5 AYURVEDIC FACTS about health foods

Nathalie Hrayssi Kaur is an Ealing-based Ayurvedic Consultant and Ayurveda for Women Consultant She learned and qualified with Ayurvedic Physicians and Doctors in Pune, and in Lucknow, India and has been studying and learning Ayurveda since 2000 We spoke to her about the Ayurvedic take on food and how we can incorporate the principals into our own diets

Knowledge of food, diet, nutrition and cooking constitutes a fundamental pillar of Ayurveda - whose best translation may be “science” of “life” (from sanskrit ayur: life and veda: “knowledge/science ”) Drawing from over 5000 years of knowledge and information, Ayurveda gives us a very comprehensive and factual approach to food and eating habits and how these define and determine the health of an individual

Not all Health Food is Good Food: just because it is organic, fresh, nutritious doesn’t mean it will do you good! (Although that's not to say that junk food is preferable!) Yes, as much as possible one must strive to source the best quality product, local, seasonal, well cooked and eaten fresh but there are main factors to look into before eating:

- current state of health/ digestion - right food combining - state of mind whilst eating (& cooking!)

- the time of the year (climate and weather) and time of the day one eats

It also vital to look at food combination: because it is all good, it won’t necessarily combine well in your digestive system and thus will remain as undigested food that creates more trouble than goodness If food doesn’t get digested, whilst some of it gets expelled, the remaining undigested food becomes toxin “Ama” in the system

Beware of Superfoods: These often spring from trends and just people often think that because they're superfoods, it's ok to consume them excessively One example is Ashwagandha: a so-called adaptogen, which is currently extremely popular for various symptoms However taken in excess and unnecessarily, it can create inflammation Note that this doesn’t change its many healing properties Another one is the famous Tumeric, which can also create inflammation in the body if taken in excess or not cooked appropriately

It's not only Food that we Digest: Traumatic experiences can affect the digestive tract - all the sensory input one receives also need to be digested, and impact our digestive system

Sugar & Fats arent the Enemy: It goes without saying that candies, processed desserts, refined sugars, sweets, cakes and factory produced desserts are a no-no However; raw unrefined organic sugar, rock candy, jaggery in moderation are not unhealthy at all and can be used in great moderation and in their unrefined form Raw, cold pressed, uncooked unrefined fats are very important for brain health, joint lubrication, body tissues nourishment and overall body strength

It's not what you eat; it's what you digest that matters: Undigested matter (be it food, emotions, thoughts, experiences ) can become toxic and lead to disease www yogalondres-co-uk

Taste Of The Mediterranean

The oh-so-popular olive is where the story of Tastes Of The Mediterranean begins! 'Olives made into a savoury jam?' their founder pondered She wrote a recipe, made the jam and their first product was made That was in 2019 Since then, their olive jam has won a Great Taste award and they have added a further 25 flavours and other products to their range They use lots of locally and homegrown produce in many of their jams, chutneys, savoury jams, chilli jams, hot sauces and marmalades They also sell Turkish delight Available at Crawford's butchers (Oldfield Circus), Cheddar Deli (Northfields), Askwine (Acton) and online at www tastesofthemed co uk

Prices from £3.50

Dodo Rum

The Dodo of Hanwell Rum, launched in 2022 by The Dodo Micropub is a UK distilled craft rum perfect for sipping slowly and savouring. Following on from the successful launch of The Dodo of Hanwell Gin, the rum was a passion project bringing together the very best flavours from dark rum and dark beer The base notes are caramel and butterscotch with a hint of cacao nibs and coffee on the finish

£39.40 per 70cl bottle, 40% abv Available via the web shop or from The Dodo Micropub

Yayaka

The brand's recipes are based on Yayakas (grandmothers) from around Greece, making sure that their stories reach their customers through their delicacies It is their belief that tradition should be cherished which is why they make their pies, specifically, in the old fashioned but nonetheless artisan way: hand-rolled on a wooden board, with a slim wooden stick that gives each phyllo the perfect size, shape and texture

Yayaka collaboraes with various small businesses from all over Greece, who send top quality produce to incorporate in their menu, making sure that every bite is authentic www.yayaka.co.uk

Bakebox

Specialising in made to order, chocolate ‘brownies’ and ‘blondies’, BAKE-BOX is a mother-daughter venture, that started its humble journey from their Ealing-based kitchen in December 2019 With a mission to create tasty, handmade treats, suitable for gifting, the baking duo began with creating personalised treat boxes The business grew a strong fan base after introducing their ‘postal friendly’ brownies and blondies, allowing buyers to send treats across the UK and connect with loved ones throughout the pandemic

Prices start from £14 50 including a hand-written gift message and postage

Herblends

Launched in 2023, herblend,mbs is all about feeding the mind, body and soul They create herbal blends to suit your own needs, giving you that boost to become your best self.

herblend,mbs is 100% natural Whether you ’ re looking for a tea to help you relax after a long day or want to create your own custom blend to suit your needs, local brand herblend,mbs has it all

Check out their Etsy store to discover more: https://herblendmbs.etsy.com

Ingredients Method

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 red bell or pointed pepper, diced

1 or ½ small red chilli

1 tsp salt

Corn or vegetable oil to fry

500 g beef steak mince or minced beef, ideally 10% fat

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground allspice

1 tsp oregano or marjoram

250 ml tomato passata

2 tbsp tomato paste

100 g white rice

A can of black beans (400g, 240 g of beans)

1 spring onion, roughly cut into small rings for garnish

Recipe

45mins - 1 5 hour

Warm your cockles with this wonderful chilli con carne recipe from the fabulous food blogger Dominika Kaliszewska.

Heat a splash of oil in a large pot over medium heat Add onions and fry for 2 minutes, then add the salt, garlic and chilli pepper and continue frying for the next 2 minutes Then add the chopped red pepper and continue frying until the pepper is softened, it takes another 3 minutes Remove all vegetables from the pot and set aside

Add a splash of oil again and increase the heat, then add meat Fry the meat until it becomes brown

I do it in batches as my pot with a thick bottom is not large enough and I don't want to crowd the meat; if a pot is too small, meat will release the juices and will cook instead of frying

Lower the heat to medium and return all vegetables to the pot

Add the cumin, allspice, oregano or marjoram, tomato passata and paste Stir to combine all ingredients Cover the pot with a lid and cook on low heat for at least 45 minutes Check the stew every 15 minutes stirring to prevent it from burning

In the meantime, cook the rice as per instructions and keep it warm

After 45 minutes of cooking add the black beans, stir and cook another 5 minutes

Serve the chilli with rice, a dash of sour cream and avocado, topped with the spring onion You can use your favourite toppings such as red pickled onions or tortillas

This recipe was provided by food blogger and Ealing resident Dominika Kaliszewska

Dominka's blog Polly Eats London offers up step-by-step guides on how to create an array of fabulous recipes