1. Low energy or Weakness

The first one is low energy or weakness. Even after eating food two to three times or more times in a day and getting good sleep, the body doesn’t feel energetic or enthusiastic. There is no desire to do anything. By doing a little work, you start feeling more tired. These symptoms indicate that your body is not getting nourished. You might be gaining weight due to eating and drinking but you are not getting the proper nutrition.

This can lead to problems such as Thyroid imbalance and problems in professional and personal life. It is important to understand that your body is asking for a break since it is not able to digest the food. Therefore, eating light food or fasting is the solution. And after you feel light and energetic, can take food as usual. You will definitely get energy if you follow this. Staying hungry will help you overcome weakness rather than making you weak.

2. Fatigue or Feeling Heavy

Another symptom very similar to the above one is not feeling like working or feeling heavy. Sometimes you have the willingness to work but your body feels heavy or there is swelling in your joints and you feel the weight while getting up or sitting down, even though you are not overweight. Sometimes this is also accompanied by a feverish feeling. It can also be treated by fasting for a few days and taking some medicines.

3. Swelling

The next symptom is swelling. There are times when people experience swelling throughout their body, on their face, on their feet, or before their periods in women, they feel swelling all over their body. This is all due to fluid retention. The function of the kidney is to clean our blood. But the reason why is the extra fluid or part of the water remaining in the blood is important and clearing the passage is necessary.

4. Greasiness of Skin

The next symptom is greasiness in the skin. Some people have oily or greasy skin, depending on their skin or body type. But the type of greasiness or oily feel, I am referring to is not about the natural oil. This whole problem can be seen in people getting greasy again very soon after washing their faces or in people feeling greasy the very next day after washing their hair. It gives the symptom that greasiness inside the body is increasing.

So the solution is to reduce the intake of fats. Also, stop consuming milk, milk products and fried things. Reduce the consumption of heavy grains like wheat and rice and start consuming rough grains like Bajra, Jowar or Nachni for a few days. The overall intake of grains should be reduced and the intake of vegetables should be increased.

5. Greasiness with Body Smell

Along with greasiness, sometimes the body smells too. Shortly after taking a bath, the body smells bad. Also, there is excessive sweating. naturally, the sweat should be like water. But here the sweat contains greasiness and a foul smell. It shows both the symptoms. The body needs cleansing. Here also, it is very important to clear the urine passage and increase the frequency of urine. By not doing it at this time, further dangerous toxins stay in the body, and removing them later takes more time.

6. Indigestion

Next comes the signs of stomach or indigestion. In fact, it’s the very first sign that most people get, but it’s easily overlooked. If you get any of these problems such as acidity, burning sensation in the throat or stomach, feeling bloated, loss of appetite, bitter taste in the mouth, gas formation or constipation, you should see an ayurvedic doctor in Navi Mumbai. Follow their instructions regarding medications and eating habits. You will be amazed at how easily your problems will be resolved. Moreover, it won’t progress further as a disease.

7. Mood Swings

Mood swings are just as important as all these body symptoms. Signs such as mood swings, insomnia, anxiety, feeling angry, sad, depressed, or getting irritated at small things, show the effect of our diet, lifestyle, and environment on our body. It’s fine to feel bad or anxious occasionally, but if you experience these emotions or moods frequently, you shouldn’t ignore them. In addition, never take allopathic medications for anxiety, insomnia, or restlessness. Since these medications work on your mind/brain, not your emotions. It is only you who can understand what affects your emotions and how to treat them. Make sure you talk to yourself honestly.  You can get help from your friends or doctor, but it all depends on how you prioritize this.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the above points. I hope they were clear to you. Make use of them in your daily life as they are a form of health insurance to you. To prevent disease in the future, stay healthy and live a healthy lifestyle every day.

The post The Early Signs of illness: How do diseases start? Part 2 appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

Too many diya pics these days, I know!

Yet, I do not want to miss sharing the big learnings that such small occurrences bring.

In this picture, I have two diyas. They are different in design, but serve the same purpose. I picked them up at different times simply because I liked them. Do note that I liked them because they were different.

Yesterday evening, I put oil and a wick in each of them and lit them together. Both shone beautifully. But, since their size and shape is different, there was one difference in the way I had to use them. In the bigger one, I put oil only once and it lit for a good 3 hours. While in the smaller one, I had to refill oil thrice for it to go on that long.

Now, we don’t need too much knowledge to figure this out. Small size means less oil fits and thus needs refilling. Our bodies are also that simple if only we do not get stuck in information over load. All our bodies are made up of the same stuff, same organs in each, but depending on the structural changes, the functioning may vary. All of us eat, work, sleep, think. But we all do not do all of this in the same way and same degree. We have our individual body types, our own unique permutations and combinations – this is the variety and thus the beauty of nature.

To know in detail, read https://ayurvedicanswers.com/preventive-ayurved/body-constitution/

Trouble begins when for some reason we feel, all of us must eat the same amount in the same frequency. Children are the most common targets for this absolutely misplaced belief we carry. We even take it forward to expect that all must grow up to be tall and well built, to excel in the same subjects (that even means ALL subjects for some parents!!) and achieve the same accolades.

From the above example we must understand that a Vat prakruti person has a smaller stomach and digestive capacity as compared to a Kaf prakruti person. So he will need to eat frequently in smaller amounts while a K person needs to eat one big meal. Doing vice versa will harm both. The Vat person risks indigestion if he overeats and low energy, aches and pains if he skips a meal. The K person risks being overweight if he eats frequently and unsatisfied if he eats tiny meals.

Both of them will work to their best potential, albeit differently, if given what they need, instead of going by what some ‘standard’ suggests.

Hoping this Diwali, we celebrate our differences while rejoicing in our oneness.

Let’s put oil as our diya demands and enable it to shine the brightest it can.

The post So same…Yet so different appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

What makes us fast during Navratri?

What makes us over eat during Diwali?

It is not about will power. It is not about habits.

It is a little about what is in the air and a lot about how we look at food. About our relationship with food.

If it was just not possible for us physically, to control eating, how do we fast without any compulsion for 9 days? It’s just that if we really want to do it, we do it. Relatives, friends, neighbors are also fasting…this helps.

Somehow many of us consider Navratri period as a period of strength. Some feel, the Devi makes us strong enough to do it. Some feel, we should do it and so manage to do it to keep up the tradition. Some also fear some harm coming to them if the days are spent eating as usual.

Whatever our reason, the fact remains that –

We are able to do that which we understand as important and essential.

2 weeks later, comes Diwali !!

I feel Diwali is no longer a festival of light. It is more like a festival of food.

Let me get the disclaimer in place first. I am not against enjoying or celebrating the festival. Nor am I against Diwali delicacies. But I wish to set the alarm against what it does to us on a mental level.

Diwali actually acts like a mirror. A clean one. It just reflects that which is there. That which has been there all through the year. It shows how we are just waiting for an excuse to let down the guard and eat all we what, as much as we want and even force others to eat like us saying “Are Diwali Hai”

It is like we have a valid reason to behave the way we are behaving. But whom are we giving the excuse and explanation to? Who is opposing in the first place?

 It is to that portion of our self that made the Navratri fasting possible. It is to our own sense of understanding that we are about to violate.

Year after year of celebrating Diwali like this, don’t you feel forced to ask WHY?

It is easy to understand if we look at it closely. It only shows a deep sense of dissatisfaction. How incomplete we feel. There is a strong inner hunger and we feel eating can satisfy that. But we fail to see that years of eating has still not satisfied us. So food is NOT the answer to feeling complete and good. Food is not the only answer to celebration.

What is the answer then? That is for each one of us to find on our own.

My job is to bring that question in focus and to point out – please leave the plate.

I feel the need to do that because I see on a daily basis what this unnecessary, abnormal eating is doing to your body. The harm it causes and the pain it gives. And all the while what you are really trying to do is just feel good.  Any food that goes in the body without there being a need for it and that which has no scope of being utilized by the body creates trouble. Worse is, the indigestion and toxins that block our subtle channels of intelligence only makes us crave more of the wrong things and we end up staying on the same track going round and round, only thickening the blockage.

Breaking out of this happens, when for once we stop to think-

“Why are we eating really?”

I hope we are able to remember our Navratri, when Diwali comes along…

I hope this Diwali really brings light to our lives.

The post Navratri Vs Diwali appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

Writing this post brings fond memories to me. During my college days of learning Ayurved, I would share all the new health knowledge I gathered with my family. Mom and dad would agree with a lot of it and share their own experiences while my brothers had a jolly time making fun of the new Sanskrit words I said and the food or other changes I suggested..

After all the ayurvedic dos and don’ts they had to listen to from me…invariably their concern would be ‘can we never eat this or do that?’

And how pleased would they be with my “Na. Na..kyarek chale” answer!

(kyarek chale is the Gujrati for ‘its alright sometime’)

Coming back to the topic of this post…It is Abhyaas.

Abhyaas means continuous, repeated practice.

Ayurved says that which is done daily or regularly is what creates an impact and a corresponding effective consequence.

Think about this.

Do we start to suffer from chronic ill health by consuming the wrong food once or twice or occasionally?

No, we do not.

Same way, we cannot get well having the right food or medicine once or twice, irregularly or occasionally.

Anything that is consistent bears results.

Good health is a consequence of forming right, healthy habits. Habit means making it a part of everyday life. 

Bad health is naturally a result of wrong habits.

Just as planting seeds and then watering it daily makes it develop roots and grow gradually, then forming stems, branches, leaves, flowers and fruits step by step, similarly the roots of any action performed repeatedly must grow strong and deep for it to have an effect.

Nothing happens overnight. Everything is eventual. It is just that we are rarely aware of all that which goes into the  making of the eventuality.

Occasional indulgences, relaxations of principles and out of routine behaviors are totally fine and must be done too…

It’s alright to have curd one night with your favorite dish. But it is not alright to make eating daily curd and at night a habit.

Tasty but junk hotel food is alright once in a while but it is not alright every weekend.

Who doesn’t enjoy an ice cream for dessert sometime? But having chilled drinks daily or frequent ice-creams is very different.

Staying up late or waking up late sometime is not a crime, but if done daily it has the potential to impact our complete life.

Laying on the sofa one rainy day is so ok, but not the lack of  physical activity on most days.

So, the bottom-line is, be consistent in the good, sensible practices… only then will they bring you wellness.

Stay occasional and rare in the unmindful indulgences, if you must…only then will they be stopped from causing you much harm.

Kyarek chale.

The post The ‘Kyarek Chale’ Episodes appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

What we don’t realize is, that, the opposite is also equally true. We have simultaneously become unduly relaxed about important stuff. Things that should draw attention have stopped ringing the bells!

One such thing is body odour that stays in spite of maintaining good hygienic practices. Foul smell from the body or mouth, from the nose or smelly socks. It can be a source of great nuisance for the person as well as those around him. 

What causes body odour?

Let us suppose you walk into your kitchen and notice a bad stink. Where is it that you will look for the source?

1. A garbage bin that may been forgotten to be emptied
2. Left over and now rotten food over the platform
3. A blocked kitchen sink

These are the top few..so the answer is clear.

ACCUMULATED WASTE is the cause of a bad smell.

Simplistic as this may sound, it is the real fact.

How does this waste accumulate?

The food that we consume daily needs to be digested and then the nutrients are absorbed while the waste is to be discarded through the channels of stools, urine and sweat. When these wastes are not passed out regularly, they start accumulating in the intestines and soon show its effect on the blood as well through absorption of toxins.

1. Digestion is impaired grossly, when the amount or quality of food does not match the digestive capacity and when the level of physical activity is too low.
2. Wastes also fail to pass out well when the urge to pass motion or urine is ignored or delayed repeatedly due to other preoccupations.
3. Constantly staying in air conditioned interiors greatly reduces sweating and thus the output of the waste that must pass through with it.

What is the solution to body odour?

Avoiding accumulation of waste is the only solution to body odour.

Ayurvedic principles as mentioned below must be bought into practice after proper understanding.

Treatment for processing and evacuation of already collected toxic load is necessary. This will lead to blood purification.

1. Keeping digestion optimum
2. Being conscious in the choice and quantity of food consumed. Light, easy to digest, nutritious food with fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid packaged, stale, deep fried, sugary,  bakery and fermented items strictly along with milk and milk products.
3. Enough water intake
4. Regular physical activity
5. Timely passage of stools and urine
6. Exposure to normal climatic conditions that favour natural sweating

Why should body odour not be taken lightly?

Maintaining good hygiene and use of mouth fresheners, deodorants, talcum powders and perfumes are the logical steps taken by most people facing the issue of body odour. In itself this is required, but it should not limit our effort to solve the root cause of the problem. 

When we understand what the body is trying to convey through this sign it is most likely that we will work to resolve the cause. If left untreated the accumulated wastes will only progress to create further damage to the body. Blocking of important channels in the body happens gradually and leads to serious issues like high blood pressure, heart troubles, deep seated skin diseases etc. 

It is only wise that we must take the teachings of Ayurved to understand not just this but all of our health issues and then take the necessary holistic steps to safeguard our health.

Understanding is the key!

The post UGH….WHAT IS THAT SMELL? appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

LONG AGO, 

We had the concept of a ‘family doctor’ This doctor knew and treated the entire family and was like family too. He felt accessible and friendly.

He KNEW his patients. That means he was aware of what type of food they ate, their basic lifestyle, business or job characteristics, possible hereditary factors, nature etc etc.

Any health problem that was bought to him was analysed against this background and a decision was reached. These were the good old days.

COMING TO THE PRESENT,

We have a general practitioner who prescribes medicines for a week or two and soon refers you to a ‘specialist’ that you must see.

A specialist is a doctor who has gained in depth knowledge of a particular system in the human body and so he becomes so and so specialist. In no way do i mean to downplay the extensive knowledge these doctors have or the years of hard work they have spent gaining it. (I am not talking about surgical branches here) 

But it is also a fact that this speciality usually comes at the price of missing the full picture.

THE PATIENT

A patient is one whole person. A combination of one body, one mind and one soul. 

Any problem that he may face can start at any of these levels, but if it continues for long, sooner or later, it affects all and is affected by all. Broadly, these facets are all interdependent and not independent. 

On the physical level too, various systems of the body work harmoniously through their cooperation.

HOW DISEASE HAPPENS

If one part is in dis-ease, it affects the other parts too.

For examples- 

If the stomach is frequently irritated by too much spicy food, this irritation is felt by the blood too and the blood circulates in the entire body. The spicy feel even reaches the mind and it is then no surprise that this mind will not be too able to handle day to day stresses easily, the blood vessels may have the tendency to rupture and cause bleeding in the brain. 

A body that has a big collection of wastes or undigested material in it, is forced to let these wastes travel to other parts of the body. If they land in the joints, they cause a joint disease. If they are lodged in the skin, it manifests as a skin issue.

Of course this is a very brief description, missing the technical points, but it is enough to give us an idea of how it is all connected. 

HOW IT IS TREATED BY SPECIALISTS

Now, a specialist is trained to look at a particular part too much and modern medicine has no practical concept of inter relation of systems. So these problem areas are treated while ignoring its source. The patient is never told what he is doing wrong.

When one specialist doctor is done with his part of treatment, the patient is sent to another specialist to solve another problem. No one will realize that this ‘another’ problem has occurred in the ‘same person’ simply because the offending imbalance was just pushed away from one part. The patient becomes a football and is played around until he gives up trying to get well.

WHAT SHOULD HAVE  BEEN THE TREATMENT 

If instead of this sad picture, the patient was educated about his wrong eating habits and how it was affecting his body, he would have had the option to stop the source soon. Then treatment should be provided for the imbalance already present. This would stop progress of the disease immediately and make recovery possible. 

AYURVED SAYS

All disease arise from the gut

The first treatment for any disease is avoidance of the cause

So,the most natural question to specialists giving special treatments is – 

But .. what about the gut??

The post But..What About The Gut ? appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

Nature never stays constant. In fact the only thing constant about nature is its changing feature! The seasons follow one another and keep changing. We never have one season throughout the year. While this is mostly good for us, it does require adjusting on our part to prevent seasonal illnesses. 

The best prevention is modifying our food and routines as per the demand of the present season.

So lets learn about what the monsoon demands from us.

I will talk in terms of qualities that we all can relate to, rather than traditional textual terms that may seem alien!

The monsoon is –

WET and COLD

It was preceded by – 

an EXHAUSTING summer.

Good health always means a good, efficient digestion. 

Disease always means an impaired digestive function.

So our aim right now, should be to balance these qualities along with keeping the digestion optimum.

When I say ‘digestion’ think of food cooking over your stove.

Now, wet and cold are not exactly qualities that help with cooking up. So we must balance these with WARM, FIRE STIMULANTS and avoid exposing it to too much WIND.

We also need to have food that is LIGHT or not too heavy. Just as we avoid washing thick heavy clothes during the rains in fear of them not drying up, we must avoid food that is too heavy to digest. A nice tempering (tadka) with ghee or oil and spices like mustard, cumin, asofeotida is an easy Fire Stimulant. Dried ginger powder, pepper powder are also advised.

Regular use of a small amount of honey is beneficial.

To summarize,

We need-

Light (easy) to digest food

Warm food in terms of temperature and qualities 

Fire stimulants like oil, ghee and spices

Actual things to eat

1. Old rice
2. Wheat flour mixed with barley flour for chapatis or
3. Wheat flour mixed with jowar/ bajra (sorghum/ pearl millet)
4. Green gram, well cooked
5. Oil/ghee, spices 
6. Honey
7. Sour and salty taste
8. Good quality traditionally made pickles

We must stay away from-

1. Heavy to digest food – fried food, sweets, bakery food
2. Cold food in temperature and properties – milkshakes, ice cream, fermented food
3. Dampness creating food and places
4. Exertion of all kinds should be avoided. Exercise, physical labour, too much traveling and sexual excess all are harmful as the body is already weak even though you may not feel so.
5. Sleeping during the day is to be cancelled. On those wet, dark cloudy days of heavy rainfall, engage in reading, or catching up on t.v, meeting up friends,  indoor family games etc. But do not spend them sleeping.

The post During The Monsoons appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

GURU…the one who turns on the light. So that we can SEE. Once we can see, it is easy to make the right choice..

A true Guru is one who aims to make us independent. He passes on that gem of knowledge which will suffice for all the times we are faced with tough questions. He makes sure we become our own Guru..

Ayurved is very similar to the role of a Guru too. It is a system of medicine by common perception..but in reality it is a way of living, the right way of living.

Ayurved teaches us what health really is all about. A real doctor is the one who works to make sure we don’t need a doctor. Isn’t that the meaning of bringing health?

Through Ayurved, he empowers us..makes us independent.

Health is not about which food has how much of which nutrient? 

Not about how much of it we can absorb? Not about its active or inactive form in the body.

It is not about counting calories or portion control.

Not even about supplements that MUST be taken. 

It is not about back breaking work outs followed by high protein intake at weird hours of the day or night.

It is not about my so and so blood levels are up or down.

I can go on and on…but i guess you get the hint..

It is not about such complicated things at all.

It is about simplifying and seeing for yourself and not dancing according to the whims of the world.

Health like all good things comes from within..

It is about am I hungry? 

About how much food do I really need?

Is this food right for me? At this time?

Am I using my body in the correct way or am I under or over using it?

Am I sleeping appropriately?

Am I enjoying my work or is it a source of constant stress to my mind?

How do I decide how much is appropriate in food, exercise, work or sleep?

Is my body giving me subtle hints when I am lethargic or burping or smelling or constipated or not hungry or irritable frequently? Does that recurring mild headache mean something important?

Answers to these questions are already there in us. To each his own. We don’t need to search for them. This is how we become our own boss. Our own doctor. A science like Ayurved alone, lays down such genuine principles for the benefit of mankind as a whole and not for a few as bunch of ‘doctors’

All it requires from us is Honesty, Attention and a refusal to settle for anything lesser, no matter how easy or comfortable it looks. In fact it is good to remember that just as a true guru is never a pleasant experience initially, a way of living that is best for us is not going to be a bed of roses either. Simply because right now we have walked so much away from the right things.

On this wonderful day of Guru poornima and always, I bow my head to my Guru and to this science of Ayurved. May we all become honest and simple enough to be benefited by their grace.

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Among all our relationships, I feel, our relationship with our food is the most superficial. We don’t care enough to know our food well before we consume it. We have no idea of its inherent qualities and characteristics.

Having some basic knowledge about the properties of the food we eat, will help us eat them correctly and thus gain the life energy it has to offer. If we consume them in a wrong way, we may end up with problems that the food had never really intended to give us. it is similar to how a good mother or teacher knows the qualities of the child they assist and bringing them up in line with those strengths is what makes them a success in their own way.

We don’t even need extensive study or professional training for this. Simple attention to the food and avoiding unconscious compulsive behavior can suffice.

In the last post we talked about, Dals and Pulses. Today, we move on to the King of Fruits…the delicious Mango.

What are the qualities of a ripe mango?

Once we have a nice ripe mango, our stomach feels full. We feel satisfied for quite a stretch of time. This indicates that it has the HEAVY quality. 

It is also COOLING to the body.

Predominantly SWEET in taste. Sweet taste in itself indicates cooling and heavy qualities too.

It is UNCTOUS meaning oily or lubricating.

It is also a pacifier for all the doshas. A TRIDOSH SHAMAK fruit.

How and when should we have the mango?

Now knowing its properties, how and when to have a mango is very easy to understand.

Ripe

A mango should be allowed to ripen well. An unripe mango has properties quite opposite from a ripe one. It aggravates the Pitt dosh and may lead to skin problems, acidity etc.

All by itself 

Being Heavy, the King better be treated like a King. We cannot mix it up with commoners. Better not to combine it with other food for lunch or dinner. Yes, the aam ras puri plans must be cancelled. If you must have it, chapati and aam ras occasionally may be alright if you do not over eat. Gas, indigestion, bloating and burps that keep reminding of the mango happen when it is not able to digest well due to the other food had along with it.

Have it on an empty stomach in the morning for breakfast or in the evening between major meals when the stomach is light. Treat it as a small meal by itself so summer breakfasts can easily be a mango.

Not too many

Avoid having too many at a time. One mango at a time should be good.

Not in the cold

Mangoes being unctous and cooling, are a treat from nature for beating the summer heat. While they act as a tonic in summer, nourishing the tissues, we should stop having them as the monsoon sets in. Similarly, anyone suffering from a cold, fever or low appetite should avoid it till they recover.

What can be had with a mango?

Mango milkshakes are a right combination provided the mango is ripe and all the above is followed too.

Those who may still have difficulty digesting a mango, can add a pinch of sunth or dried ginger powder to it while having.

So, lets know our mango, understand it and then enjoy it with gratitude in our hearts for this wonderful gift from mother nature.

The post The Royal One..Mango appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

We are all aware of pulses and they are found in most Indian homes. In this post I will talk about the Ayurvedic point of view of this staple food item. Since we are eating them, lets know the right way to eat them.

Why should we have dals or pulses?

Ayurved recommends maintaining balance in all sphere of life. Balance in food is of prime importance. It also explains concepts in a way that all of us can easily connect to and understand. Only then can they become a part of our daily life.

When we look at our plate served with food, immediately we should be able to see balance. Among the six tastes, among the colours, among the heating or cooling properties of food, among the form of food preparation etc. To know more Ayurvedic information on food read http://ayurvedicanswers.com/preventive-ayurved/food/

Fluid balance

Food should have the dry and wet or fluid part in balance. A dry meal of just roti sabzi on a regular basis requires much more effort from the digestive system to be digested and then from the other systems too as it tries to compensate for the dryness. Cooked dals or pulses provide the much needed fluid component in a meal. This helps to balance the roti and rice. When a balanced meal goes into the stomach daily the system functions smoothly. It has the water it needs and thus does not borrow it from other systems. The blood composition stays in balance and so do all other tissues.

The hormones, the enzymes, the fluid in joints, the urinary system all require fluid for its normal working.

Weight check (Kaf balance)

Most dals help keep weight in check. Wheat chapati and rice that we have almost for all meals are kaf promoting food. This is the dosh responsible for weight gain. Dals on the other hand are vat and pitt promoters predominantly. So together they keep the kaf in balance. To understand about kaf better, read http://ayurvedicanswers.com/ayurvedic-principles/tridosh/

Nutrition

Yes, pulses provide us with proteins (note- non dairy protein) and fiber and other nutrients as well. They have low fat and a low glycemic index too. This is the language that most of us are used to hearing. We may not be able to see the protein etc, but we can surely see how the bowl of dal balances our thali. Understanding is more important than complicated details.

How should dals be cooked?

To gain the benefits dals carry and to prevent the problems commonly associated with eating dals it is important to know the correct way of cooking dals. Dals will not cause too much gas, acidity, abdominal discomfort when cooked as below.

• Use unpolished dals.
• Soaking

Wash and soak dals in water for at least one hour prior to cooking. Discard the water used for soaking. Whole pulses need to be soaked even longer, around 8 to 10 hours. This helps in re hydrating the dals and pulses. Cooking them after soaking becomes easier.

• No pressure cooker 

Do not use a pressure cooker to cook the dals. That is not cooking at all. As the name suggests it is the use of pressure. The dals are pressurized and they break. It takes much less time compared to cooking without a cooker. So the dals don’t really get the heat they should be getting to cook up well. They just end up breaking and we think it is all mushy, so must be cooked.

Cooking without a cooker, in a pan covered with a lid, on a medium flame is the ideal way to cook. Let it stay the time it needs to become soft and cooked. 

If we pressurize the dal, it will surely create pressure (gas) on our intestines too

• Spices

During cooking add easily available  spices like ginger, green chilli, asafoetida (hing), curry leaves and turmeric. At the end add coriander leaves.

• Oil/Ghee

Once cooked well, temper with oil or ghee (Tadka)

Add mustard seeds, cumin, a bit of clove and cinnamon.

• Consistency

The final dal should not be too thick. Keep it a thin, fluid type consistency that can be sipped between bites of food.

Which dals and how much?

*Moong as whole pulse, dal with chilka and the yellow moong dal all are easy on the stomach, can be had regularly by everyone.

*Masoor dal too is light to digest.

*Tur dal comes next after moong and masoor. When cooked well it is well digested by most and is nutritious too.

*Urad dal is heavy to digest and should not be had often. It is good for those trying to gain weight.

*Moth beans are better when sprouted. Using garlic is important when cooking sprouts.

*Whole pulses like rajma, chole, black eyed peas, white peas are quite heavy to digest, should be had during the winter months and lesser in quantity. Also they are best avoided for dinner. Use good amount of ginger and garlic along with other spices.

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