A Bowl of Oats
For several years of my life (7 to be more precise) I drank a green juice for breakfast every morning. I read about how starting the day with a green juice offered hydration and a nice dose of nutrients, so I thought I was doing something really great by drinking them every day. I sometimes noticed that my stomach gurgled quite a bit afterwards and I would often feel a little nauseous or that a little bit up juice would actually come back up my throat after drinking it. I ignored these signals because I “knew” that it was good for me.
Looking back now, with an understanding of Ayurvedic principals, I can see that for my constitution (which has a lot of Vata in it), drinking cold juice with a lot of raw greens probably wasn’t the best choice for me. Drinking cold beverages is also not so good for agni (our digestive fire) which is an integral part of overall health as well.
A green juice can definitely be nice in certain scenarios. Maybe in the spring when there is a little extra Kapha hanging around or a juice with cucumber and cilantro for Pitta during the summer.
After my juicing phase, I went another several years where I didn’t eat breakfast altogether thinking that it was healthy to fast for a longer period of time between the previous days dinner and the next meal. I didn’t really have a strong appetite in the morning so I just didn’t eat. I also wanted to limit the amount of calories I was taking in to maintain my weight.
When I started to pay attention to the qualities that I experienced in my body and mind, I realized that Vata Dosha (which represents the qualities of light, dry, rough, cold, subtle, movement, etc) were rather predominant in me. Skipping meals and eating light, cold, or rough foods like salads, juices, and handfuls of raw nuts were actually perpetuating those qualities of Vata.
Usually, when we have an imbalance, we will crave things that keep us imbalanced. For instance when Vata is out of balance we may crave cold, light, and crunchy things. For Pitta imbalance it may be spicy foods or sour and fermented tastes. For Kapha it is sweet and heavy foods that are usually craved. When we give in to the craving, it keeps the imbalance there. When cultivate the opposite qualities through the foods we eat, the activities that we engage in, and the way we think, we can find balance.
To balance the qualities of Vata, we would favor smooth, warm, slightly oily and wet food. Things like soups, dhals, warm grains, and steamed vegetables. Or this bowl of delicious oats for a nourishing breakfast. Here is a recipe that is great for calming vata and for going into the Autumn (which is the Vata season). Enjoy!
