AYURVEDA FLOURISHMENT

When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use.
When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.
Ayurvedic proverb

On Saturday we were graced with the presence of about 20 people all in search of good food & good health for a good cause. And nothing tastes as good as food prepared & shared with love & laughter.
The fabulous Falu & Michael Eyre generously donated their time & knowledge. And Margaret Briggs graciously opened her home for the Ayurvedic class to raise funds to buy mosquito nets for the village of Siaya in western Kenya.

Ayerveda means ' knowledge of life' and has been practiced in lndia for about 5 thousand years. It is a vegetarian cuisine that can be adapted to all styles & cultures. The balance of the 5 elements of earth, wind, fire, air, & ether present in our bodies,  needs to balance with the same 5 elements in our daily food. The ancient principles can be easily adapted into our daily lives once we learn the basics.

The five elements are connected to our five senses, five fingers, five major organs & five taste sensations. The tongue is of course very important in ayurvedic meals & all  five taste sensations must be stimulated for good health. Our Western diet mostly focuses on sweet & salty. But when we include sour, bitter & pungent, the tongue almost dances with delight. And there is a feeling of satisfaction and less desire to over-eat.


Most Indian food balances the meal with small sambals of pickle or chutney. And also use a base of panch phora, which is the basic  five seeds of coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek & mustard. But it can be incorporated into all meals from all over the world. On Saturday we enjoyed an Ayurvedic meal of Mexican guacamole,  Thai papaya salad and an African dish of corn cooked in coconut milk & lila masala, that definitely stimulated every taste bud. We also learnt to create the tastiest daal ever plus curried vegetables and black-eyed peas. Entreed by bread dipped in oil, balsamic vinegar & home- made dukka. And all topped off with silk pudding, an exotic dessert made with yogurt, pistachios & cardamon. Yummo!

Lila masala (green chili paste) is the golden nugget of Ayurvedic cooking & transforms an average meal into an unforgettable, delectable dinner. Easily made in a processor in bulk & can be frozen for long term availability. Made from
 2 bunches of coriander
 1 bunch of mint
 1 whole bulb of garlic
 1 finger of ginger
 juice of 1 lemon
 pinch salt
Process to a paste & store in fridge. Add 1 teaspoon at a time to taste, in curries, sauces, yoghurt, guacamole, dressings ect ect.


At the end of the day , a great day of fun, new friendships & great food ideas were experienced by all. While learning to improve our own health, we were contributing to improving the health of people in Africa. Which is also part of Ayurvedic philosophy which Falu shared throughout the exceptional class. We all raised $740 which represents 74 mosquito nets & will protect 74 families from malaria. Malaria is still a greater killer than AIDS. And not only will they be protected from the disease, they will be able to sleep at night.
What an awesome gift! What an awesome blessing to us all!!

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