Sweets in Ayurveda: Are sweet sins allowed during the Christmas season?
Every year, our resistance to sweet temptations is put to the test at Christmas markets, company parties and family gatherings. Gingerbread, biscuits, stollen and cinnamon stars are irresistible to many and are as much a part of winter as the barbecue is to summer - often followed by a guilty conscience about weight gain or the unnecessary health burden. How beneficial [...]
Dal and mungdal: lentil dishes in Ayurveda
Dal refers to dishes made from peeled and split pulses such as lentils or chickpeas. Dal is a delicious staple food in India and an indispensable part of Ayurvedic cuisine. As Ayurvedic cuisine is predominantly vegetarian, dal dishes are the most important source of protein. A typical Ayurvedic main meal consists of the triad of grains, vegetables and dal. Raw vegetable side dishes or [...]
Therapeutic fasting in Ayurveda - Things to know about Ayurvedic fasting cures
„Fasting is as old as the peoples of the world“, wrote Otto Buchinger in 1935 in his book „Therapeutic Fasting“, taking into account the three dimensions of the human being (medical, psychosocial and spiritual). Buchinger fasting using special fasting drinks (water, tea, vegetable broth, fruit or vegetable juices and honey) is one of the most frequently used fasting methods today. In the guidelines for [...]
Tongue scraper in Ayurveda
It is part of the equipment of every Ayurveda devotee and should not be missing when travelling: the tongue scraper. What is the truth behind the recommendation, what are the benefits, how is it done and what should you look out for? Oral hygiene in Ayurveda The Ayurvedic classic „Caraka Samhita“ emphasised the importance of daily hygiene for health 2000 years ago. [...]
Hot water in Ayurveda
„I only drink hot water!“ Many people have incorporated this „Ayurveda tip“ into their lives and developed it to perfection: they don't leave the house without a thermos flask. Hot water is not just „hot water“. What kind of water at what temperature are we actually talking about? The fact is: water is our most important foodstuff! Depending on their age, humans [...]
Ayurvedic drinks: focus on fruit juice
When I squeezed my own orange juice from halved fruit at the breakfast buffet in a trade fair hotel a few days ago, I was surprised once again: to fill a 200ml glass with juice, I needed 6 halved oranges! I would never have eaten this amount as fruit, but I could certainly have drunk more glasses of the juice. Many people [...]
Salads and raw food from an Ayurvedic perspective
„In Ayurveda, food is always cooked softly and raw food is avoided“ is a widespread misconception. It is true that in Ayurveda an overload of the digestive system is seen as the cause of many diseases. In classical Ayurveda, leafy salads were hardly ever used. The food group „Haritavarga“ traditionally referred to fresh „greens“ and included fresh ginger, lime, radish, coriander leaves, carrots, onions [...].
Fact check: Is Ayurveda vegetarian?
India is the country with the most vegetarians in the world and hardly any Ayurvedic doctors there eat meat. This leads many to conclude that the consumption of meat is probably forbidden in Ayurveda - for health, ethical and spiritual reasons. Many Western authors of Ayurvedic books confirm this assumption. But does it actually correspond to classical Ayurvedic guidelines? The fact is: unfortunately [...]