The Benefits of Ghee

In Ayurvedic medicine, Ghee (clarified butter) has a special place. It is considered a grounding, calming food that is good for people from all 3 doshas. It is also beneficial and gradually stimulating Agni, the digestive fire that is essential for good health.

With that said, Ayurveda also emphasizes moderation. So I would not say that Ghee is a panacea and that more is always better. For example people with Kapha body types are recommended to use Ghee in moderation only, and in a meal which also has heating spices. It is best for people with Vata Constitution(body type).

A half teaspoon of Ghee added to warm basmati rice gives it a really tasty flavor and also helps with digestion of the rice. You can also use Ghee for cooking, as it is good for sautéing and even cooking at high temperatures because it has a high smoke point (in this instance it's better than olive oil as I described in my previous post).

One reader asked about where to order ghee online. I recommend Ancient Organics which makes an excellent Ghee from organic butter. It is one of the freshest and best tasting ghees I have tried. Plus they are aware of the spiritual properties of Ghee as well. You can order online at:

http://www.ancientorganics.com/products.htm

Have a wonderful day and remember, everything in moderation including Ghee!

More Research on Ashwagandha

You may know that I am developing a line of Ayurvedic healing beverages called Ayu Drinks. The formulas are based on Ayurvedic clinical practice but one thing we are short on is basic science research. It looks like this is starting to change:

One of the primary herbs used in our formulas is Ashwagandha. Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center have found that extracts of the shrub had activity that was similar to the neurotransmitter GABA, which could explain why the plant is effective in reducing anxiety.

Scholars at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, conducted research which demonstrates that many of the elements of Ashwagandha are antioxidants. The researchers found that Ashwagandha led to larger amounts of three different natural antioxidants: superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase. The antioxidant effects of Ashwagandha may explain the stress-relieving and anti-aging effects of the herb.

Ashwagandha may be taken as an herbal powder, dissolved in either warm water or milk. It is also available in capsule and liquid extract form. Ashwagandha is the basis for our Ayurvedic healing drink, "Warrior". For more information visit ayudrinks.com

Is It Safe to Cook with Olive Oil?

Today I'll be answering a question from one of our readers: Is it safe to cook with olive oil, or can that create harmful trans fats?

From the perspective of integrative medicine, extra virgin olive oil (preferably organic 1st coldpressed) is one of the healthiest fats. It is a key element of the Mediterranean diet, one of the most healthful ways of eating that has been shown to reduce risk of heart disease and stroke. I use extra virgin olive oil every day in my food and cooking.

A key question is the smoke point of the oil, the temperature at which it starts to smoke and breakdown, creating free radicals. The smoke point of olive oil varies, between 300°F to 400°F. But in order to actually create trans fats, repeated heating above 400°F and cooling is required, like in a commercial fryer. If you're cooking at home you're not going to create trans fats from the olive oil.

However, you don't want to heat it to its smoke point because of the creation of free radicals. In general I use extra virgin olive oil for salads, sautéing, and similar lower temperature uses. I do not recommended for deep frying. I don't recommend deep frying anyway. For high temperature cooking applications I recommend coconut oil which has a very high smoke point, or ghee.

Please post your comments and responses!

Turmeric cocktail

You may have heard in the news about turmeric, a "new" healing superfood.

Turmeric has been used in Indian cooking for thousands of years. The rhizome or root of the plant is ground into a powder to create the yellow turmeric powder that we are familiar with.

Turmeric is rich in curcumin, a powerful natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. We are finding that inflammation is the common root cause for many chronic diseases, and having as much turmeric in your diet as possible may help reduce inflammation.

I recommend adding as much turmeric powder to your meat and vegetables as you can. It's hard to use too much. Most people can safely handle 8 g per day. In addition to eating food with turmeric, here is an interesting recipe to incorporate turmeric into beverages:

Turmeric Cocktail

1/2 cup fruit juice, such as apple or pineapple
1 heaping Tb. turmeric
1 Tb. apple cider vinegar
1 Tb. fresh lemon juice
dilute with water as necessary for taste
Stir all together. Drink once or twice a day.

Roasted Pork with fresh figs

Ayurveda always emphasizes being in touch with the current season and using whatever fresh fruits and vegetables are available. One of the great things about California is that we get a variety of fresh produce throughout the year. I recently obtained a large tray of fresh figs and had to figure out how to use them. Besides gobbling up as many as I could and freezing some, I needed to figure out a way to cook some as an entrée. Thus I came up with the following recipe:

Roasted pork with fresh figs

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground pork
1 tablespoon turmeric
2 teaspoons clove powder
2 teaspoon coriander powder
half teaspoon allspice
half teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon salt (add more to taste)
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 fresh figs, sliced into thin strips

Directions:
-- in saucepan, heat olive oil and cumin.
-- when cumin is browning, add the pork and remainder of spices. Stir well to blend all the spices evenly in the pork.
-- Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
-- once the meat is fully cooked, scatter the fresh figs throughout the saucepan and stir well.
-- Turn off heat and cover. The remaining heat is just enough to lightly caramelize the figs and allow the various Indian spices to permeate them and create a sweet spicy flavor.

Serves 4 people. Pairs well with brown rice, naan or chapati. Try it out and let me know how it turns out!

Great Summer Recipe: Raita

Raita is a yogurt-based side dish often served with Indian foods. It is a quintessential cooling Ayurvedic dish that helps balance the often spicy pitta-provoking main dishes in Indian meals. It's cooling properties make it a great dish for the summertime. In Ayurveda yogurt is generally recommended only during the daytime and not at night. This is not only because the warmer days are better suited for a cooling dish, but our digestion tends to be a little stronger during the day and this helps better digest a heavy food like yogurt.

Spiced Raita recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups plain whole milk yogurt
one half cucumber, seeded and diced
1 medium tomato, 1/4 inch diced
half cup chopped cilantro
half teaspoon salt
half teaspoon ground cumin powder

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients except cumin powder and stir well for 2 to 3 minutes. Top with ground cumin powder. Store in the refrigerator and serve cold.

Comments:
In this and all my recipes I recommend organic ingredients, whenever available. In Ayurveda generally whole foods are recommended which is why I listed whole milk yogurt in this recipe. If you prefer you may use low-fat yogurt. This dish is an excellent complement to any spicy curry or other main course.

free Ayurvedic body type calculator

If you'd like to figure out your Ayurvedic body type, there are a variety of free online body type calculators. One that I like is at the following link:

http://www.ayurindus.com/user/doshacalc.html

It asks you a variety of questions to determine your percentage of the 3 different doshas, and then e-mails you an analysis for free. Have fun!