Tag Archives: healthy

Kitchari

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Kitchari is an Indian dish that is traditionally made very plain and used for cleansing and convalescence.

I think kitchari is the perfect meal to keep you warm and nourished in fall/winter!
This version is a quick and simple one-pot meal that is great any time of the year, and it’s especially great for bringing to work in a thermos.

Kitchari Recipe

1/2 cup split mung dahl (beans)
1/2 cup white basmati rice
8 cups bone broth (or veggie broth or water)
2 TBSP ghee
1 onion, chopped
5-7 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1-2 TBSP fresh ginger, chopped
1 TBSP turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida) *this is a specialty item and is ok to omit
½-1 tsp himalayan sea salt
cilantro, chopped

  1. Rinse the beans and rice several times until the water runs clear.
  2. Add ghee to the pot. I used an Instant Pot set on the Medium Saute setting. Add onion and carrots and saute until onions are translucent. Add seed spices. Stir and listen for the popping. Then stir in the garlic and ginger.
  3. Add celery, turmeric, salt, broth, beans, and rice. Stir and put on the Bean/Chili setting with the pressure valve closed.
  4. Wait a few minutes after it’s done to let the pressure off.
  5. Top each serving with some freshly chopped cilantro to taste. Enjoy!

This version is kind of soupy (and easier to digest). 🙂 I also added a couple handfuls of baby greens to my bowl before I ladled in the kitchari and a diced avocado on top. I was out of cilantro this morning, but I highly recommend adding that on top!

*If you don’t own an Instant Pot, you can easily make this in a good, old-fashioned pot on the stove. 😉

5 Tips to Stay Balanced During Vata Season

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It’s Vata Season (otherwise known as Fall)!

Change is in the air! Not just the changing of the season, but Autumn is quite literally a season of change and quickness, which can throw a person off balance quickly.

Knowing your dosha and the dosha of the SEASON you’re in can be VERY useful in navigating through your day/month/season/year/life.

In Ayurveda (the science of life), your constitution is called your dosha. Dosha literally means “fault,” but I’ve also heard it translated as ‘that which tends to go out of balance.’ Ever heard the phrase “the only thing constant in life is change”?

There are 3 doshas — Vata (VAH-ta), Pitta (PIT-ah), and Kapha (KAH-pha). Each dosha is a combination of 2 of the 5 elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether) and therefore has dominant qualities about it. We all have all of these elements within us, but our personal dosha combination is determined mostly by your physical structure (body type) and doesn’t change. What DOES change is everything else — your environment, your emotions, the world, your relationships, etc. — ALL the time.

What’s super relevant to us right now is that Fall is VATA (Air + Ether) season.

Vata qualities are cold, light, dry, irregular, rough, moving, quick, and changeable. If we are not careful to balance these qualities during this season there can be a tendency toward overwhelm, anxiety, dry skin, constipation, insomnia, or depression.

What Can You Do to Stay Balanced during Vata Season?

Ayurveda teaches us how to balance the doshas by using opposite qualities. When Vata is out of balance, there are several things you can do to bring harmony back. First of all, I have to note that as a culture we have a chronic (long-term) vata-imbalance due to being over-scheduled and over-stimulated. That being said, regardless of your dosha, you can benefit from a Vata-pacifying lifestyle and diet.

Without further ado, here are my tips for bringing more balance during Autumn…
(If you want more, keep reading! At the end of this email, I’ll give you details on my upcoming FREE Online Workshop: EASE Into Fall with Healthy Habits that HEAL.)

  1. S L O W   D O W N – schedule in extra time for everything and don’t rush
  2. Consume Warm Liquids throughout the day (warm water or herbal teas) to hydrate and stay warm
  3. Eat Soup and soupy foods – smoothies, porridges, stews, you name it!
  4. Don’t skip the fats! High-quality oils (GHEE, sesame, sunflower, grapeseed, and olive) are nourishing and grounding.
  5. Keep a steady daily/weekly routine. Vata is chaotic enough, so don’t add flame to the fire!

Want MORE tips on how AYURVEDA can help you navigate through this time of CHANGE? Sign up for my FREE Online Workshop by clicking the image below.

Ease Into Fall Webinar

(Click the image above to SIGN UP to get the REPLAY from 2018!)