I recently had an Ayurvedic consultation. Ayurvedic medicine is a traditional system of medicine from India grounded in the basic elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether. The thinking is that these elements compose the universe, including the human body. In the body, these elements, vata (air & space ), pitta (fire & water) and kapha (water & earth) form constitutions called doshas. Each human possesses a unique combination of doshas. Maintaining balance with your doshas is crucial for health. According to Ayruvedic medicine, one of the most accessible and daily practices for balancing our unique dosha makeup is through food. This fits nicely with my own philosophy as I believe fresh grown, home cooked food is healing, and I love to eat!

With that said it was exciting for me to hear of chefs and herbalists that are approaching food preparation from this angle. A friend in Texas shared an article (thanks Suzanne!) about classes teaching people how to use food to regulate the body, the classes are”Central Texas Foods as Medicine” at the American Botanical Council headquarters in East Austin (of course in Austin). While some information is specific to Austin climate, its totally worth a read (click here).