Ayurvedic Cooking
Shazia Gogia | Yoga Teacher, Yoga Therapist, Meditation Teacher, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Chef.
“When diet is wrong medicine is of no use. When diet is correct medicine is of no need.” ~Ayurvedic Proverb
Food plays a vital role in our health, balance, healing and rejuvenation. We are what we eat.
Ayurvedic food is prepared in a way that all six tastes (through herbs and spices) are present in your meal and food is nourishing not only for the body but also for mind. Poor combinations of food produce indigestion, fermentation, gas and if pro-longed, can lead to dis-ease. Spices and herbs are added to make foods compatible or to ease the negative effects of foods, to stimulate the agni (digestive fire), to increase digestion and absorption, and to help counteract any incompatible food combinations.
Your own unique prakruti is the map to discovering the foods and lifestyle that will balance you. i.e. a big misconception that salads are good for everyone is not true for Vata (air) dominant person. Similarly, some foods that provide relief in summer may become too cooling for body in winter i.e. banana and yogurt will lead to mucus and other cold problems for a Kapha dominant person. Lentils (dals), legumes and beans provide protein for body instead of meat and eggs. Rice (called King of grains) provides body with necessary carbs. Ghee (clarified butter) considered to be most vital of the dairy medicines penetrates deep into tissues, taking herbs along with it into your bodily tissues. Ghee, not only provides nourishment but also confidence, promotes memory and vital bodily essence (ojas).
My Services:
Ayurvedic Wellness Consultation:
1 Hour: $85 / 1.5 Hours: $120
*Private Ayurvedic Cooking Consultation/demo (3-hours): $250+
* above fees does not include cost of food
* above fees will vary depending on menu, health concerns, consultation and travel time.
Ph: 760-593-SHAZ(7429) | email: shaziagogia@gmail.com
About Ayurveda:
Ayurveda teaches us to become aware of ourselves in relation to our environment and the world around us. Sushruta, an authority of Ayurveda lived 4,000 years ago, defined a healthy person as “He (who is) in balance, whose digestion, assimilation, and metabolism are good, whose tissues and wastes are created properly, and whose self, mind, and senses remain full of bliss.” It is a sense of unified well-being as opposed to dis-ease.
Our bodies are made up five elements: space, air, water, fire and earth. Derived from five elements are the six tastes: bitter, sweet, sour, salty, pungent, and astringent. The five elements manifest in body as three basic doshas:
VATA: represents Air and Space
PITTA: represents Fire along with water
KAPHA: represents Water and Earth.
Every human being has some combination of these elements in their makeup but the proportions and combinations vary from person to person making it a unique constitution or dosha. With proper diet and lifestyle according to your unique doshas, optimum health can be achieved.