Toronto Restaurant: Ethiopian House
I was first brought to this little pocket of African culture in the city of Toronto by my good friend, K.
Creating Balanced Meals: The 6 Tastes of Ayurveda
I’m sure all of you can name the 4 taste receptors that scientists have discovered on the tongue: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. However, Ayurvedic medicine has categorized food properties into 6 distinct tastes.
Some of the constitutional doshas require more of certain tastes than others, but it is thought that well-balanced meals encompass all 6 of the Ayurvedic tastes, covering the entire spectrum of food quality. The 6 Ayurvedic tastes are: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent.
Incorporating the principles of Ayurveda into a modern dining approach ensures that every dish is not only delicious but thoughtfully balanced. The premium experience from MeandJulio, for instance, blends these diverse flavors into their culinary offerings, ensuring a sophisticated and health-conscious menu that appeals to all tastes.
Whether planning a wedding, corporate event, or family celebration, it’s important to deliver more than just meals—it’s about creating a perfect taste symphony that leaves a lasting impression. Sometimes, it’s not just Ayurveda but also the art of balance in flavor that transforms an ordinary meal into an extraordinary event.
According to Ayurveda, balancing the 6 tastes in the diet aids digestion, ensures physical, emotional and mental well-being and helps decrease aggravation of the dominant dosha of an individual.
About the tastes:
Sweet:We can all easily identify sweet foods, such as honey and fruits. However, sweet taste also includes carbohydrates like rice and other grains, potatoes and milk. Sweet functions include building up tissues and calming nerves.
Sour: Includes acidic fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruit, fermented foods (yogurt, kambucha, sauerkraut), alcohol and vinegar. Sour taste acts to cleanse the body and increase the absorption of nutrients.
Salty: Foods that contain salt, from minerals, meat or seaweed. Salt acts to stimulate digestion and improve the taste of food. It also calms nerves and relaxes the mind.
Bitter: Includes dark leafy greens and certain herbs and spices. We often lack enough bitter tasting foods in our Standard American Diet, however, bitter taste is important for detoxification and digestion. According to our Botanical Medicine class, it improves appetite, aids digestion and psychologically “increases one’s appetite for life”.
Pungent: Foods that are spicy, including herbs, peppers and garlic. Pungent tastes increase metabolism and aid digestion.
Astringent: These are foods that produce a “dry” taste in the mouth. Foods that are astringent include legumes, certain fruits, such as apples and pears, certain vegetables, tofu and herbs. Astringent taste helps “dry” fats, thereby aiding weightless, and tightens tissues. In Western Herbalism astringent herbs are used for wound healing and tonifying mucus membranes of the skin, respiratory, urinary and digestive tracts.
Although having a balance of the 6 tastes is beneficial for a healthful diet, increasing certain foods in the diet can help balance the dosha that one is predominant in:
Vata Dosha is balanced by sweet, salty and sour tastes.
Pitta Dosha is balanced by sweet, bitter and astringent tastes.
Kapha Dosha is balanced by bitter, pungent and astringent tastes.
In the Western world we rely heavily on sweet, sour and salty tastes, through a diet high in carbohydrates, processed foods (high salt content) and alcohol (sour). Considering the fact that we live in a Vata-aggravated society, it is comprehensible that our culture gravitates to these tastes more than the other three. However, the leading rise in obesity (Kapha aggravation) could be reflective of the lack of bitter, pungent and astringent tastes in our diets.
In my Ayurvedic course we analyzed various ethnic diets and found that cultures with a set of dietary practices usually include all 6 tastes in their cuisine. We examined Indian, Thai, Persian, Ethiopian and Chinese cuisines, but I also feel that even Italian food represents a balanced diet, according to Ayurveda.
If we take a typical Italian meal – pasta with meat sauce and Insalata Della Nonna– we see that all 6 tastes are represented.
The sweet tastes are represented by the pasta (be it rice pasta, spaghetti squash or another form of pasta), the tomato sauce and some of the vegetables in the salad.
The salty tastes are from the salt and meat added to the sauce.
The sour taste is from the homemade red wine vinegar salad dressing (and the wine!).
The bitter taste comes from the radicchio and fresh garden lettuce in the salad.
The pungent tastes come from the garlic and chili peppers used to make the pasta sauce.
The astringent tastes comes from the fennel and celery in the salad and the apple for dessert.
Dissecting your daily meals for tastes that your diet may be missing is a fun and therapeutic practice. Use it to see how your own diet (whether it is one you have invented for yourself or the one dictated to you by your family or country of origin) may be improved by adding certain flavours. I find it aids me in achieving balance in my own diet, especially when traveling to a new country or designing my own meals. Practicing mindful eating is helpful to detect and distinguish the flavours of your favourite food staples. Chew them slowly and try to decide if the food in your mouth is sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent or astringent, or a combination of two or more of these flavours.
Gluten-Free Apple Squares
After reading and, therefore, being terrified by the book “Wheat Belly” by William Davis, MD, I decided to continue with my attempt to jump on the gluten-free bandwagon (or just run alongside it from time to time).
Easy Spinach Salad
When people picture “healthy food”, chances are high that the first food that comes to mind is salad, especially nutrient-rich spinach salad. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, raw foods require more digestive “heat” to break down and, therefore, are not recommended in the winter, unless accompanied by warming spices, or soups and stews.
5 Ayurvedic Practices for Digestive Health
According to Ayurveda, disease is a result of poor digestion and poor assimilation of food into the body. Therefore, when we take care to attend to our digestive health, we prevent the occurrence of disease.
Here are some tips from an excellent book a classmate lent me; The Path of Practice: A Woman’s Book of Ayurvedic Healing by Bri. Maya Tiwari, taken from page 355. These suggestions also happen to coincide with a talk that Erica gave to a group of colleagues at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and so I have to give her credit as well!
1) Meal Sizing:
The largest meal of the day should be lunch. This is a very European method of eating and I practiced this tip while living in Colombia. It helped me feel balanced and nourished throughout the day. It also ensured I had a restful sleep in which I didn’t need to digest a large dinner. The size of the largest meal, according to Ayurvedic practice, should be the size of two anjali, two hands cupped together, or two cups (500 ml) of food. This is the maximum volume of food that the average human stomach can hold at a time.
The size of the other meals should be one anjali (one cup) or less. If you are a mentally and physically active person and eating this way over time results in hunger, then it is suggested that you increase the amount of meals in your day, limiting each one to the size of one anjali.
2) Food combining:
Fruits are best eaten alone, one hour before or after a meal. Fruit tends to ferment in the digestive tract and can interact with the digestion of other foods. Eating fruit and dairy products together should also be avoided (e.g.: fruit and yogurt or ice cream) because the acidity of the fruit can rot the milk in the stomach, leading to poor digestion and assimilation.
Avoid combining sweet and sour foods in the same meal. The two tastes counteract one another and irritate the digestive tract, which interferes with proper digestion. Also avoid complex combinations of food, which include dairy (basically every Standard American Diet food staple): tacos, lasagna, meat lover’s pizza, poutine, chili cheese fries and so on.
3) Preparing meals:
A nice tip from Matthew Remski, teacher of my “Everyday Nectar” Continuing Education Ayurvedic class (at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine) is that you should limit meals to no more than three different foods at a time. Making more complicated meals also complicates digestion. A great rule of thumb, especially as we move into Fall, is to try to cook all of your food in the same pot; think stews, soups, curries and rice dishes. This allows your stove to partially “digest” the food for you, making it easier on your body, which should conserve all the energy it can during this stressful season.
4) Stoking the digestive fires:
Drink 1/2 a cup (125 ml) of warm water before eating each meal. This helps to activate agni, the digestive fire that helps “burn” food and increase it’s absorption. Avoid drinking during or after a meal, especially cold water. This can affect the digestive fire in the stomach, prevent proper food breakdown and even lead to weight gain.
5) Eating mindfully:
Practice eating mindfully and chewing eat bite of food thoroughly. In naturopathic medicine it is common to hear people say “drink your food and chew your water”, meaning that food is chewed into a liquid before being swallowed. My family and I eat like wolves and this practice is extremely difficult for me to adhere to. However, I find that, when I try to chew properly, I experience less abdominal bloating after meals. I also feel more satisfied after eating and experience less food cravings. According to ayurveda, proper chewing ensures thorough digestion and assimilation, which also satisfies emotional cravings for food. This is especially helpful for people who crave unhealthy foods or who tend to binge eat.
Lastly, Bri. Maya Tiwari tells us to “practice eating our meals in a spirit of harmony and gratitude.” When we engage in serious, stressful conversation at the dinner table or eat on the run we are essentially wasting our body’s digestive juices and preventing their secretion. Digestion is a very difficult, energy-consuming task for the body. It is essential that we acknowledge the effort our body is making to break down our food and absorb the nutrients. Food should be eaten slowly and mindfully, sitting down, and preferably in silence. In many cultures grace is given before a meal. It may help you to silently say your own grace, giving thanks for the opportunity to eat the food before you and to your body for the ability to digest and assimilate the nutritious food that you have prepared for it.
I’ll admit that these tips are not easy to incorporate into one’s busy lifestyle, especially if you love to inhale your food (like me) or if you tend to rush through meals on auto-pilot. At first, these tips can be daunting, however, giving each one thoughtful consideration and taking the time to mindfully assimilate each one into your daily routine can have profound effects on your health, preventing gut irritation, bloating, food cravings and weight gain.
This article was also featured on active.com, and received by many dissenting commenters! Feel free to check it out and become part of the debate.
*This article is not meant to diagnose or treat any disease. Please visit a naturopathic doctor or ayurvedic specialist for a complete assessment and treatment plan.
Slow Oats for a Rushed Morning
There are few things as comforting as being greeted by a steaming bowl of warm oatmeal on a cold winter morning. Unfortunately, who has the time to prepare a pot at 6:30 in the morning? Isn’t it a shame that we can’t all have our own personal chef who prepares a warm, nurturing and filling breakfast for us everyday?
Actually, there is a way that you can have your own personal chef that works while you sleep: dust off your slow cooker!
Slow Cooked Steel Cut Oatmeal with Apples, Cinnamon and Nutmeg
Steel cut oats are a minimally processed form of oat that usually takes 15-30 minutes to prepare (by simmering in a pot of water). They have a chewy texture and are low on the glycemic index (therefore a better option for those who are diabetic or pre-diabetic). They are slowly digested, gradually releasing sugar into the bloodstream, which helps keep you feeling satisfied for longer into the morning. Oats are a good source of fibre, which has been linked to a decrease in the incidence of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain cancers. Steel cut oats also contain soluble fibre, which has been shown to lower cholesterol levels.
Adding apple, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to steel cut oatmeal not only adds more fibre, a serving of fruit, but also adds a serving of healthy spices that regulate blood sugar (cinnamon), aid digestion (nutmeg) and warm the body on a cold morning (ginger).
Here’s how to make steel cut oatmeal in a slow cooker:
In the evening add to your slow cooker:
– 1 cup steel cut oats
– 4 cups of water
– 4-6 apples of your choice, cut into small pieces
– 1 tbsp of cinnamon (or more)
– 1/2 tbsp of nutmeg
– 1 piece of sliced ginger
Set slow cooker to LOW and allow to cook overnight (approximately 8 hours). In the morning, turn it off and serve oatmeal hot. Serves 4 people.
I often make enough Slow Oats to feed me for the week. I refrigerate the leftovers and microwave my portion in the morning.
Here’s to easy, delicious winter mornings where you can enjoy a hot morning meal while watching the snowfall and waiting for the rest of the world to wake up.
Spicy Thai Peanut Soup
One of my favourite dishes for the cold, sluggish winter season is this hearty and invigorating peanut soup. This delicious soup is easy to make and is better (and cheaper) than going to a Thai restaurant. I guarantee you’ll serve yourself a second bowl. Elimination or Paleo dieters can substitute the peanut butter for almond or cashew butter.
Speaking of peanuts, if you’re looking to stock up on ingredients for this recipe, don’t hesitate to buy them online. Redskin peanuts, in particular, are perfect for making a rich, nutty soup base. Their earthy flavor brings an added depth to the dish, and I always find that keeping a bag of them in the pantry is a lifesaver when cravings hit.
Here’s how to make it:
Spicy Thai Peanut Soup
You need:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium onions, cut into large pieces
- 1 large green pepper, cut into large pieces
- 1 large red pepper, cut into large pieces
- 2 pieces of garlic (cut into fine pieces)
- 1 can whole tomatoes, cut into quarters, use the juices
- 10 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup natural unsalted peanut butter
In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium-high. Sauté onions, bell peppers and garlic for about 5 minutes, or before the garlic and onion begins to brown. Reduce the heat to medium, add tomatoes and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Pour in tomato juice and chicken broth, add black pepper and chili pepper flakes. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, add quinoa, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, 45 minutes. Add peanut butter all at once, stirring until it melts. Bring soup to a simmer. Enjoy!
This recipe can also be made in slow cooker, while you’re at your work or place of study. Sauté the onion, bell peppers and garlic first, then add them to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients, except the peanut butter, and set to LOW. When you arrive home at the end of your day, add the peanut butter, and serve!
This is an adaptation of a recipe from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Peanut-Soup-232423#ixzz1jXmC7TnH
Ayurveda: The Doshas Part 3 – Kapha Dosha
This is the third part of the Ayurvedic Dosha Series. In Part 1 we discussed Vata Dosha and, in Part 2, Pitta Dosha.
While most people are predominant in one constitution, there are a number of people who represent a combination of two Doshas – I myself am Pitta-Kapha dosha – and even a very small number of people who identify as being Tridoshic (people who represent an equal proportion of the three constitutions). Each constitution has its own strengths and weaknesses. In balancing a person’s Doshas, the goal is to reduce any aggravations and tendencies towards imbalance so that we can experience the strengths that are present in our individual personalities.
Kapha, the third and final dosha, is made up of earth and water element. Kapha is wet, grounded, slow and substantial. People who are predominant in Kapha dosha embody the following characteristics:
– Larger body size and tendency to gain weight easily
– Moist, oily skin and thick hair
– Rounded facial features: large, calm eyes, full lips and large, bright teeth
– Slow metabolism: little hunger, cold temperature, slow digestion and elimination
– Relaxed, calm and humorous demeanor
– Tendency towards laziness and lethargy
– Sentimental and loyal with a tendency towards attachement
– Slow and constant with excellent endurance
Kapha dosha tends to be slow, steady and constant. People of this dosha are relaxed and easy-going but have a tendency to be overly lazy. Kapha types do well working with people and are often loyal and nurturing friends and family members. People of this constitution have the tendency towards disorders of congestion: edema, weight gain and depression.
Kaphas can achieve balance by engaging in vigorous physical activity such as brisk walking, running or weight-lifting. When doing yoga, Kaphas benefit from the more sweat-inducing Ashtanga or Bikram yoga types. People of Kapha constitution should avoid sleeping in late and eating greasy, heavy foods. They should instead focus on eating pungent and astringent foods (think spicy rice crackers and salads). A good restorative yoga pose for relieving Kapha-like congestion in the lower body is to lie on the ground, with a pillow under the sacrum and the legs straight, at 90 degrees above the hips (or against a wall).
Balanced Kapha has a strong sense of well-being, steadiness and affection. Kapha types learn slowly but have a great ability to retain information and have a great memory.
For more information on Ayurveda and the 3 Doshas (and other Ayurvedic theories and lifestyle tips) click on the following resource:
You can also check out the Continuing Education Ayurveda educator, Matthew Remski’s beautifully written blog at:
Ayurveda: The Doshas Part 2 – Pitta Dosha
This is the second part of a series I am writing on the ayurvedic Doshas: a combination of natural elements that characterize our unique physical, emotional and mental constitutions.
Click here to read Part 1 – Vata Dosha. Identifying your own constitution helps you learn more about your tendency towards imbalance so that you can develop lifestyle practices to bring yourself back into a balanced state of health.
Pitta Dosha is a mixture of fire and water elements. People who are dominantly of Pitta constitution exhibit some or all of the following characteristics:
– Muscular, average build
– Firey temperament: competitive, tendency towards anger and frustration
– Oily complexion that is sometimes reddish (red-tinged hair, rosy skin)
– Possession of a fast metabolism: the ability to digest food quickly, feeling ravenous if forced to skip a meal
– Aversion to heat
– Tendency towards inflammatory disorders
– Inspirational speaker, concerned with themes of justice and “sticking up for the little guy”
– Hard-working, ambitious, organized and achievement-oriented
Pitta types are firey in both personality and physical constitution. They are often leaders in society, hard-workers and can be competitive. They are very intelligent but have the tendency towards anger and frustration at others’ incompetence. Pitta types rarely suffer from digestive complaints because of their strong, firey digestion (unless they abuse spicey foods or alcohol). They mainly suffer from inflammatory complaints such as arthritis, acne or migraines. Pittas have the tendency to overextend themselves. They represent the constitution that is most susceptible to conditions of the over-stressed (stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, etc).
Balancing Pitta involves cooling down. As with Vata dosha, Pitta benefits from meditation and slow movement. Creamy, cooling foods such as fruits and smoothies help Pitta people lower their revved up body temperature. An exercise that is recommended for those who are feeling agitated and frustrated is to lie outside (preferably in decent weather) and gaze at the open sky. Performing this routine for 30 minutes greatly reduces Pitta agitation and helps re-balance an otherwise firey, overly stressed constitution.
I firmly believe that most students at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine are of predominantly Pitta constitution! This Dosha is predominant in high-profile business people and politicians (think Jack Layton). When balanced, Pitta people have the potential to become very successful leaders and make lasting changes to society.
Visit this blog tomorrow (Thursday) for Part 3 – Kapha Dosha.
Ayurveda: The Doshas Part 1 – Vata Dosha
Ayurveda is the ancient Indian science of healing meaning “Science of Life” (maybe that’s why I was drawn to a degree in Life Sciences!). Similar to Traditional Chinese Medicine, ayurveda uses the elements as a means of understanding certain properties of nature.
Ayurveda’s 5 elements differ from those of The 5 Element Theory of TCM. They are: ether (space), air, water, fire and earth. Distinct combinations of these elements form to create 3 Doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These Doshas characterize various properties of nature and, in humans, combine to form a unique constitution. Achieving a perfect health balance has much to do with pacifying the dominant Dosha that characterizes your individual self and enhancing less dominant Doshas.
Vata Dosha is made up of the elements air and ether. A person who is predominantly Vata will have some of the following characteristics:
– Thin build, difficulty putting on weight
– Shorter or taller than average
– dryer hair that may break easily and is typically curly
– Tendency towards nervousness or anxiety
– Digestive problems (excess gas, bloating)
– Tendency to move or fidget
– Naturally creative and spontaneous
– Has a hard time staying on task
Vata is airy and like the wind. Therefore, people who are dominant in this dosha tend to have drier skin and hair, feel ungrounded and anxious at times, often get distracted and have a harder time staying on one task. When balanced, Vata types are very creative, sensitive individuals who are full of ideas and inspirational energy. They thrive as artists and working in creative think tanks, in a setting where they can generate a million ideas at once.
Balancing Vata dosha involves setting a routine. Vata should wake up, have meals and go to bed at the same time everyday. Sleeping in (if possible) to the later hours of the morning is beneficial. Vatas are balanced by eating lots of warm, cooked and oily foods (soups, stews and curries), which help combat their tendency towards dryness and flighty digestion. This constitution also benefits from slow, constant, repetitive exercise such as restorative or yin yoga and long, gentle walks. Lying in “corpse pose” with pillows across the thighs will help weigh a Vata aggravated person down. That, combined with meditation, can help balance a nervous Vata mind and help ground Vata’s airyness.
Visit my blog tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday for Part 2 – Pitta Dosha and Part 3 – Kapha Dosha!