Kitcheri, Ghee, and an Ayurvedic Consultation

On Thursday afternoon, I visitied Melissa DiRito at Seed's Wellness Center for an Ayurvedic Consultation. I had been on the raw diet for a few days and it was working well, but I needed more dietary guidance. I was also curious about which vitamins and herbs were best for my needs. Melissa spoke with me about my physical and mental condition and examined my tongue, eyes, and pulse. She determined that my Vata was elevated and causing my Pitta to also rise, which was causing some of the symptoms that were concerning me at the time.

One of many helpful suggestions made by Melissa was to follow an Ayurvedic diet. Since my Vata is agitating and increasing my Pitta, she counseled me to follow a Pitta-Vata diet. She also gave me a kitcheri recipe from the Ayurvedic Institute website and suggested that I eat kitcheri for lunch and dinner, and drink a breakfast shake (almonds, flax, banana, mango, sunflower seeds) in the morning for three days, while I transition back to some cooked foods. Here is a picture of my first Kitcheri creation:

I spent Sunday afternoon preparing the Kitcheri and the Ghee. Making Ghee was another first time experience. Ghee is created by heating unsalted butter in a special way. Here are a few of the benefits of ghee, according to the Ayurvedic Institute:

"Ghee is a digestive. It helps to improve absorption and assimilation. It nourishes ojas, tejas and prana. It is good for improving memory and lubricates the connective tissue. Ghee makes the body flexible and, in small doses, is tridoshic."

You can check out both recipes through the Ayurvedic Institute's website here.

Raw Food, Ayurveda, and Kris Carr's Blog

I've been feeling pretty blah lately and I have a hunch that it has to do with my diet. I've been going a little overboard with candy, cupcakes, cookies, and any other form of processed sugar or baked good imaginable. This weekend was the worst sugar crash I've ever had. I needed a clean slate, so I decided to start a raw food diet (for at least a week).

Of course this diet started with a trip to Whole Foods to pick up some veggies, dried and fresh fruit, raw food bars, and hummus (which is already cheating because the chick peas are cooked, but I had to make this exception). There are a lot of resources on the web for raw food eating. Here are a few I've been checking out:

Raw Food Life
Living and Raw Foods
We Like It Raw
The Sunny Raw Kitchen

Its been a little over 24 hours raw and so far, so good. No sugar crashing today. I'll keep you posted.

On another note, I've become quite interested in Ayurveda (the sister science of Yoga). Since arriving home from the ashram, Ayurveda is everywhere I turn. If you are curious about your dosha (, Deepak Chopra's website has a helpful and quick dosha quiz. I have spoken with individuals who follow Aruyvedic practices and found it life-changing. I'm also very insterested in Panchakarma, which according to the Ayurvedic Institute is "...a cleansing and rejuvenating program for the body, mind and consciousness. It is known for its beneficial effects on overall health, wellness and self-healing." There are five daily Panchakarma treatments, practiced for five to seven days. If you would like to learn more about Panchakarma, click here.

Lastly, I can't get the documentary, Crazy Sexy Cancer out of my head! Since watching the movie, I've felt more inspired to ditch harmful products and foods that most people don't think twice about eating or using for personal care (I know I didn't!). Kris Carr's blog is packed with insights that will challenge your everyday habits. Its easy not to notice the harmful chemicals in the lotion, soap, and mascara a lot of us use everyday. Carr makes a thought-provoking point about these habits when she notes in her blog, "Check this out, the largest organ in our body is our skin. What you put on your body, you literally absorb. So if you wouldn’t drink a bottle of Jergens, then don’t put it on your body because your skin literally drinks it in." The website is filled with inspirational and helpful information too!