Читать книгу Indian Cooking For Dummies - Monisha Bharadwaj - Страница 38

At the heart of all Indian home cooking is the ancient science of Ayurveda. This system of holistic healing is one of the oldest systems of medicine known to man. It was written down thousands of years ago by wise Himalayan sages. Ayurveda means “the science of life,” and it aims at balancing the body’s systems with diet, exercise such as yoga, and meditation.

In this book, we’re concerned with the diet aspect and how to incorporate age-old wisdom that encourages wellness through the foods we eat. Every Indian kitchen is considered an apothecary and when someone in the home is feeling sick, spices and herbs are the go-to cures.

But the Ayurvedic way is not only about healing — it’s really about eating right to build immunity and not get sick in the first place. This happens in three ways:

 By eating the correct food

 By strengthening the digestive system so that it absorbs the nutrients from what we eat

 By regular elimination to rid the body of toxins

Each of us is said to have one or more of the three constitutions, called doshas:

 Vata: Governed by air. If your constitution is Vata, you are lean, restless, and have dry skin.

 Pitta: Governed by fire. If your constitution is Pitta, you anger easily, are frequently thirsty, and can suffer from acidity or heartburn.

 Kapha: Governed by water. If your constitution is Kapha, you suffer from nasal or chest congestion, you’re heavily built, and you have a sluggish digestive system.

Ayurveda encourages people to eat the foods that suit their constitution and that keep their bodies and minds well and healthy. You’re probably aware of how you react to certain foods already. For example, I know that very spicy foods don’t agree with me — I get heartburn, so I’ve learned to steer clear of them.