living a whole, healthy and balanced life. It predates Chinese, Tibetan and Greek medicine which all draw on and embrace the Ayurvedic texts. Ayurveda considers that five elemental energies (the five elements) form everything on the earth plane, including the seasons, our physical bodies and the foods we eat. The fundamental ethos of Ayurveda is that opposites decrease each other.
The Five Elemental Energies
Ether – the principle of potential
Air – the principle of movement
Fire – the principle of transformation
Water – the principle of fluidity
Earth – the principle of stability
These energies then form the three doshas which form everything on the earth plane, including ourselves.
The Three Doshas
Transformation
PITTA
KAPHA
Ayurveda is the original ‘one size does not fit all’ and is an incredibly detailed body of knowledge that is wholistic in every sense of the word, taking into account the physical and the spiritual. It helps us understand why a PITTA dominant personality (with strong digestive capacity and heat in the body) can handle raw foods, even during the cooler seasons. Possibly a KAPHA dosha in balance would also enjoy these foods, but they will only help to push a VATA dosha further towards imbalance.
Because food is a part of nature, it too is formed from the five energetic forces and is classified as Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, Pungent and Astringent. Each of these tastes has their energetic characteristics, for example earth + fire form the astringent foods and are dry, cooling and heavy. Knowing these characteristics can help us work out what is a best fit food wise to keep our dosha balanced. Buckwheat for example is considered astringent (Air+ Earth - dry, heavy and cooling), Pungent (earth + fire - hot, dry and light) and Sweet (Water+ Earth - Heavy, Moist, Cooling) which overall makes it dry, very slightly warming and heavy. This explains why a KAPHA (moist, cold) or PITTA dominant personality (hot and oily) will find it more balancing than VATA dominant personality who are already dry and cold. They would be better off with oat or wheat, which is classified as sweet (water+ earth )which is heavy, moist and cooling. Serving these grains warm and with ghee will also help with the warmth factor. It also explains why you would be better off nourishing a growing VATA child with hot soup in the cold weather rather than a puffed rice cake, hummus, raw fruit and vegetables (you know, the so-called ‘healthy’ food).
In case I sound as if I am a groupie, well no I’m not, but the thing is, it’s what I have actually seen working over the past 25 years. It also makes sense where nothing else I’ve ever delved into does. If you are looking for support on your health and wellness journey I would urge you to look into it further; you will find a treasure trove of wisdom in these nourishing traditions.
Eating guidelines for the doshas
This is a very rough guide to the best foods for each dosha; it is by no means exhaustive but rather an introduction for you to ponder. Ayurveda is also very nuanced, the moistening characteristics of milk can be balanced with the drying characteristics of turmeric (oh hello turmeric latte) which is better for KAPHA but terrible for VATA. Astringent and drying lentils can be balanced with sweetness and fat, making them moister and more balancing for VATA.
VATA PACIFYING FOODS
Warm, wet and unctuous (fatty, oily) are what you are looking for. Sweet, sour and salty tastes.
Dairy, rice, wheat, unrefined sweeteners are yours. Enjoy fruits but reduce or cook apples, pears, avoid cranberries and pomegranates. Enjoy fats, especially ghee. Be careful with legumes, mung dahl being the best. Look to sweeter vegetables such as pumpkin, carrots, beets, leek, cooked onion and reduce pungent vegetables such as radish, chillies. Reduce bitter vegetables such as eggplant and the bitter greens, most brassicas, astringent vegetables such as artichoke, asparagus or sprouts (or take steps to negate this). Most vegetables are better cooked. Sweet spices such as cardamom and cinnamon – avoid turmeric.
PITTA PACIFYING FOODS
Cool, heavy and dry are what you are looking for. Sweet, bitter and astringent tastes.
Enjoy dairy but avoid fermented dairy such as yoghurt etc. Include grains such as amaranth, barley and quinoa, all legumes – especially lentils. Oils such as olive are best for you but especially coconut oil. Look for sweet rather than sour fruit, enjoy vegetables but again be careful with sour flavours such as you may find in lettuce, peas in their pods, and tomatoes. Reduce the pungent radish, ginger, onions, garlic and chilli. Be wary of fermented foods and drinks (kombucha is not for everyone!) Be careful of pungent spices also such as chilli, cayenne, black pepper, ginger and cumin.
KAPHA PACIFYING FOODS
Warm, dry and light are what you are looking for. Astringent, bitter and pungent tastes.
Dairy is best fermented(such as kefir or yoghurt) and will be more digestible for you. Most grains are fine especially barley, buckwheat and millet, avoid wheat and rice. Ghee is one of your best fats, steer clear of most oils, or at least reduce them. Light and dry fruit such as apples and pears are best, apricots, berries (including cranberries) cherries, lemons, limes and pomegranate. Honey is your top sweetener. Most legumes are fine. The vegetable world is yours, including sprouts and turmeric! Just reduce tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumber and zucchini. Spice wise, go for it… just take care with salt.
Recipe
KITCHARI
Gluten Free, Vegetarian, can be Vegan
Serves 6
Kitchari is the quintessential healing dish of Ayurveda, and suitable for all doshas. Traditionally prepared with white basmati, I prefer mine with a well soaked brown basmati, with a touch of kombu sea vegetable to help digest the mung beans and add an umami hit. Vata, go easy with the turmeric. Pitta use coconut oil, take care with the mustard seeds, ginger and sea salt. Kapha go easy on the amount of fat you use, omit the cardamom and up the turmeric.
The idea is to make the kitchari and serve it topped with vegetables.
