Dos & Don'ts in the ayurvedic cuisine
Eat well, eat happy
Estimated reading time: 2 minutesAyurvedic cuisine is based on respect. Respect for what our digestive system has to deal with every day – processing everything we take in. And respect for the natural environ ment and the food itself. It is not an approach that restricts our enjoyment and imposes a ban on specific foods – but rather one that focuses on determining what is good for the constitution of the individual (dosha). As part of their cure, guests at the Giardino hotels are served customised meals devised in a collaboration between doctors, specialists and chefs. During this time, guests avoid acidforming foods such as coffee, alcohol and meat, with a view to aiding the process of detoxification.
All dishes make use of the power, effect and distinctive taste of native herbs. Ayurvedic cuisine distinguishes between different foods based on whether they generate heat or cold. For the kitchen team, it is important to achieve an interesting mix of different tastes – sweet, salty, bitter, spicy and sour. Anyone who tries the Ayurvedic cuisine at the Giardino hotels will soon see how simple, delicious and, above all, how contemporary it is: a pleasant surprise. The following recommen dations from our nutrition expert Florence Steger will help you to implement the simple but effective Ayurvedic approach at home.
DOS
- Eat mindfully: be aware of when you start to feel full. Do not eat beyond your hunger.
- Start the day with two to three cups of warm water, which will stimulate peristalsis and help to eliminate toxins from your body. With the digestive functions still somewhat sluggish in the morning, the first meal of the day should be small and light.
- Focus on natural, fresh and wholesome foods.
- Eat only when you actually feel hungry. From an Ayurvedic perspective, eating frequently between meals has a negative impact on our digestion.
- Use fresh and seasonal garden herbs and spices – they will make your food easier to digest.
DON’TS
- Don’t drink any icecold drinks during your meal, as this will impair your digestion.
- Don’t eat hastily and quickly, as this will prevent the nutrients in your food from being assimilated effectively due to lack of saliva.
- Certain food combinations (acidic fruits with milk, or ice cream with hot fruits) can be problematic.
- Avoid heating your food several times over. This destroys the vitamins and the prana (life energy).
- Keep your consumption of meat, fish and dairy products to a minimum in the evenings, and avoid raw vegetables and fruit. Animal proteins stay in the stomach for up to six hours and block the srotas (transport channels).
For personalised dietary advice based on your individual constitution, please see the specialists at one of our Giardino hotels – they will be happy to help.
The hotel to the story: Giardino Ascona
More details: Ayurveda by Giardino