SIDDHA-VEDIC GUIDELINES

FOR A HEALTHY DIET

(PART I)Dr. Pankaj Naram says that the following

recommendations will help you to balance the three doshas and create strong

digestion and a healthy immune system.

Foods to enjoy:• Even if you are able to follow only one or two of the

recommendations at first, you will find that gradually over time you can incorporate more changes. Please do not allow yourself to become stressed or fanatical about eating or avoiding certain foods, the most important thing is to enjoy your food and the process of eating!

Cooked vegetables•Such as pumpkin, squashes, spinach, asparagus, fennel, sweet corn, onions, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, celery, sweet potatoes,

green beans, chicory, kale, chard,

alfalfa, avocados, artichokes, and

leeks.

Pulses• Like green and split mung

beans, tur dal and red lentils are easy to digest, balancing and nourishing to the body. Sprouted mung can also be used, but needs to be cooked. Chickpeas, chana dal, black-eyed and kidney beans can be taken very occasionally since they are heavier; they must be thoroughly soaked and well cooked. To get the full value from pulses they should be eaten together with grains (especially rice). Tofu made from soy beans may also be enjoyed.

Grains• Including rice (red, brown or white,

especially basmati rice), oat, rye, buckwheat, corn, millet, amaranth, quinoa, kamut, spelt, polenta; basically everything other than wheat. Flours made from the above grains and also from potato and buckwheat are excellent substitutes for ‘normal’ flour. Bread (wheat free!) is better eaten when toasted as the dry heat stops further yeast fermentation. Porridge made without milk, but with cinnamon and cardamom, coconut flakes, soaked raisins or stewed fruit is an ideal breakfast: easy to digest, highly nutritious, warming and energizing.

Seeds and nuts• Such as pumpkin, sesame, poppy and sunflower seeds, pine nuts, almonds (without

skin), walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios and brazil nuts

are best consumed in small amounts as they are heavy to digest and can be vata increasing. They are more easily digested if cooked, ground, soaked overnight or made into a paste or

milk. The flesh, milk, cream and flakes of coconuts can

be used liberally.

Sweet fruit• Such as apples, pears, apricots, grapes, cherries, plums, sweet berries, fresh

figs, dates and pomegranate. Lime juice can be used in

moderation. Bananas are very cold in energy and therefore

best eaten when cooked. They should be avoided while having a cough, cold, flu or mucus accumulation in the

respiratory tract. Unsulphured dried fruits are okay, but

should preferably be soaked or made into a stew.

Milk products• Ghee (clarified butter) is the best – it is like

a medicine (highly pitta reducing) and can be cooked with and added to practically everything. Butter is also good and definitely better than margarines and other such processed spreads. Milk should only be taken warm and, preferably, spiced with fresh ginger and ground or whole cardamom. Cinnamon and/or turmeric may also be added to milk. Good alternatives to cow’s milk are goat and sheep milk or soy, almond and rice milk. Fresher, soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, manicotti, feta and ricotta are easier to digest then hard, old ones and also less mucus producing. They are best enjoyed with some black pepper to stimulate agni (digestive fire).

Meat• It is better to consume small,

digestible quantities of white meat, i.e. chicken and turkey,

since red meat is much heavier and harder to digest. Fish is hot

and pitta increasing in nature and therefore best consumed in

small quantities or avoided. Fresh water fish is less heating

than seafood. Eggs, tofu, tempeh and miso are okay in moderation, but seitan (pure

wheat gluten) and quorn (highly processed fungus

protein isolate) should definitely be avoided.

Sweeteners• Refined sugar and artificial sweeteners

(aspartame, NutraSweet etc.) are heavy and produce toxins. Unrefined sweeteners may be taken in moderation, such as jaggery (solidified sugar cane juice found in Indian food stores), sucanat and rapadura (raw cane sugars), date syrup, maple syrup, rice syrup or honey. Honey should not be heated, as it is not heat stable and becomes indigestible when cooked, baked or heated over 100ºF. Heated honey becomes sticky and forms obstructions in the channels in the body when consumed. Most commercial honey is heated as part of the production process so it is important to read labels and find honey that has not been heated. Honey may be added as a sweetener to tea after the tea has cooled to a warm temperature.

Drinks• Tea and coffee (preferably decaffeinated) should only be

consumed in very small quantities (no more than 8 oz. per day). Herbal or

green teas are better. Good alternatives to real coffee are Caro or Barley Cup. Ginger tea made from fresh roots is warming, agni increasing, removes

mucus and toxins and is an excellent remedy for coughs and colds. However,

if ginger tea is consumed regularly it will increase pitta too much. Plain hot

water is also good for clearing the digestive tract. Fresh vegetable and fruit juices are very nourishing, but should be avoided in cold weather or

while suffering from colds.

Spices• Cumin, coriander, fennel and saffron are the

best for balancing all doshas and increasing agni, and should be used liberally. Black pepper, fresh ginger root and ginger powder, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, mustard seeds, fenugreek and nutmeg will aggravate pitta if used in excess so they should be used with

caution if pitta complaints are present (burning pain, bleeding disorders, migraine headaches, irritability, anger). Dill, anise, basil, oregano,

poppy seeds, marjoram, oregano, sage, mineral salt (unrefined sea salt), thyme, and bayleaf

may also be used. Garlic and cooked onions can also be used in small quantities. Asafoetida

(hing) reduces vata and should be added when cooking pulses, beans and cabbage to reduce

their gas producing properties.