4 Principles in Energy Science Cooking
As we have discussed in the managment of any dis-ease nutrition is foundational to having success to acheiving health longterm But in the energy science of Ayurveda nutrition is more than just what foods are selected for your unique mindbody energy constitutional makeup Even though foods are integral to success because they bring about balance to the physiology and prevent imbalances from occurring there is more to nutrition than foods Where to eat, when to eat, how to eat, why we eat all add to the "what to eat"
As we discussed we have talked about always making a deal with ourselves to sit whenever we eat This simply allows us to improve the chances of agni doing a good job in digesting whatever we're eating Eating our biggest meal of the day at noon is foundational to successful nutrition Why we eat uncovers that aspect of nutrition about emotional eating as well as overeating
But what about "how to eat"? This covers the aspects of bringing attention to eating of food but also how we prepare foods
The Uniqueness of Energy Science Cooking
One of the objections that I have heard about the energy science approach to nutrition is that you have to be Indian in order to do an Ayurvedic nutritional format While this is complete and utter nonsense people buy into such false writing because they don't know any better And they believe the people that are protecting the matter science approach to nutrition by misrepresenting the energy science
1 Truth be told the nutritional formats that are at foodsheal.com can be integrated into anybody's way of eating because the change in foods chosen means that you simply find substitutes for foods that are aggravating for folks with the IC bladder pain syndrome If there are problem foods such as nightshades for Pitta Vata then find vegetable substitutes Another example of this substitution is using sunflower instead of peanut butter
2 One of the basic tenets of energy science nutrition is to cook food in order to predigest There is a lot of rhetoric about this from the raw food or macrobiotic community but it makes intuitive sense to break down the cellulose of vegetables in order to aid the agni of the mindbody particularly if it's struggling Another time that raw food comes up is in blenderized veggie drinks In this situation the mechanical breakdown of the veggies may predigest but again the lack of heat applied may make this food preparation technique substandard
3 The use of ghee in cooking cannot be overemphasized in the management of the IC bladder pain syndrome because often the Pitta energy pattern is involved and the best way to pacify Pitta is by the liberal use of ghee due to its liquid and oily qualities But there is good matter science data as to why one would want to use ghee which enhances agni It is completely made up of small chain hydrogenated fatty acids(most common butyric acid) which does not have to be digested and moves through all the tissues within twenty four hours This has important ramifications in the detoxification process of panchakarma(PK)
4 Spices have volatile organic compounds(VOC) which when activated facilitates digestion, absorption, and assimilation of foods Spices are integral to healthy cooking because they augment agni They are best activated during food preparation by placing them in ghee and heating to activate the VOC Once activated they can then be added to other ingredients of the recipe If you have a heavy aroma in the kitchen when activating VOC it means that you have overheated and overcooked the spices
So there you have it A way to prepare foods so that your mindbody can get the most out of it because you have enhanced your agni in the process of preparation
