This wonderful work by Ms. Meena Puri is filled with practical tools and
pr ofound wisdom that will allow you to cut thr ough all the confusion of fad
diets and change how you view food and your life for ever! Ms. Puri’ s vision
for a healthier tomorr ow is clearly heartfelt and will inspir e us all to take
an active r ole in cr eating healthier communities. What’ s mor e, her book is a
powerful r eminder to all health practitioners to open our minds to that
which is most important: the patients who trust us to guide them to healing. Food is medicine, and Ms. Puri includes delicious r ecipes in this beautiful
book that will allow you to fill your kitchen with healing foods designed to
turn you into your own Health Her o! I have a pr ofound r espect for Eastern Medicine, especially when it’ s
combined with the marvels of modern W estern Medicine, and this book,
filled with compelling stories, shows how Eastern concepts of going to the
r oot of the disease can enhance the futur e of W estern medical practice. The
principles elucidated in this work will help pave the way for a healing
journey that will allow you to derive ever mor e enjoyment than ever befor e
fr om your life. It’ s truly a powerful addition to your bookshelf! Dr . Partha Nandi 
Creator and host of The Dr . Nandi Show
W e usually think of food as nourishing us with vitamins and minerals and
pr oviding ener gy to us. Meena Puri goes under that science to the essential
Consciousness that is available thr ough our right r elationship with food. She blends this delicious depth with very practical tips on what and how to
eat for healthful living. Her book will nourish your body and your soul. Rhonda Egidio, Ph.D. Professor of Education Michigan State University , A yurveda Practitioner . Meena Puri’ s conscious appr oach to food and r elationship with food
pr ovides an outline for a systematic appr oach to various silent, intricate
featur es of health and wellness. This book offers not only cooking r ecipes,but also pr ovides vast knowledge of A yurvedic appr oach to food and
nutrition. As I teach and conduct various A yurvedic Food and Nutrition
Consultant certification trainings, Meena Puri’ s book will be a valuable
r esour ce in helping students and practitioners understand various concepts
of A yurvedic nutrition. Her book is also highly beneficial and r ecommended
for r egister ed dieticians and anyone seeking to understand A yurvedic
nutrition. Dr . Shekhar Annambhotla, President, 
Association of A yurvedic Professionals of North America (AAPNA), Inc.
USA. Even if you think you know everything about food, this book is a must r ead. Bringing balance in our body and our life is something we face daily and to
think we can do that with the foods we consume is quite a discovery . Much
mor e than a diet or a r ecipe book, the wisdom offer ed her e will help you
bring balance and healing in your kitchen and…your life. Obsessed with
counting calories, we overlook the most important ingr edient in our
nutrition, that is the ener gy it holds and imparts to our body and our mind
and how it affects our Consciousness. The wisdom offer ed her e, wher e
A yurveda meets W estern lifestyle, is pr ofound for pr eventing disease and for
healing. The added bonus is the captivating pr ose that will invite you into the book
and will ring true for you. It is a CLASSIC, to be r ead, r er ead, shar ed and
gifted. Every paragraph is an aha moment. Susan Niedzielski B.S. M.A., 
Educator , Y oga T eacher , A yurveda PractitionerCopyright © 2018 Meena Puri / A yurvedic Healing Center LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of
this book may be reproduced mechanically , electronically , or by any other means, including
photocopying, without permission of the publisher . It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website,
or distribute it by any other means without permission from the publisher . ISBN: 978-1-7328793-1-7
Published by A yurvedic Healing Center LLC
Photos by Simone Kitschke 
Cover Design by T revor Stooke 
Book Design by Janet Rouss
The Information in this book is based on A yurvedic Principles that have been practiced for thousands
of years. I encourage you to use the information to promote self healing. It is not intended, however ,
to replace professional medical care or treatment. For any medical conditions, always consult a
licensed health care professional.A  t r i b u t e  t o  m y  f a t h e r . I f  o n l y  I  h a d  y o u r  w i s d o m .T h e  a r t  o f  h e a l i n g  c o m e s  f r o m  n a t u r e ,
n o t  f r o m  t h e  p h y s i c i a n . T h e r e f o r e  t h e
p h y s i c i a n  m u s t  s t a r t  f r o m  n a t u r e ,  w i t h
a n  o p e n  m i n d . Phillipus Aur eolus ParacelsusC O N T E N T S
Foreword
Preface
How this book is or ganized
Section I Our Challenges
Chapter 1 Guilt and Shame
Chapter 2 Emotional Hunger
Chapter 3 Our Disconnection from Food
Chapter 4 Overconsumption and Addiction
Chapter 5 Lack of Personal Responsibility
Section II A yurveda Offers Solutions
Chapter 6 A yurveda Fills the Gap
Chapter 7 Consciousness and its Role in Healing
Chapter 8 The Bigger Context
Chapter 9 Our Connection with Creation
Chapter 10 Ener gy , Quality , and Balance
Chapter 1 1 Digestibility
Chapter 12 What Makes Food A yurvedic? Section III Healing: A Collective Concept
Chapter 13 It T akes a V illage
Chapter 14 I Dream of a Dif ferent W orld
Chapter 15 Food is Our Medicine
Section IV Recipes: Let the Healing Begin in Y our KitchenChapter 16 Stocking Y our A yurvedic Pantry
Chapter 17 Be Y our Own Master Chef
Chapter 18 Notes About the Recipes
Chapter 19 Recipes
More About the Author
Bibliography
End notesA C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S  A N D  G R A T I T U D E
Y ears ago, I volunteered to hos t a Y oga Fundraiser to help a student serve
kids in an underdeveloped community in Peru. W e had a great turnout and I
was able to fit 22 students into my small home studio. W e used every inch
of the space in the studio and I managed to teach Y oga while I was
practically plastered to the wall. The high light of  the event was the Indian lunch I had prepared. Plans to eat
outside were undermined by an  unusually strong wind, so at meal-time I
lined my living room and kitchen with tables and chairs. It turned out to be
a memorable experience for all, and, most importantly , we raised over $700. This money went a long way to help the kids in Peru. It was at this eve nt that many participants suggested I teach a co oking class,
as they had real ly enjoyed the lunch. Of course, I laughed it of f as I had
never fo llowed a recipe or mea sured anything while cooking. I did it all
instinctively and by feel. In order to teach, I would have to write out the
exact rec ipes and that felt like a jarring idea; it felt like work I didn’ t want
to do. The sug gestions were sincere and persistent, however . I mentioned the idea
to m y friend, Alison, who no t only gave me encouragement, but also
transcribed a recipe while I talk ed it out. This led to me teaching a class on
the secrets of In dian Cooking in a middle school’ s skills room,  to about 15
people. They not only thoroughly enjoyed the dishes we had prepared, but
really appreciated learning all about the spices; they loved being able to add
new dishes to their repertoire. What followed were more coo king classes and after I grad uated from
A yurveda Schoo l, I started to teach an A yurvedic nutrition a nd cookingprogram right out of my kitchen. I fielded constant requests for a cookbook. That fundraiser meal really was the starting point for this book, which
started out as a way to share the recipes but ended with a lot more than that. I’ve lear ned tha t anything can t urn into the first step towards an unknown
future, o r even to a goal that we may have never imagined. I am grateful to
all t hose who encouraged me  and suggested I write this book. I am
especially grateful to my friend, Alison, who transferred that one recipe
from my head to paper and made me realize that writing a recipe down was
not all that dif ficult after all. W ith the  yoga studio housed right below my kitchen, my students often say
things like, “It smells so good. What are you cooking? Y ou should do a
book!” Thank you for your kind  and encouraging comments, your trust and,
moreover , for appreciating the  meals that I prepare at our meditation
retreats and special events. I h ave thorough ly enjoyed cooking the recipes that you will find in this
book, particularly because of my friend and photographer , Simone
Kitschke. W ithout her , this book would not be possible. W e had many
sessions of cooking, taking pictures, eating and repeating this pattern, and
we had a blast. My Indian pas sion and her German discipline could not
have been a better match, and I can say that we were in the “z one” every
session. Things flowed and came together seamlessly . W e also got
immediate feedback on the recipes from her husband, our “la b rat,” and
Simone called me a mad scien tist better fitted for an entertainment show
than a cooking show . Thank you, Simone! I wonder what we will do next? Many th anks to my editor Susan  Crossman, not only for her support of my
ideas an d passio n but for questioning me enough to pull a boo k out of me
and for being there every time I needed a sounding board. T here are so
many o thers who have contributed to this book through their
encouragement, feedback, support and their trust in me. Amongst those are
my leaf sisters and colleagues Rhonda Egidio and Sue Niedzi elski. I will
always r emember my book being read to me by you both. And thanks to my
business coach, Sherri Richards , who told me it will only take me a month
to write a book; it didn’ t but you did inspire me. I am grateful for Dr . Shekhar Annam bhotla for his continuous support in whatever I do. I amgrateful for my dear client, Chuck Hammond, for trusting in my work and
of fering many valuable suggestions and quotes for the book. I am always
grateful for my family and my friends for believing in me and always
cheering me on. Last but not least, I am grateful for all of my teachers, includi ng the ones
who came in th e guise of tough clients and students. Y ou have taught me
more than you will know . But in particular , I want to of fer my deepest
gratitude to the o ne and only Dr . Paul Dugliss, my teacher and mentor , who
opened the world of A yurveda  and healing to me in the mos t authentic,
compassionate and complete wa y possible. W ith such a strong foundation, I
can only rise and I am forever grateful for him. I ded icate this book to all of my students and clients. It is my sincere hope
that thro ugh my  thoughts, stories and the handful of recipes I ha ve included
here, you can b ecome self-relia nt and confident enough to no t only take
care of your bas ic need for food , but to gain a much broader un derstanding
of what it means to be “healthy .” I hope you enjoy following th ese recipes
as much  as I hav e enjoyed putting them together for this book, a nd that they
serve you well for years to come. T o Y our Happy Health,
Meena Puri 
Milford, MI October 2018F O R E W O R D
Y ou are in for a pleasant surprise with this book. It is so much more than a
cookbook or even an introductio n to A yurvedic Nutrition. What Meena has
done is of fer a wonderful exploration of eating and enjoying food that
integrates the profound insights of the East with the modern w orld of the
W est. She is a unique presenter — highly qualified to bridge Ea st and W est,
and she does this in a way that is full of authenticity and practicality . What yo u will learn about in th is book is that which is most ne ar and dear
to y ou. M eena g ives a treasure trove of wisdom and knowledge about you
— abou t your inner psychology  and about how your body works. This is
the inne r secret of A yurveda and these secrets are made available through
her pers onal experience and her years of practice applying the art and
science of A yurvedic nutrition with her clients. She cuts through all the
confusion and the allure of fad diets and all of the conditioning that we have
had sinc e childhood around eating. She restores the most fundamental truth
of life — that food is to be enjoy ed. And she shows how this can be done in
a way that is simple and healthy . This book goes way beyond the common exposition of A yurvedic Nutrition
as kn owing the doshic quality of a food and thus what body type it might be
good for . It is one thing to look up that knowledge. It is quite another thing
to b e able to integrate A yurvedic principles around digestion and healthy
diet into our modern culture. This is Meena’ s forte. So, whil e you may be attracted  to this book by its colorful and appealing
photos, know that you are in fo r a real treat — an exploration of how to
return to  simplic ity and common sense when it comes to eating that frees us
to be able to enjoy and digest and utilize food as never before.Those who have been blessed t o have experienced Meena’ s cooking know
that this book is full of wonder . If you haven’ t had that pleasu re, then you
may fee l her laughter and her c aring spirit coming through the words and
recipes you are about to experience. T ake the se gifts and know that t his book represents the best com bination of
higher wisdom and practical knowledge presented in a down-to-Earth
manner . Enjoy! Paul Dugliss, M.D. A yurveda Specialist and Practitioner of T raditional Chinese Medicine
Academic Dean and Dir ector of New W orld A yurveda
Author of Enlightened Nutrition , A yurveda - the Power to Heal, Capturing
the Bliss, A yurveda and the Y oga of Emotions, Living Beyond Y our W ildest
Dr eams, Think with the Heart, Love with the Mind, Patanjali in the LightP R E F A C E
I g rew up in a small town in India where there were no restaura nts. I never
saw food  in a can, or a freezer , and it rarely came in a package. W e did not
own a fridge fo r the longest time. In fact, in our neighborhoo d, only one
family had a fr idge. W e often went to their house for ice with which to
make lemonade in the summers. When we did finally get a fridge, it was
treated like a pri zed possession and my mom put it in a corner of our living
room with some decorations on top. The fridge was a gift from my brother ,
who live d in Canada. He bough t it for us one day when he came home to
visit. There was to be no more ru nning to the neighbor ’ s house f or ice for us
and, as a bonus, we started to make mango ice-cream. No fruits or
vegetables ever went into the fridge. W e actually did not know what to use
it for . In c ontrast, we had four kitchens. Y es, we did! Anytime there was an
addition made to the house, my mom made sure to put a kitchen in it. In
those days kitchens were very  basic and small. I don’ t remember ever
seeing a n electronic gadget in one, but there would be a portab le pantry , a
few open shelves for dishes, maybe a small cabinet with some food in clay
and tin jars insid e, perhaps some pickles, a wooden box for spices and some
other dr ied food. One of our kitchens was on a rooftop, right  outside the
indoor kitchen. The outdoor kitchen included a stove made out of clay . It
had an opening in it through which we would put wood and cow dung
patties f or fire. W e adjusted th e heat by either pulling the wood out or
putting more in. The indoor stoves were made of clay and me tal, and we
used coa l for fire. No push of a button and minor adjustment of a dial to
control the heat, not to mention the fact that on damp days, it took some
doing to start th e fire; there wa s also smoke to deal with. W e cooked our
food while sitting down on a stool and we sat on the kitchen floor to eat ithot and fresh. Food has never tasted as good to me since then. It was Simple
Goodness! Food was made fresh at meal times and rarely were ther e leftovers. Sometimes we ate together and many times one person cooked while the
others at e. Bakin g was something we did not do, as ovens were uncommon. Every no w and then, we would outsource the baking of cookies to someone
who did have a n oven. W e wo uld give him the ingredients—flour , butter
and sugar—and, in return, we w ould get a tin full of cookies. M y mom or
sisters m ade fresh snacks whenever the desire struck. So, overeating was
never re ally an issue. Being the youngest, I cooked the least and did most of
the running around, fetching this or that. But during summer holidays, I had
to have a turn cooking. I remember playing with dough and cu tting it with
round sharp bowls to make a perfectly round chapati, which is Indian flat
bread. Noticing that I played m ore than I cooked and was too slow , my
sister generally dismissed me. T oday it is hard to imagine that I was ever
slow at anything, but that is the family rumor . Food no urished us on many levels. It was never used as a reward, nor as a
punishment; there was never any talk of eating too much or eating too little. W e ate when we were hungry and for got about it the rest of th e time. My
dad, bei ng a doctor , was very h ealthy and did not allow anything of poor
quality i nto the house. W e had an abundance of seasonal fresh fruit and
vegetables. Bein g a lar ge family of eleven kids, food disappea red quickly . Sometimes, one of us would ta ke someone else’ s portion of that special
snack that a gue st had brought, or even eat it all, making my mom wonder
what ha d happe ned to it. I don’ t remember feeling any guilt about food. Ever! Using written recipes was unheard of. Knowledge and information about
food wa s shared verbally and I learned to cook mostly just by being around
food. The kitchen was the pures t place in our home, kind of lik e a temple. Shoes were not a llowed inside it, and it was cleaned after every meal. There
were no dirty d ishes lying around. And food was of fered to The Gods on
special o ccasions. It seemed like there was a special occasion  every day . Every morning, the kitchen floor was washed, the soot that had
accumulated fro m cooking the previous meal was cleaned out, and the claystove wa s freshe ned with new clay . My mom would say that God does not
enter a house with a dirty kitchen. W e had no TV in those days. When we ate, that’ s all we did. There were no
distractions to distort the experience! There were fewer opportunities to
overeat, as the amount of food prepared was tailored to the number of
people in the h ouse. W ith a l ar ge family , our concern was more about
whether everybody would get enough to eat, rather than whether someone
might overeat or whether there might be leftovers. W e did not indulge in
much c onversation while eating. W e simply ate! Imagine that! That
naturally made us mindful of eating and experiencing what it was like to
feel full and satisfied. W e developed an internal reference as to how much
to ea t. Chapati w as made fresh at each meal and served hot of f  the grill as
soon as it was ready . When we were full, we simply did not take any more
food. W e were never told to finish what was on our plate, as not all of the
meal was served to us at once. It is interesting how the “clean  plate club”
and the idea of “overeating” in our society are concepts that d eveloped as
our eating, cooking and lifestyl es changed. W ith so much stru ggle around
overeating in our society , genera lly , I wonder if cooking food fresh for each
meal might be the ideal solution for us all. I had never heard of processed food while I was growing up. I left India in
my teen years t o study in T oro nto. While going to school in T oronto, it
never occurred to me to look at the list of ingredients in the foo d I bought. The idea that there would be something else in my food other  than food was
foreign to me. S o, I happily ate those Kraft cheese singles thinking that they
were made only of cheese. I am  cer tain my  story speaks to  many of us. T oday , some 35 y ears on, we
have a plethora  of food plans , diets, guilt-free and zero-calorie foods,
calorie-logging programs and apps, and an epidemic of illnesses never
heard of before. Coincidence? I think not! Moreover , the information
overflow and limitless choices w e face around food keep us wondering and
worrying whethe r we’ve got it all, whether we really know everything there
is to know . Reg ardless of how h ard we try to wrap our heads around food,
we keep missing the mark.How did we get  here? On one hand, we are fortunate to have an  abundance
and vari ety of foods, yet, on the other hand we are anxious and worried and
we struggle to eat healthily . Is it the information overflow? Is  it the ease
with which we can obtain so m uch food? Is it our sedentary , stressful and
push-button lifestyle? In a world of quick and easy recipes, power foods and shakes, groceries
delivered to our doorsteps and meals prepared and dropped of f for us, we
are saving a lo t of time, yet the biggest dilemma of our ti mes is our
perceived lack of time. W ith  the most nutrient-dense foods possible
available to us, the worry about nutritional deficiencies remains. Hand-in-
hand with that is fear , anxiety and confusion. I have often w ondered if
having t oo man y options isn’ t part of the problem. Those who love the
“options” world —and don’ t get me wrong, I do too—may frown upon this
idea. I am certai n this is a problem, although I’m not sure what the solution
is. But it makes me want to say , “W ait a minute!” When a so-called solution
(endless informa tion) comes with another set of problems (co nfusion and
anxiety), then perhaps we are b etter of f with the original problem. Either
way , going back to the basics may be the way to solve it. Knowing less and applying wha t we already know may be what’ s needed,
instead of figuring our way out of this mess with another m iracle food,
more re cipes, or  another diet p lan. From the beginning of tim e, food was
meant to sustain, to nourish, to heal, to connect and to ce lebrate life. Perhaps much of the food-relate d illnesses we are suf fering as a society are
the r esult of not just the “bad f ood” but rather from the lack of emotional
and psychological nourishment we receive. Is there something we are
bypassing when  we don’ t chop , cut, stir and prepare our own meals? Our
body is made up of a complex set of processes that occur step b y step. Can
we real ly outs mart our bodies and skip steps just for the sake of
convenience and time? The pro cess of chopping, cuttin g, mixing and stirring is an understated yet
important part of our digestive system. It inspires the senses and starts the
digestive proces s. As we smell the food, we begin to salivate, w hich wakes
up o ur digestion in anticipation of a delicious meal. Moreover , the aromas,dif ferent texture s, and colors wa ke up our subtle senses and make our entire
body receptive of the nourishment it is about to receive. The sub tle part of our being is the most powerful part that drives the
intelligent funct ioning of our internal or gans and systems. The digestive
process allows us to not just enjoy the foods we are eating, but also to be
nourished by what we eat. When food goes straight from the  box to the
mouth, we have to ask if our body is truly ready to digest, to process, and to
make use of this food as fuel for our soul, our psyche and our physical
body? I wonder  if we don’ t take a hit on more than just the ph ysical level
every time we end up in front of the window of a fast food re staurant, or
grab that frozen meal. In o ur busy lives, we have begun to value convenience, but I w onder if we
have forsaken joy and happiness for the sake of convenience. Quality and
fullness of life are a result of the experiences we have. I t might be
constructive to ask what adds value to our lives and what diminishes it. Nothing gets more in the way of  our aspirations, our goals and our ability to
live a purposeful life than ill hea lth, and nothing can stop us from living our
rich and meaningful life when we are healthy from the inside out. Food and
nutrition represent one of the big ways that we can all create real health. Food is a metaphor for life; if we can heal our relationship with food, we
can heal our life. If we continue t o search for the  “perfect” food or diet out there, we have
bought i nto the belief that someo ne else has the power to change our health. It is this belief that we need to shift. W e must take the reins of our health
into our own hands. What’ s out ther e is information , b ut to transfo rm our health what we
need is wisdom . That sour ce of wisdom is w ithin each one of us. All
that’ s needed is our willingness to try to access it! I am convinced  that the solution to our food-related probl ems lies in
returning to basics, in simplify ing nutrition, and in building a healthier
relationship with  our food and food sources. Most importantly , it lies in our
willingness to use our common sense and ask the bigger questions when itcomes to  our struggles with foo d. I am certain that when we v iew food as
our ally in creating long-lasting  health and healing, we may be taking the
single most important step in healing our relationship with food, regardless
of w hat background, beliefs and associations we may have. I believe that
food can  be the source of health  and healing. And, when viewe d as such, it
can be our most valuable resource in dealing with stress. Food is life-giving and it is a celebration of life. May we cook t ogether , eat
together , laugh, rejoice and sha re stories over good food. May  no one go
hungry! May this simple need and pleasure be bestowed upon  all human
beings! May there be enough in  our pantry , our fridge and our kitchen and
may the  kettle be always on. M ay our doors and, most impo rtantly , our
hearts, always be open to share this blessing with all!H O W  T H I S  B O O K  I S  O R G A N I Z E D
This boo k is or ganized into four sections. Each new concept or thought is a
new ch apter . Where appropriate, the chapters end with a reflective
statement or an action step to help you process the material a  little more
profoundly . Client and personal stories are included for teaching purposes
and they are italicized. The client names are changed to maintain
confidentiality and only what is needed for teaching purposes is shared. Here is a little tour of each section:
S E C T I O N  I  -  O U R  C H A L L E N G E S
These a re the top five challenges that I have encountered in m y practice. Understanding the source of these challenges and how they af fect our
relationship with food have allowed me to address the problems  that I see in
people’ s lives. Everyone’ s chal lenges are unique and yours may not fit
perfectly into any one category that I have listed. Reading through what I
have pre sented may provoke thought, however , and help clarify for you
where your dif ficulties lie. There are five c hapters in Section I. The first chapter talks about guilt and
shame and how that gets in the way of having enjoyable experiences with
food. The second chapter tal ks about emotional hunger which, until
addressed and satisfied, will co ntinue to hinder any progress we make in
our heal ing. The  third chapter ta lks about the disconnect we hav e with food
and its source, and our body’ s innate intelligence when it comes to healing. Medicine and food are not se parate. This chapter also talks about the
protein and dairy concern and a better way to enjoy smoothies. The fourth
chapter is about overconsumpti on and addiction. Finally , the fifth chapter
points to the need to take personal responsibility in creating the health wewant. Each chapter also provides some tools and techniques t hat you can
begin to use rig ht away . However , the ultimate solution is in our deep
connection with Source and that is the subject matter of the next section. S E C T I O N  I I  -  A Y U R V E D A  O F F E R S
S O L U T I O N S
The anc ient wisdom and science of A yurveda of fers the ultimate solutions
to our modern d ay challenges. The first chapter introduces A yurveda and
how it fills the g ap in our health  and healing. This chapter outli nes the five
major concepts that we can look at to get a broader and more
comprehensive view of food  and nutrition. The five co ncepts are:
Consciousness and how it heals, the need for a bigger context, our
connection with Creation, ener gy , quality and balance, and, finally ,
digestibility , a process that is of ten missed in all the hype around food and
nutrition. The five-element the ory and its relationship to fo od, to our
constitution, to seasons, to cycles of day , and dif ferent tastes are discussed
in one of the chapters in this section. Y ou will also find a quiz that you can
fill out to understand your own constitution and imbalance. Digestion is
discussed in detail in one of the chapters and it outlines many  things you
can do today to improve your digestion. Understanding balance and its role
in healin g is also discussed in t his section. The last chapter of this section
talks about what makes food A yurvedic and what creates toxin s (Ama). At
the e nd of this section, I hope th at you will have a general understanding of
A yurveda and come away with some practical tools on how to v iew food so
you can bring balance into you r eating and your kitchen. I have kept this
section as general and as non- technical as I possibly can. W hat’ s most
important is that it broadens your understanding and gets you to think about
food in a whole new way . It is that type of thinking that is needed in order
for us to see food as the medicine that it truly is. S E C T I O N  I I I  -  H E A L I N G :  A  C O L L E C T I V E
C O N C E P T
The point of this section is to g o beyond our problems and solutions. W e
don’ t heal in isolation and we can’ t pretend that elements in the externalworld, such as food corporations and pharmaceuticals, don’ t play a role. As
much as we are  independent, we are also interdependent. W e a f fect others
and are af fected by them. Although all we can do is create a change within
ourselves, it is good to be aware of the external influences and  norms that
can potentially undermine our ef forts. Paying attention, waking up and
taking a strong stand by changing our actions are all necessary . What would
we do if we weren’ t so vested in  our illnesses and diagnoses? W e must rise
above o ur problems and connect with our deepest desires and aspirations. Healing comes from exactly tha t. This is the shortest section of the book,
with onl y three chapters in it. Powerful concepts don’ t need to be many ,
only a few will  do. The first chapter talks about how healing  must be a
collective concept for a healthier nation and how we, as individuals, can
shift our mind to  create a village  of healing. The second chapter talks about
what ou r world could be like if the medical and the healing wo rld were not
divided, and it e xpands our definition of health to more than a mere lack of
physical symptoms. The third chapter is about creating a healing mindset,
and looks at how believing in healing can lead us to heal our relationship
with food. S E C T I O N  I V  -  R E C I P E S :  L E T  T H E  H E A L I N G
B E G I N  I N  Y O U R  K I T C H E N
Along w ith recipes, you will see  some tips on how to stock you r pantry and
how to feel comfortable in your kitchen, even if cooking is som ething new
for you. I’ve inc luded about 40 recipes and some of them are for foods you
may have never seen or heard o f before. These are the recipes I know , and
this is how I cook and eat. Pick  a recipe that calls out to you and give it a
try . This is by no means a cook book. The handful of recipes I’ve included
are to help you get started and get a flavor for A yurvedic recipes. In the
recipe and food world, I be lieve less is more. W ith an expanded
understanding of food and some basic skills, we can create our own recipes,
and I ur ge you to do just that. I hope you enjoy the recipes and that they
serve as a basis for you to expand your repertoire and broaden your horizon. In working with clients in my clinical practice, I’ve realized two things. First, that in trying to keep up w ith the newest miracle food or diet, people
are o ften missing out on enjoying their food. And, second, that t he overflowof inform ation a bout food that people are facing is actually getting in the
way of them bei ng able to clearl y understand food and nutrition. Part of my
work with my clients is to teach them how to simplify cooking and
nutrition: to think of nutrition in a bigger context and, using their own
experience and intuition, to know what’ s working for them. I b elieve  today’ s overflow of fo od-related information has created room for
simplicity; endle ss and often co ntradictory scientific research on food has
given rise to the opportunity for people to trust their intuition and
experience, and given them permission to fall back on comm on sense. I
have int entionally kept this book non-scientific and I invite yo u to rely on
what you already know . Keep th ings simple. T rust your own experience and
intuition about what you enjoy , and what feels better for your body . Remember , science is derived fr om experiences; experiences ar e not
derived fr om science. W e can’ t wait for science to catch up to begin to use
our own common sense and wisdom.C H A P T E R  1G u i l t  a n d  S h a m e
Emotional chall enges are natural human challenges that teach  us how to
live in alignment with our truth with ease and presence. Our human life is
about le arning the lessons we are here to learn and eventually returning
“Home.” The more we learn, the  more there is to learn. W e neve r quite “get
there” in one lif etime. W e are always a work-in-progress. Our challenges
are part and pa rcel of being hu man, and they simply serve as a catalyst
along our journey to wholeness, which is our ultimate “T ru th.” This is
neither heroic nor shameful. It just is! W elcome to life! Accepting and embracing our c hallenges will go a long way in not only
dealing with them when they strike, but also in opening up a world of
possibilities, wh ere we may view  these dif ficulties as blessings t hat come to
complete us! This mindset and understanding can serve as a template for
how we live. Of course, we sho uld seek solutions to our challe nges and do
everything we can to live happi ly . But when we accept our challenges as a
means o f enhanc ing our experience on this planet, we can approach them in
a whole  new way . The proces s becomes that of inquiry , discovery and
intrigue, as opposed to desperation, fear and shame. W e become
empowered, not  weakened. W e want to approach our challenges from a
place of  power and never from  a place of weakness. There is no longer a
need to hide behind a problem  because we understand it to be part and
parcel of our human journey . When we don’ t hide a problem, we can solve
it in  the  open, instead of dealing with it secretly and in less-than-desirable
ways. What does this have to do with food and eating? Nothing! And everything! If we are lucky , we have experi enced the comfort, warmth and satisfaction
that food can bri ng. These experiences represent our basic huma n needs and
if th ey a re missing in our life, we will naturally gravitate toward  that which
serves this need. A cup of tea on a cold wintery day can be just the thing tocomfort us. A sweet treat as a way of self-love can sometimes do the trick,
as well. Food is as much about spiritual and emotional nourishm ent as it is
about no urishing our physical body . Fear of becoming over -reliant on food
for our emotional nurturance can cause us to deny ourselves and feel guilty
about deriving any pleasure from it. On my son’ s 22nd birthday , I made him a chocolate chip cookie cake. I was
gener ous with both butter and chocolate and made it extra decadent. Later
he said,  “Mom,  it tasted so good, I honestly felt guilty about eating it.”
What is it about us humans tha t we feel guilty about getting any pleasur e
fr om food, I later thought? Most, if not all of us, struggle w ith a lack of worthiness. Is it humility? Our
ego? Ar e we just playing safe? I  mean, we don’ t want to toot our own horn! What if we bel ieved we were good enough but then later told that we
weren’ t?! As I pondered this idea while writing this book, I r ealized that
worthiness has nothing to do with our successes or failures: that would
mean that each t ime we fail we are deemed unworthy , and that’ s  simply not
true! W orthiness  is granted by that which created us. The Creator definitely
thought we were all worthy , and created us all with an equa l dosage of
worthiness. Simply because we are born, we are worthy and good enough. Because we are on this planet , we are good enough. W e are worthy of
experiencing thi s human life, a s dif ficult as it may sometimes  be. W e are
worthy of learning the lessons set out for us and becoming whole. W orthiness is not the result of our accomplishments or lack thereof. Certainly , our challenges can m ake us question our worthiness and that’ s
exactly w hen we  should remember where we come from and who we truly
are. W e are g ood enough to enjoy the experiences we are here to
experience, including decadent chocolate chip cookie cake. I N D U L G I N G  I S  D E S I R A B L E
The guil t that keeps us from all owing ourselves the experience of pleasure
equally pulls us into over -indulgence in trying to suppress it, and that keeps
us stuck  in a cyc le of guilt and shame. However , indulging once in a while,
or on special o ccasions, is desirable and allows us to truly experience
enjoyment. In allowance, there i s no guilt, only pleasure. And we may of ferour gratitude for the experience. Instead of asking “Who am I to have such
pleasure?” we might ask, “Who am I to not experience that pleasure?” As I
heard from one of my teachers: when good things come into your life,
simply s ay , “Th ank you. May I  have more please?” Because y ou are good
enough! Shame and guilt are the mental constructs of the mind to help us fit into the
societal mold of what’ s right a nd wrong. These are merely our defense
mechanisms, est ablished to bridge the gap between what we wa nt and what
we think  we should want. In this complex structure of feelings,  the truth of
what we  actually  feel and believ e gets lost somewhere, or at least distorted,
leaving most of us feeling insecure about what and how to eat; we chase the
latest food craze, and coming up short every time. All this anxiety about
food negatively af fects our ability to digest it. W e become hyper -sensitive
to every thing w e eat. W ith every bite we take, we ingest a morsel of fear ,
guilt, sh ame and confusion right along with it. W e believe we h ave no right
to enjoy our food anymore, making that gap between what we want and
what we should want bigger an d bigger , and leaving food to fill that gap. Calling some foods “guilt-free” only emphasize the misplaced guilt we
experience in eating and nourishing ourselves. The comfort we derive from
food turns to guilt and shame if we don’ t resolve the deeper emotional
challenges that are keeping us from living full, vibrant lives. Dawn (o ne of my clients) br ought her mother , Doris, to see m e and, with
her mother ’ s consent Dawn stay ed with her during the consulta tion. Doris
was exp eriencing heat rash all over her arms and she attributed it to the
hormone therap y she was under going. In trying to uncover the true cause of
the pr ob lem, I asked for details of the food she was eating, as I  always do,
and nothing r eally pointed to wh at she was experiencing. Hormone therapy
affects e veryone differ ently and it can r esult in skin rash, but I wanted to
rule out any other causative factors. In th e m iddle of the appointment, Doris asked to use the r estr oom and in
her absence her daughter told m e that her mother was a closet eater . Doris
appar ently ate a lot of salty chips when no one was looking. W hen Doris
r eturned, I mentioned that in sp ite of how healthy her diet seemed to be, it
was rath er blan d and lacked va riety . I mentioned that when we  don’ t haveall the tastes and textur es in our meals, we tend to seek them out thr ough
junk foo d, at which point Doris told me about her cravings fo r salty and
crunchy things. She was over do ing it on the salt to compensate for the lack
of it in h er meal s. This cr eated mor e heat in her body , another c ontributing
factor to her skin rash. Doris th ought th at in order to stay healthy , she had to deny what she liked. That’ s often the case, as we believe that if it tastes good, it may not be too
healthy for us. W e can thank ou r marketing world for keeping us confused
when it comes to food. “This tastes good, and it is even good for you,” the
marketing messa ges tell us, as if tasty and healthy are mutually exclusive. The truth is that we can choose many tasty foods that are also good for us. W O R K  T H R O U G H  T H E  P A I N
Fear can  be debilitating. W e lose our ability to navigate through emotional
pain; perhaps we fear getting st uck in the pain and not being a ble to come
out, even though that very pain is subconsciously ruling our lives and
keeping us stuck in a pattern already! The quicker path to emotional
liberation is to work through the pain. Unfortunately , as painful emotions
surface, the fear of facing them makes us turn to food over and over again,
always in the h ope of eliminating these perceptively negative  feelings. If
food really could eliminate negative feelings, of course, we would
eventually stop turning to it to tr y to satiate our emotional hunger . The only
way out  of the negative feelings is through them; we must allo w them and
feel them fully . Allowing is a skill that we can all cultivate through practice. Seemingly
dif ficult, the easiest thing to do is to feel what you feel! Surrend er! Feel the
fear! Feel bad! Y ou may feel tha t your life is spinning out of control. Let it! Stay with it! Soon enough, you will feel tired or hungry or may  need to go
to th e bathroom. Life goes on! The sun is still there, either shining or
waiting behind the clouds. Y ou a re still here! The Earth did not shatter! Y ou
may feel awful, but you are OK.
Thr ough feeling the pain, you will get to the other side of it, wher e
ther e is peace.When we work through the mind-directed emotions, we find only peace and
love in our heart s. Fill yourself w ith that love by simply feeling it. Now you
can spare food to simply nourish you, which is what it was meant to do! The dee per beliefs that we are unlovable and unworthy can’ t be resolved
with foo d, as we eventually discover . And what if we were view ing food as
the temporary solution to a prob lem that had nothing to do with food? Now ,
on top of feeling unworthy , w e begin to feel guilt and shame, since we
know that what we are doing is not going to serve us, yet we can’ t stop. The
more we  suppre ss our feelings, the stronger they become. W e get stuck in
an insid ious cycle, not only perpetuating our painful feelings, but
embedding them  deeper into our subconscious. Our basic human need to
feel loved and worthy gets undermined when we use food to satisfy it. The
brain becomes confused about w hether to satisfy the physical h unger or the
emotional hunge r . The lines become blurry and we begin to play a game of
“hide an d seek” with food. What once was a pleasurable and satisfying
experience becomes this phan tom that we either run to or run from:
controlling and logging every morsel that goes into our mou th or eating
with rec kless abandon, ignoring  the physical symptoms of being full, yet
remaining unsatisfied. How do we find that middle ground? G U I L T  A B O U T  W O R L D  H U N G E R
Many of us fe el guilty when we see world hunger or other forms of
suf fering in the world. Our problems may begin to seem very small and
irrelevant by comparison. The m ind thinks, “It could have been  me, I have
no r ight to have  what I have when there is so much suf fering in the world.”
The heart immediately connects us to others and feels their pain. Guilt may
show that we care, but it does not take care of the problem we care about. One of the hardest things I had  to learn in my clinical practice was that
there are no vict ims. The truth is , we are all here on our solo journeys, with
dif ferent lessons to learn. The experiences we go through are what our soul
must experience. This is one of the mysteries of life and we ca n’ t do much
but surrender to it. W e realize how little we know .This does not mean we don’ t show compassion and extend a helping hand. But we can’ t do  that by feeling  guilty about the blessings we have in our
life. W e can be grateful for all that we have, and perhaps spare a prayer for
those less fortunate than we are. W e have the opportunity to replace guilt
with hum ility , gr atitude, prayer and compassion. Now we may b e able to be
of assistance. W A S T E  N O T ,  W A N T  N O T ? “Finish the food on your plate, you can’ t waste it, especially w hen there is
so much hunger in the world,” m ight be words you have heard in the past. For many of us, they bring out guilt, which only results in ove reating. The
fact is that when we overeat, or feel we must clean our plat e, we don’ t
resolve world hunger , we simpl y overeat. This not only results in physical
illness, but it a lso negatively af fects our mental health, as we either
consume guilt with our food or s imply overuse or rationalize our overeating
by c halking it up to the guilt we feel about world hunger . However , we
might possibly help resolve world hunger by buying and cooking smaller
quantities of food, and putting less food on our plates. W e can  donate the
money w e save  to or ganizations that work to lessen world hunger , or we
can don ate meals to families in need; there are countless ways to make a
dif ference. W e don’ t make the world a better place by dimming our own
light. Nor can we help  others by harm ing ourselves; we can only help them if we
help ourselves first. When we e xperience our own blessings and allow joy
into our lives, w e uplift those around us and that helps in its own small way
to lessen  world suf fering. Instead of perpetuating suf fering, we become a
source of inspiration. In order for compassion and love to flow ef fortlessly
to o thers, our o wn hearts must be filled with it. Anything less than that
keeps us emotionally hungry . Let’ s explore that in the next chapter . Is ther e a trace of guilt and shame in your struggle with food? Can you think of any examples of how that shows up for you?C H A P T E R  2E m o t i o n a l  H u n g e r
Emotions are at the center of every aspect of our life; they can either propel
us towards a particular outcome or take us away from it. When we love
what we  do, we do more of it, but when our hearts are not into something,
we drag our feet and eventually stop doing it. Whatever it is we do, we do it
because we get emotional satisfaction from it. Eating is no exception. Emotions and food are directly linked. Our physical
satisfaction or nourishment is no t separate from our emotional satisfaction. Most of us look  forward to eatin g and we enjoy food. W e can’ t think on an
empty stomach. A cup of chai  on a cold winter day is such  a comfort. Cof fee in the morning makes ma ny people happy . Food is at the very center
of o ur existence, our lives. The kitchen is where the family gathers. Food is
a celebration of life, our connectedness, and a way to share love. Our first  experience of love was  when we were fed by our mot hers. Eating
imparted the feelings of satisfaction, love, happiness, warmth, nourishment
and com fort. I often hear clients who need to make some seriou s nutritional
changes say , “This is how my partner loves me, by cooking for me.”
“Perhaps they can love you a little less,” I have laughingly responded. It is no surprise that when love is missing in our lives, we turn to food. How we relate t o food is how we relate to ourselves. When we eat well and
healthily , we feel good and confident about ourselves and in our ability to
take care of ours elves in a positi ve way; similarly , when we overeat, eat too
little or eat unhealthily , we feel bad about ourselves. In that sens e, all eating
is e motional, however food ca n’ t be the only source of our emotional
fulfillment. The problem arises when we turn to food to stuf f down our
painful emotions , or use food to make up for what we lack in other areas of
our lives. It is  important to note that w hile most emotional eating is linked to
unpleasant feeli ngs, it can also be triggered by positive emotions, such asrewarding onese lf for achieving a goal or celebrating a holiday , or a special
event. Using food from time to time as a pick-me-up, or to celebrate, is not
a ba d th ing. W e have all experienced emotional eating at least once in our
lives, if not mor e often. It is only a problem when it becomes a  pattern that
we can’ t break. H E R E  I S  W H A T  E M O T I O N A L  H U N G E R
M I G H T  L O O K  L I K E :
Making room for desert, even when we are already full
Diving into a pint of ice-cream when we feel down
Opening the refrigerator when we feel upset, angry , lonely , st ressed,
exhausted or just bored
Rewarding ourselves with food or punishing ourselves by not eating at
all! (binging or starving)
Feeling powerless or out of control around food
Eating out of nervousness
Constantly thinking about food and eating
T urning to food when painful emotions surface
Everyone’ s story  is dif ferent and unique to them. Nonetheless, our internal
struggles show up in our eating habits. Regardless of our reasons, food only
provides a temporary solution. Eating for reasons other than hunger not
only cau ses heal th problems, but it also does not take our chall enges away . It actually stuf fs the emotions deeper into our subconscious, making them
even stronger and leading to more emotional eating; this keeps us stuck in
the pattern. Emotional hung er can be just as powerful as physical hunger and it’ s easily
mistaken as such until we pay at tention. It is important to figure  out ways to
dif ferentiate the two. Here are the top five clues that I have summarized
from Harvard Medical School Special Health Report.1
1 . Emotional hung er comes on suddenly . It hits you in an instant and
feels ov erwhelming and ur gent . Physical hunger , on the other  hand,comes on more gradually . The  ur ge to eat doesn’ t feel as dire or
demand instant satisfaction (unl ess you haven’ t eaten for a very long
time). 2 . Emotional hunger craves specific comfort foods. When you’re
physically hungry , almost anything sounds good—including healthy
stuf f. But emotional hunger cra ves fatty foods or sugary snac ks that
provide an instant rush. Y ou feel like you need chocolate or piz za, and
nothing else will do. 3 . Emotional hung er often leads to mindless eating. Before you k now it,
you’ve eaten a whole bag of chips or an entire pint of ice cream
without really paying attention to the food or fully enjoying it . Once
you start, you ca n’ t stop; you must finish the whole bag of cook ies. In
that sens e, it looks like an addiction. Often my clients will say ,  “I did
not even  remember eating the whole bag.” When you’re eating in
response to physical hunger , y ou’re typically more aware of what
you’re doing. 4 . Emotional hunger isn’ t satisfied once you’re full. Y ou keep wanting
more and more, often eating until you’re uncomfortably stuf fed. Physical hunger , on the other hand, doesn’ t need to be stuf fed. Y ou feel
satisfied when your stomach is full. 5 . Emotional hunger isn’ t located in the stomach. Rather than a growling
belly or a pang in your stomach, you feel your hunger as a craving you
can’ t get out of your head. Y ou’re focused on specific textures,  tastes,
and smells. One of the insi dious things about any negative cycle is tha t it is self-
promoting. Emotional eating lea ds to more emotional eating. How can we
break this cycle? I am a firm believer in the idea that how we do one thing
is how we do everything. The  way we eat is inseparable from our core
beliefs a bout ou rselves, about the world, and about life in general. As we
bring more fulfillment and more balance into our lives, food does not take
center st age, it simply becomes a necessary and enjoyable way  to nourish
ourselves. The goal is to lessen the ef fect emotions have on our eating habits. But first
we must understand the extent of this ef fect. I’m going to share some tools
that have proven to work in my clinical practice. Some of them  are simpleand easy , while others require a longer process. Begin with what  you can do
today an d build upon that one t iny step at a time. Every plan th at you turn
into acti on strengthens you and magnifies your self-reliance. Do not come
from a place of despair or hope lessness; come from a position of strength. Build on  your strengths. What else in your life have you over come? Y ou
can overcome this issue as well, and here are some tips to assist you with
that:
1 . B E C O M E  M O R E  A W A R E
This is always on the top of my list of resolving any challenge. If I can
impart one thing to a client, it is this. W ithout this tool, we wil l always be
hopping from one solution to the next, as they will all p rove to be
temporary . W e can’ t become aw are just because we want to. As discussed
in the next section, awareness is borne out of a level, or a field, of
Consciousness. Higher levels of Consciousness give rise to deeper
awareness and insights. If we exist at a lower level of Consciousness, we
may be aware of what is on that particular level, but not necessarily what’ s
really go ing on at the deep sub conscious levels of our being. Please note
that your level of Consciousness is not a measure of how wonderful a
person you are; it simply relate s to the level of insight that yo u may have
about your life and the world, thus af fecting the quality of your l ife in a way
that is not conv entionally consi dered. (A conventional quality of life may
mean yo u are focused on material things and your status; your level of
Consciousness is about the quality of your thinking and the depth of your
understanding.) Meditation is an ideal way to m ake conscious what is in the subconscious,
and we’ ll talk more about that la ter . Moreover , it is a much-need ed antidote
to stress  and anxiety , side ef fe cts of our modern lives. This is how we
connect with our true nature or true Self. A meditation practice strengthens
our connection with that part of ourselves that is beyond our body and
mind, raising our level of awar eness. Changes stick if they are internally
driven rather than externally imposed. That’ s why developing awareness
will have a much bigger impact on your life than your willpower .Another simple way to raise your awareness is to journal what you are
eating and how you are feeling. Let’ s call it a food and mood journal. Every
time you overeat or feel compelled to reach for that ice cream or cookie,
take a moment to figure out w hat triggered the ur ge to do that. If you
backtrack, you’ll usually find an unsettling event that kicked of f the
emotional eating  cycle. W rite th is all down in your food and m ood journal:
what hap pened t o upset you, how you felt before you ate, what  you ate (or
wanted to eat), what you felt  as you were eating, and how you felt
afterward. If there is a patte rn here, you’ll see it emer ge over time,. Maybe  you always
end up gor ging yourself after spending time with a friend who is very
critical. Or perhaps you stress ea t after a phone call from a certa in someone,
or at family gatherings. This type of work will reveal the connection of your
emotions to your eating habits. 2 . T U N E  I N T O  Y O U R  C H I L D H O O D  B E L I E F S
W ere you always asked to finish all the food on your plate? W as food in
abundance or barely enough? W ere you rewarded for good behavior with
ice-cream or pizza? W ere you sent to bed hungry as a punishment? Or given
cookies when you were feeling sad? Perhaps some of your eating is driven
by nostalgia, i.e. eating certain foods makes you feel connected to your tribe
and to your past. T o what extent  are these beliefs shaping your beliefs about
food tod ay? Are these beliefs still in alignment with who you ar e now? Are
they serving you? If not, it is wise to cut the cord with them. (V isualize a
cord between you and the belief and, using imaginary scissors, cut that
cord). Rememb er , you are cutting the cord connecting you with those
beliefs, not the p eople who “gave” them to you. What new beliefs can you
put in place to build a new foundation for yourself? Our beliefs and habits need periodic r eview and r enewal. Just as we
change our wardr obe or the color of paint in our homes, so  should we
upgrade our beliefs every no w and then, too. Certain b eliefs need
changing to continuously align with our higher purpose and values.Another point that is worth making is that regardless of how we were
raised, ultimatel y our life is our own responsibility . Our car egivers and
parents do what they know to do. The point of visiting our chi ldhood is to
gain insight into the belief patterns that may be at play in our adult life, it is
not to blame all of our challenges on our upbringing, as the ultimate
responsibility rests with each one of us. Holding on to be liefs that no lon ger serve us can make us sick on all levels. The dise ase manifestation is a process that started a long time ago in our
subconscious mind and eventually expressed itself in our body as a full-
blown p hysical symptom. W e don’ t see the disease in the making and we
mistakenly believe it to be only physical; we thus limit treatment to just the
physical aspect of who we are. Modern medicine does that quite well,
hopping from symptom to sym ptom, bandaging them all up but rarely
getting to the root cause. I have yet to meet a client who se physical
symptoms did not have a big ps ychological component. The disease is the
unresolved story  or conflict that  resulted from holding on to old beliefs that
you know are no longer true but can’ t seem to release. Masking the
symptoms confu ses our physiology and mentally debilitates us in very
subtle, yet powerful, ways. W e can’ t af ford to not pay attention to that! 3 . D E V E L O P  Y O U R  E M O T I O N A L
I N T E L L I G E N C E
That’ s a big phrase! However , it just means that we are willing to look at
our emo tions to gain more insig ht into who we are and what w e need. Our
feelings are a w indow into our inner world. They help us und erstand and
discover our deepest desires and  fears, our frustrations, and the things that
will make us ha ppy . Is food fill ing in for what’ s otherwise lacking in your
life? How else can you fulfill your emotions other than through food? Feeling painful emotions isn’ t fun. Y ou may fear being overwhelmed by
them and not know how to find your way back through them. But having
them control your life is far worse. And the truth is that whe n we don’ t
obsess o ver or suppress our em otions, even the most painful and dif ficult
ones sub side relatively quickly and lose their power to control our attention. Learning to surrender to our emotions is a skill that we can easily master bypractice. Here is a meditation on allowing. Read it to understand it and then
give it a try . Meditation on Allowing
Find a comforta ble place to sit or lie down. Close your eyes and get settled
in y our body . P ay attention to your breath and let it become slow and
relaxed. What’ s most painful in your life right now? Invite that in, recalling
the d etails of th e situation. Allow yourself to feel all the emotions that are
associated with it: pain, anger , frustration or whatever they may be. Imagine
that the whole s cenario or the experience that generated those emotions is
happening right now . Let this experience fill your entire body from head to
toe. Stay  with this and keep inviting the feelings in; allow them to fill your
entire being. How intense are th ese emotions? Can you name them? Where
in y our body ar e you feeling t hem the most? Are they in one particular
place or are yo u feeling them all over? Or perhaps you can’ t quite tell? Keep fe eling the m with a gentle  attention on your breath. Perh aps you are
beginning to cry? It is okay . Con tinue and simply feel what you feel. Notice
if there is any change in how you are feeling. Are you still feeling as intense
as when you sta rted? If so, don ’ t rush to change how you feel. Allow it to
be as it is! Just be as you are. Has anything changed? Does it feel okay for
you to open your eyes? If not, continue to sit, allow yourself to feel what
you feel and open your eyes when it feels okay to open them. By a llowing the painful emotions, you worked through them a nd here you
are! Stil l okay! Y ou may no longer be gripped by those emotions once you
are not afraid of feeling them. Y ou may feel a sense of surrender , a gentle
letting go, and perhaps some sadness. What typically happ ens in this
meditation is that the emotions transform from fear to sadness and it is the
sadness that we were so afraid  to feel. The allowance is what makes our
sorrows sweet, causes the tea rs to flow and opens our heart to love. Ultimately , love is all we wanted in the first place, and now it i s here, right
in our hearts. In a culture that is fixated on controlling everything, allowing may be a
foreign concept. I have come to  realize that there is very little that we can
actually control and the only response is to simply allow events to unfold.Feelings can’ t be purposefully “fixed,” they can only be allow ed and felt. Allowing “fixes” them. Life can certainly be downright hard at times, but we make matters worse
for o urselves when we believe life should be anything other than what it is! As painful as it is to feel deeply , controlling how we “should” feel would
make it far worse. W e must surrender to life in all its glory in order to come
alive ful ly . This is how we show up for our life and for ourselves. Like one
of my teachers from long ago sa id, “I never promised you a rose garden,” to
which m y answer used to be, “W ell, someone should!” And that someone
turned o ut to be only me. Darn! And there is no rose garden, only the rose
colored glasses—my perception. 4 . T A K E  T I M E  T O  E A T
T reat ea ting as an activity like any other activity that you make time for . Sit
down an d eat in a settled and peaceful environment. Chew you r food well
and take  time to savor your foo d. And don’ t rush away right after eating. Of fer gr atitude f or the food you are to consume and all that took  place for it
to be on your plate. Eating is a sacred act that not only nourishes us on a
physical level, but also on a psychological level. It’ s important to give
yourself permiss ion to eat what  you enjoy at mealtimes. I have never told
my clients to ea t something because it is good for them unless they like it
because happin ess is the most important ingredient in improving your
digestion. W e are a culture that is big on snacking, yet snacking ca n result in
overeating: it doesn’ t allow you to feel completely satisfied like  you would
be if  you sat down and had a meal. W e remain physically and emotionally
hungry . When we don’t take the time to eat, we end up eating all the
time. Ski pping meals is another big trend in our society , as if it is a  badge
of im portance or busyness. Anytime we skip a meal, we end u p more than
making up for it at the next meal. The truth is that when we sit down and
eat cons ciously , we feel satisfied and have no desire for food u ntil the next
meal, when we naturally begin to feel hungry . Snacking bef ore we are
completely hungry gets in the way of our body fully metabolizing theearlier m eal. An unmetabolized meal is one of the causes of tox icity in our
body . There are a lot of myths circulating about eating frequent, smaller meals
throughout the day . This may be  needed for those with blood sugar issues or
certain o ther hea lth conditions. But in general, eating meals at regular times
will go a long way towards improving our health and maintaining our focus. It is useful to have even a vague idea of what your meal will be, instead of
randomly eating  whatever is aro und. That leads to mindless eating and does
not p rovide the satisfaction that we desire on every level. When it comes to
our health, short-term thinking results in short-term health; for long-term
health we must think about the long term ef fects of our habits
5 . P A U S E  B E F O R E  G I V I N G  I N  T O  C R A V I N G S
As ment ioned earlier , emotiona l eating tends to be automatic and virtually
mindless. Before you even realize what you’re doing, you’ve re ached for a
tub of ice cream and polished of f half of it. But if you can take a moment to
pause and reflect when you are  hit with a craving, you give yourself the
opportunity to make a dif ferent decision. All you have to do is put of f eating for five minutes, or if f ive minutes
seems unmanag eable, start with one minute. Don’ t tell yourself you can’ t
give in to the cr aving; remember , the forbidden is extremely tempting. Just
tell y ourself to w ait.
_OceanofPDF.com_Healing_Your_Relationship_with_Food__The_A_-_Meena_Puri.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        This wonderful work by Ms. Meena Puri is filled with practical tools and
pr ofound wisdom that will allow you to cut thr ough all the confusion of fad
diets and change how you view food and your life for ever. Ms. Puri’ s vision
for a healthier tomorr ow is clearly heartfelt and will inspir e us all to take
an active r ole in cr eating healthier communities. What’ s mor e, her book is a
powerful r eminder to all health practitioners to open our minds to that
which is most important: the patients who trust us to guide them to healing. Food is medicine, and Ms. Puri includes delicious r ecipes in this beautiful
book that will allow you to fill your kitchen with healing foods designed to
turn you into your own Health Her o. I have a pr ofound r espect for Eastern Medicine, especially when it’ s
combined with the marvels of modern W estern Medicine, and this book,
filled with compelling stories, shows how Eastern concepts of going to the
r oot of the disease can enhance the futur e of W estern medical practice. The
principles elucidated in this work will help pave the way for a healing
journey that will allow you to derive ever mor e enjoyment than ever befor e
fr om your life. It’ s truly a powerful addition to your bookshelf. Dr. Partha Nandi 
Creator and host of The Dr. Nandi Show
W e usually think of food as nourishing us with vitamins and minerals and
pr oviding ener gy to us. Meena Puri goes under that science to the essential
Consciousness that is available thr ough our right r elationship with food. She blends this delicious depth with very practical tips on what and how to
eat for healthful living. Her book will nourish your body and your soul. Rhonda Egidio, Ph. D. Professor of Education Michigan State University, A yurveda Practitioner. Meena Puri’ s conscious appr oach to food and r elationship with food
pr ovides an outline for a systematic appr oach to various silent, intricate
featur es of health and wellness. This book offers not only cooking r ecipes,but also pr ovides vast knowledge of A yurvedic appr oach to food and
nutrition. As I teach and conduct various A yurvedic Food and Nutrition
Consultant certification trainings, Meena Puri’ s book will be a valuable
r esour ce in helping students and practitioners understand various concepts
of A yurvedic nutrition. Her book is also highly beneficial and r ecommended
for r egister ed dieticians and anyone seeking to understand A yurvedic
nutrition.
Meena Puri
Who wrote the book being reviewed?
The book promotes a conscious approach to food and eating, and encourages the reader to take responsibility for their own health and well-being.
What is the main message of the book?
The book focuses on the importance of a conscious relationship with food, and how it can be used as a tool for personal growth and healing.
What is the book's focus on?
The author, Meena Puri, emphasizes the importance of simplicity, intuition, and self-awareness in approaching food and nutrition.
What is the author's approach to food and nutrition?
The book is organized into four sections: "Our Challenges", "Ayurveda Offers Solutions", "Healing: A Collective Concept", and "Recipes: Let the Healing Begin in Your Kitchen".
What is the book organized into?
The author argues that food is not just a means to satisfy our physical hunger, but also to nourish our emotional and spiritual needs, and that we must learn to surrender to our emotions and allow ourselves to feel what we feel, rather than trying to suppress or control them.
What is the author's message about food and emotions?