You can’t eat yourself healthy

The fact of the matter is: you can eat yourself sick but can’t eat yourself back in health. Once unhealthy, there is no way you can keep eating and hoping to get healthy, no matter what you eat. That’s a bit thick coming from me, you might say. I am, after all, claimed to teach people…

Drink your food, Eat your water

Drink your food, eat your water What kind of advice is that? That does not sound right! But it is and I will explain why and how. I heard this statement for the first time from one of my biggest influencers, Dr Vasant Lad, who’s life work consist of translating and diffusing ayurvedic knowledge to…

HUNGER

Hunger… is not pain it comes in waves is a sign of increasing digestive power, or agni One of the biggest achievements in my life, as a survivor of bulimia, has been to become comfortable with a feeling of hunger. Having spent my early adulthood surrounded by a media that promotes constant snacking to avoid…

How to be in the “Now”…. and then what happens?

Yoga and Ayurveda complement each other perfectly, but have you asked why? There are a couple of points to make but one of the main commonalities is that they both aim at helping us acting in the present. In the now we make better decisions and are able to judge the situation for what it…

Oops! Burp! I’ve had enough!

I’ve just burped up the aftertaste of some most excellent seasonal delights. You may say yuk but wait a moment: this is the best burp in the world, the one that brings back in the mouth the flavour of the most excellent food I’ve just enjoyed. It extends my dining experience a bit further, tickling…

Seasonal cravings

Roughage for Lady Gaga? Seasonal cravings You must be wondering why Lady Gaga likes it rough? Well, of course, Ayurveda has the answer: Lady Gaga has seasonal cravings! In spring, roughage is essential in our diet because of the tough insoluble fibres, which clean the gut and help pull out all of the old fat…

Ayurvedic Diet: The Truth

Ayurvedic Diet: The truth I think we really need some reality checks on Ayurvedic Diets! So here is the run down on Ayurvedic Diets: The truth. I wanted to get one thing straight about the Ayurvedic diet: There are no natural food items that are not allowed in this diet! I often hear you should…

Hello Vata my old friend

Vata My Friend Oh boy, we are getting closer and closer to the climax of vata! As we know, every season during the year is related to a specific dosha. By the end of that season or time period, the characteristics of the associated dosha increase. So, for example, summer, the pitta period, is at…

Satmya: The concept of suitability

Stay Inside Your Comfort Zone. Satmya: The concept of suitability We are all unique beings and as such we all have individual requirements. Whilst seasonal cleansing is important, it is best to design a programme that suits your individual needs and is appropriate to you. Your family, work, activities, stamina, beliefs and ethical issues are…

HELLO AUTUMN!

HELLO AUTUMN! We are now entering the third part of the annual life cycle, so I’d like to share some Autumn Ayurveda advice. It is the last part of the vegetation’s growth cycle when growth and reproduction are over and it’s time to start withdrawal ahead of the winter. Many instinctively feel the need to…

Dharmic Syncing

DHARMIC SYNCING I saw a young actor recently. Back home, lounging on the couch watching telly I told my partner about this exciting sighting. Somehow, I couldn’t for the world remember his name but, as if by magic, there he was on the TV screen, right at the moment I needed to know his name….

Ayurvedic Match Making

Ayurvedic Match Making Have you ever wondered which body types go together well in a relationship? Match making is quite an intriguing topic when you consider all the qualities that are at play between the dosha types. Infinite scenarios pop into my imagination of opposites attracting or repulsing and similarities nourishing or consuming each…

Detox Basics – Considerations before starting

Detox Basics No time like spring time to be on a detox. If you are considering doing it you are timing it right because, right now, the body is keen on loosing releasing the extra pounds we’ve piled on. That fat is also the storage of toxins. Season appropriate weight loss diet is always the…

Saffron Season

Safron Season My daughter brought me a beautiful purple crocus from the park. It had a the sweet and light fragrance of saffron. I remembered the times I’ve dreamt about being a farmer in the Mediterranean and particularly a crocus farmer…. My daughter almost got a bollocking for picking up that beauty, instead I…

Our Eating Habits: Amorous or Amoral?

Our Eating Habits: Amorous or Amoral? Remember the film Amelie? One of my all time favourites, filled with endearing characters, particularly the rude shopkeeper’s one armed assistant. His deep affection for the vegetables he sells struck a chord with me. Watching him lovingly caress his little endives is a reminder of the amorous relationship that…

Warm and Heavy Comforts

Warm and Heavy Comforts Autumn is the season of withdrawal. It makes you want to put warm slippers on and enjoy a warm cuppa on the couch. After a long period of growth and production in spring and summer, nature is preparing to rest and gather strength for the growth season ahead in spring….

Autumnal Cravings and Aversions

Autumnal Cravings and Aversions Last night it rained heavily. The sun showed his face in the morning but, nevertheless, it was cold and damp. Autumn has broken the summer’s neck. It felt like on Tuesday we enjoyed our last summery day in Kensal; a heavy damp heat which, for certain, is over now and…

Green Magic – The Power of Chlorophyll

Green Magic – The power of chlorophyll The spring has turned into summer. We know this because the leaves in the trees have grown into full size. Who would have thought we experience three seasons during the lockdown? The start of the lockdown coincided with the start of the annual growth season. Plenty of time in…

Social Isolation Time

Social Isolation Time From an Ayurvedic perspective having a strong routine and a framework around which conduct our lives increases our tolerance levels and resilience. A solidly structured life decreases reactivity and reduces the incidence of losing control. But what if the structures around us start disintegrating as we have seen in the last…

Ayurvedic Tips for Corona Virus Management

Ayurvedic Corona Virus Management Tips We are witnessing something unique happening to humankind and nature around us. Observing the process unfold moment by moment is humbling. Scary as this all might seem we are already noticing the nature starting to react when there is a reduced interference and less obstacles and containment of its forces….