I can share many stories with
you abo ut healing myself and my son without doctors and now know , in no
uncertain terms,  that doctors do n’ t know the best option for you, as they
only present one option. It is up to us to choose what’ s best for us. Healing is not a glamorous or a romantic journey; in fact it can shake you to
your core. But it is empowering. And the results are nothing short of
miraculous. The  well-meaning doctor took my power away by making me
believe sur gery was the only option. He had an opportunity to educate me,
give me  options , and inform me of the aftermath of the sur gery , and I would
have walked away equipped with information on which t o base my
decision. Instead, he decided for me and used my pain as an opportunity to
sell only  what he had to of fer . He left me confused and disempowered. This
is a norm al ever yday occurrence  in the medical world. So, before you rush
to a quick fix and hand your h ealth over to someone else, think long and
hard. Ask around, look around and get the answers you need. Feeling confused is a sign to pause and wait until the confusion lifts. Y ou
will know when something is ri ght for you. Y ou need to trust t hat. One of
the skills I teach my clients is to trust in their own wisdom. W e all know our
truth; we just need to trust it and rely on it. T aking the easy way out is
actually much harder than doing  what’ s right for you. I had to endure a lot
of pain during my recovery but I was okay with it because that is what Ichose to do. Wh en we take cha r ge of our own health, something sparks in
us; our internal fire and our inner knowing. W e come alive and become a
force to be reckoned with. Don’ t  let anyone tell you otherwise. After it is all
said and  done, it is ultimately yo ur life, your health and your responsibility . Anything less than that will leave you open to be victimized. T H E  F R E S H ,  H O T ,  C O O K I E  T R A P
During the writing of this book, I went out for dinner with my good friend,
Sherry , and we talked about the subject of my book. She shared with me
something that I thought was very timely and needed to be in the book. It
turned o ut to be the inspiration b ehind this chapter . Here is what she shared. In the college town of Ann Arbor , MI, these “insomnia cookies” ar e all the
talk. As the name would suggest, they ar e tar geted to the inso mniacs and
ar e deliv er ed “fr esh and hot” to college kids in the middle of the night, like
at 3:00 a.m. I  checke d the company’ s website before writing this. The menu
of fers nothing but varieties of cookies like Sugar Rush, T riple Chocolate,
Cookie Cake. Etc., and the pac kaging is quite enticing and attractive. On
the surfa ce, this is no big deal; you can get cookies from any where. But
here is why this is a big deal:
Insomnia or the inability to sleep  is an illness that needs treating as it results
in other  illnesses such as ch ronic fatigue or adrenal fatigue, mental
disorders, depres sion and anxiety , to name a few . Proper sleep is  essential to
the healthy functioning of all of  the other biorhthyms of our body , and lack
of p roper sleep m akes everythin g worse. All college kids stay up during the
night and do du mb things, but now they can do dumber things and get
themselves even sicker just at the touch of a button. There is an opportunity
to te ach these k ids about healthy habits, alternative options a nd the long
term ef f ects of their actions, but instead someone takes this opportunity to
make money of f of these young people and lead them to a sicker lifestyle. By selling cookies to these kids, they are promoting insomnia  and future
illness. S ugar is a highly addictive substance which now the kids can get by
staying awake. This is why it is  of utmost importance that we wake up to
our own responsibility in creating the health and the life we desire. And
lastly , w e must beware of the lure of “hot and fresh.” Crap serv ed “hot and
fresh” remains crap!My adult clients who struggle w ith food addictions and poor eating habits
typically ate and lived like that when they were young. Some 30  years later ,
their way of living in their younger years has resulted in multiple health
issues th at they can no longer i gnore. They struggle with their health and
can’ t seem to do what’ s healthy , even when they know what to do. The
sugar addiction of our youth can leave traces of memory that can get
activated in your adult life. These formerly “insomniac kids” ca n end up as
adults who will struggle to s tay healthy , and this will mean missed
opportunities fo r them to grow and to live their dreams. What s eems like a
“norm” can start us on a path of  struggle for the rest of our lives. This is no
joke and can’ t be taken lightly . Loving cookies at 20 can turn into hating your life at 50! W ake up! Don’ t let your l ack of responsibility be someone else’ s opportunity . Don’ t
wait to be rescued or saved, as that is your job. Don’ t look to the outside to
decide what the right thing is for  you. Don’ t follow the societal norms when
it co mes to your health. Don’ t go with the flow . Don’ t try to fit into the
mainstream, create your own stream. Our reference and guidance must
come from within. W e are all at a dif ferent stage in our life and we all have
dif ferent lessons  to learn. Every life and every situation and every challenge
is un ique. Fitting in is way over -rated. Fitting in with like-minded people is
great, but in ord er for that to happen; you must know your ow n mind. Do
you agree with whoever you are trying to fit in with? If not, find another
group that aligns with you. Comparing, Conforming and Complaining ar e the 3 C’ s to avoid. Measuring yourself against a world norm is misleading and is not the way
to determine what you should do. A young client thought he shou ld not be too har d on himself for drinking
alcohol thr ee times per week when everyone he knew was drinking almost
daily . He actually felt bad abou t it and knew better; that should have been
his r efer ence point, not what the others wer e doing, as he discover ed during
our session.Our actions and behaviours are i ndicative of who we are and what value we
place on  ourselves. Any behavior that undermines your own valu e would be
a waste of the miracle that you are. That in itself is the worst kind of insult
to the Creator . Wher e in your life can you take mor e r esponsibility? T aking
r esponsibility includes asking for the right kind of help. Do you need
that type of guidance?C H A P T E R  6A y u r v e d a  F i l l s  t h e  G a p
Knowing is one thing, but mos t of us struggle with doing what we know . This path from knowing to do ing is riddled with complexity , conflicting
information and  our own lack of understanding about ourselves. W e need
clarity a nd a deeper understanding in order to integrate our knowing into
our living. This is where A yurveda can fill the gap. It provides a system to
heal our  relationship with food, a system that brings us clarity , common
sense an d wisdo m, a system tha t provides a bigger context and , is relevant
and usable for everyone. Most importantly , A yurveda provides a system that
promises lasting health while ending our battle with food once and for all. Instead of providing a set of rul es to follow and the inducement to forever
chase th e next best diet, A yurveda is a dynamic living wisdom that assists
us in understand ing our lives, o urselves, and our changing needs. It guides
us to optimize our health naturally , in alignment with our calling or our
purpose. Food is a means to an end. Can we relate to it in a way that creates
an inner environment of balanc e, health and longevity? There is a natural
intelligence in food. Can we m aintain and harness its intelligence so it
supports our health, our purpose and our life? W ith A yurveda, we can! A yurveda’ s deep  wisdom and understanding is foundational in healing our
relationship with food and it empowers us to assess the fad diets and
programs that keep us searching  for results at the same time as they fail to
fulfill th e promises they make. A yurveda is a holistic system that views
each ind ividual as a whole and understands that all levels of our existence
—physical, emo tional and spiritual—are interconnected. A yurveda starts
from the premise that health is n’ t just about a lack of symptoms, but it’ s
about a balanced  mind and bod y . It recognizes that spirituality and healing
are n ot s eparate concepts; they a re one and the same thing. This is how food
becomes our medicine. This sy stem has been here from the beginning of
time, it is time-tested, and it is more relevant and needed now than ever
before. T H E  S C I E N C E  O F  L I F EThe word A yurveda comes from Sanskrit, and translated into English it
means “The Science of Life.” It is a vast construct that is more than 6000
years old, and it was cognized by enlightened beings who unde rstood how
life work s. Unde r the umbrella o f A yurveda, life works and it makes sense. The interconnectedness of our health to every aspect of our lives provides a
matrix t hat exis ts everywhere in Nature. Food has been used  to heal, to
prevent disease and to promote good health and longevity . A yurveda’ s nutr itional health system is highly sophisticated, y et it can be
greatly simplified, so we can all use this ancient science and wisdom in a
meaningful and practical way . It  is not a black-and-white scienc e, as it asks
that we go beyond the five sens es, use our own wisdom and intuition, tune
in to  the source of our health and longevity , and wake up to o ur own full
potential. It asks us to stop looking for easy answers and devel op a deeper
understanding w ithin ourselves, one that is fed by our own experiences. It
beckons us to t ap into the big ger T ruth that we already know , use our
common sense, and stay true to our nature. There is a magic and  mystery to
it, just like there is magic and m ystery to life which is beyond description
but n ot beyond our experience. When we are talking about com mon sense,
we a re ta lking a bout using our s ubtle, yet very powerful senses, and waking
up to the T ruth that we already know . W e are here to expand, prosper and grow , and to be a light in the world in
any way we can ; we need more light than we have ever needed before. It is
in our true nature to heal and to fulfill our purpose. In a world that is pulling
us a way from th is truth in a very rapid and aggressive way , we need to hold
on to it even more fervently , for the sake of the world. But before we run to
save the world, we must save ourselves first. Education goes a long way towards helping people participate i n their own
healing and in that sense A yurveda is a participatory medicine . It actively
involves the individual. Unlike the passive approach to medicine that does
not educate a person, A yurveda asks people to evolve, grow and deeply
connect with their reasons for  getting well. In this way , patients feel
empowered and can participate in their own health and healing. Every ti me I share A yurveda’ s wisdom with my clients, it rings true for
them. It makes sense to them and there is no questioning it. Th ey feel as iffor the very first  time they unde rstand what is going on with them, and that
relieves the stress and burden th ey did not even know they were carrying. I
wish the  same for you, and that this knowledge can be the ans wer you’ve
been looking for . For furt her understanding, it is important to draw a distinction between
A yurvedic medicine and W estern medicine. An A yurvedic practitioner will
obtain h is or her diagnostic information by feeling a person’ s pulse on all
levels of their bo dy , by touching the skin, by looking at the person’ s overall
appearance, the quality of their speech, how they walk and how they smell;
this is much more than mer ely focusing on the symptoms they are
experiencing. A yurveda seeks  to understand what truly is going on physiolo gically and
psychologically with a patient. Intuition, common sense and the
practitioner ’ s level of Consciousness can detect imbalances that no
machinery or blood work can ever show . This is a high-touch and highly
personal approach, very dif ferent from W estern medicine, which relies
heavily on the results of a blood test or a machine’ s diagnostics. A wise
physician will use both approaches and not limit the patient’ s treatments to
only w hat alig ns with their belief system; he or she will use all
methodologies f or helping their patients. That is how we bring compassion,
care and health back into our so -called health care system. A yurveda works
with W e stern m edicine when that’ s what the patient needs. The  goal is not
to co llect patients, but to empow er them and facilitate the heal ing process,
to bring people to a point where they no longer need the health practitioner . I a m presenting  this vast know ledge to you in the simplest way possible. What’ s p resented here is an intro duction to the A yurvedic system to get you
thinking and, hopefully , to get you started on your healing journey . This can
be the wisdom that can end our  turmoil around food and diets. Read this a
few time s. Let the information sink it. W e’ll start with some bi gger overall
concepts that you can begin to t hink about, and then we will go deeper into
each concept so we can apply them on a day-to-day basis. C O N S C I O U S N E S SMore commonly understood as awareness, Consciousness is the Source
ener gy out of which awareness arises. Think of it as a field  or state of
existence. It is an ener gy that has frequency or vibration and  all that we
attract into our life is a match for the vibration we internally experience. The same Source ener gy that created us also created the food we consume. A wareness is not a static phenomenon; it is a continuously expanding state
of C onsciousnes s that connects us to our Source. The more aw are we are,
the better decisions we make. In fact, the quality of our life depends on how
aware we are. A lthough Consci ousness is the field out of which awareness
arises, I will be using these two terms interchangeably . Anything we are not aware of is in our subconscious  min d and it is b elieved
that we live clos e to 95 percent of our lives subconsciously . This may sound
outrageous at first, but the reali ty is that we have a great deal of untapped
potential and life can only get better as we develop more Consciousness. In order  to heal, we must be aw are of what needs healing. How we do one
thing is how we do everything. How we eat and how we view food is a
result of  the beliefs about ourselves that we learned during the early years
of our lives. Som e of those belie fs may not be conducive to how we want to
live today . Our professional life, our relationships, and how we live are the
result of our sub conscious belie fs. As we become more consci ous, we can
tune into the specific beliefs that are creating habitual patterns in our life. The sam e belief s that color our health af fect our relationships, o ur work life
and, in fact, all aspects of our lif e. By becoming more aware, we can decide
what be liefs are  working against us and use our free will to change those
beliefs. Change is most ef fective when it is internally driven, rather than externally
imposed. When we look to the e ver changing information about  food that is
available to us and try to make changes, these changes are almost always
short-lived. W ith short-term and fragmented changes come short-term and
fragmented resu lts. W ithout understanding what needs changing and why it
needs changing, we soon give u p. But in the expanded Conscio usness, our
focus is more on uncovering our potential and becoming whole than it is
about just losing a few pounds. This focus pulls us inward, healing us in
ways th at we never thought possible, and in that lar ger healing, ourrelationship with food and everything else begins to shift and heal. This is a
more direct and much faster path than hopping from one diet to the next. Change is a con stant in life: our needs, our desires and our inne r and outer
environments are all dynamic processes of life that require that we be
“awake” to them so we can a djust how we live accordingly . Our own
experiences are our biggest source of learning and wisdom, and  learning to
rely on our inner wisdom will empower us in a way that no pill ever can! W H Y  D O  Y O U  W A N T  B E T T E R  H E A L T H ? Food is a means to an end. Why do we want better health? Why do we want
to lose those few pounds? The a nswer does not matter as long as you have
one. Even if we  want to lose weight for vanity reasons, there i s something
behind t hat, i.e.,  it may make us feel more confident, or more beautiful or
healthier . There is no wrong an swer . So, when we want better health, it is
not just for the sake of our health. When we are healthy , we are able to do
more, we are able to create our life according to our desir es, we can
contribute more to our families and our communities; we c an excel at
everything and, most importantly , we can fulfill our purpose on this planet. That wh ich can heal us can also  destroy us. Our intention and how we use
an e lement is w hat makes the dif ference. Alcohol, used medicinally can
heal; social media and technology can be used to spread our message and
inspire t he worl d. Y et, the sam e two components can destroy and in fact
they have af fected millions of p eople in the most adverse way imaginable. That is why it is important to ask the bigger question so we  can really
understand what ’ s going on inside of us. This questioning can unravel not
only what’ s going on but the deeply-seated reasons for our challenges. Solutions are seldom found on  the level of the problem; we must get to
another level for a bigger and fuller view of the situation. This expands our
mind, our thinking and, most importantly , the possibilities available to us. A yurveda provid es that bigger v iew , as well as a bigger context. W e can eat
the most potent and miraculous foods, but without understanding our body’ s
changing needs,  its ability to break down these foods, the changing externalenvironments an d, most importantly , our reasons for eating them, they may
not bring the results we expect. When kale was the miracle food, everyone was adding i t into their
smoothies, and people were eating and drinking everything kale. It actually
created many digestive issues for many of my clients. So, the answer to the
question, “Is kale a good food?” is, “It depends on.....” And that’ s how
A yurveda works . It depends on a lot of factors and just becaus e a little bit
might be good, a lot can create problems. That’ s how A yurveda provides the
bigger c ontext, a broader view , under which we can find answers to our
smaller questions. W e wan t food that creates an in ternal environment of health and vitality so
we have  the resources to do wha t we need to do in our life. Food is a means
to a n end. A yu rveda looks at a bigger and broader view of food and
nutrition. Who is eating it? Ho w are they eating it? How often and how
much ar e they eating? What else is going on for this person? It is far from
the “ one-size-fits-all” approach that we may be more accustom ed to in the
W estern medical world. These are all questions worth asking and this is
how foo d becomes our medicine. Blindly following a fad diet is a far cry
from this expanded way of thinking and being. As I remind my clients, a conscious, healthy life requires that we pay
attention and that we care about ourselves enough to think deeper and
bigger . A yurveda is the big umbrella under which all life can function in the
most a uthentic, harmonious and balanced way . Everything af fects
everything else. It is not about e ating or not eating certain foods as all foods
(real foo ds, not processed) are perfect for someone, but nothin g is perfect
for everyone. And everything can heal us if we use it for that purpose and
with that attention. It is for this reason that if we can heal our relationship
with food, we can heal our relationship with everything else. C O N N E C T I O N  W I T H  C R E A T I O N
W e are part of the whole of Creation. Y es, we are! So, we must learn to co-
exist with Nature in a way that is harmonious and allows the gre ater flow of
ener gy w ithin ourselves and that which surrounds us. Nature is everythingthat is present on this planet. T he same ener gy that created us  created the
plants an d trees,  the food, the animals and the environment. As I mentioned
earlier , what we do to Natur e, we do to ourselves . In the short run,
seemingly , we might get away with something…but when ou r goal is to
heal, we are not interested in the narrow vision and what we ca n get away
with in the short  run. When you  can see yourself in the floating swans, feel
yourself in the b reeze of the trees and harvest the fruits of the Earth without
harming the Earth, you know t hat there is far more to you tha n just your
physical body . Cruelty towards any part of Creation is cruelty t o the whole
of Creation and, ultimately , cruelty to us! Nature’ s rhythm is also our body’ s natural rhythm. Synchronizing our
natural rhythm to the rhythms  of Nature will go a long w ay towards
supporting our own healing. Ordering pizza in the middle of the night is not
in harmony with Nature, although we are free to do it. Going against our
nature will eventually make us ill. There is a time to sleep, there is a time to
wake up, there i s a time to eat, there is a time to play , and there  is a time to
work. W e need to eat our biggest meal at lunch time when the sun is at its
peak; it is not a coincidence that our digestion is also at its peak during that
time. Sim ply eat ing our biggest meal at that time will be useful,  so it can be
properly digested and metaboliz ed, and we can use the ener gy fo r the rest of
the day . The five  elemen ts (Ether , Air , Fi re, W ater and Earth) are the building blocks
of Creat ion. The  ener gy , the qua lities and the functionality of these building
blocks are found everywhere in  Nature. The ener gies and function of these
building blocks can also be found in the food we eat. For example, popcorn
has mostly the Air element and very little Earth element; pizza, on the other
hand, is  mostly made of the E arth element. Understanding th at is key to
knowing what food is good for which person, in what stage of their life, in
what season, and in what quantity . In adjusting these variables to get a
desired result, we can make food our medicine. W e will be d iscussing in
detail how these elements co mbine to make up our const itution, our
imbalances, the dif ferent tastes, dif ferent seasons, the cycles of our life and
our dail y cycle. Dif ferent combinations of these elements make up our
constitution of V ata (Ether and Air), Pitta (W ater and Fire), and Kapha
(W ater and Earth)E N E R G Y ,  Q U A L I T Y  A N D  B A L A N C E
Food is fuel and  the quality of the fuel determines the quality of  our life. In
the conv entional sense, we are used to thinking of our quality o f life as our
lifestyle or our status, our mate rial possessions and the amount of money
we have in the bank. Although these are wonderful things to have and
enjoy , I am talking about quali ty of life in terms of our healt h and well-
being. A nother word for the ener gy that food provides to our body is Life
Force or  Prana. It is not the sam e as calories. Calories can give  you “fuel”
to burn, but not vitality or luster . When we eat food that has suf ficient
calories but is devoid of this Prana, we might miscalibrate o ur feedback
system. When  ener gy is lacking in our food, our body can s ignal us to
continue eating even when suf ficient calories have already been
consumed. Junk  food is a perfect example of this concept. W e a lways want
to reach for mor e. It isn’ t just because it is stimulating our tast e buds; it is
because the Prana in the food is missing so we continue to eat more to make
up for it. Pick an apple straight from the  tree while it is bathing under the sun and
taste it. It tastes like you have ta sted the sun, the Earth and the breeze. Now
bite on an old ap ple. The taste w ill no longer be there. That fresh apple has
a h igher level of Prana than the o ld one and it has a pure and fresh ener gy . It
will convey that same ener gy to our body and mind. Fresh food not only
tastes be tter , it carries a higher level of Prana than old leftover food. Pure
foods ca use no harm to the envi ronment and therefore the vegetarian diet is
considered the purest diet, also called Sattvic diet. (W e’ll be discussing this,
and its companion concepts, in more detail in a later chapter .) Food nourishes our body , and it also af fects our mind and Consciousness as
well. Dif ferent proportions of t he five elements reflect dif ferent types of
constitution tha t A yurveda characterizes as V ata, Pitta and K apha. Our
mental constitution is governed by the three qualities, or f undamental
attributes, as well. These three q ualities are Sattva, Rajas and T amas. They
af fect th e quality of Prana, or Life Force, that we experience. And they are
equally necessary to maintain our psychological balance. As I mentioned
earlier , the five elements are rep resented in the food we eat and the quality
or the ener gy of  that food is governed by the qualities of Sattva , Rajas andT amas. Our physical and mental health is a function of the balance of the
elements and the qualities. P U R I T Y ,  M O M E N T U M ,  A N D  S T A B I L I T Y
Let’ s look at th e mental qualities first. How we respond to events and
circumstances depends on the specific balance of these three qualities
(Sattva, Rajas, and T amas) in our mind. Sattvic qualities imply purity ,
creativity , clarit y , reality , essence and Consciousness. Rajas ic qualities
provide momen tum and ener gy for us to carry out all the “do ing” in our
lives. T a masic qualities help us sustain what we have created and provide
stability that supports both the Sattvic and Rajasic qualities. Maintaining a
healthy life is ab out finding a ba lance amongst these three qualities. It is up
to us  to become  aware when we become too action oriented (R ajas) or too
stuck in our wa ys (T amas) so w e can come into a state characterized by a
calm and clear mind (Sattva). People with predominantly Sattvic qualities are loving, compassionate and
pure-minded. Th ey do not anger  easily and they look fresh, alert, aware and
full of luster; they are recognized for their wisdom, happiness and joy . They
are able to maintain mental calm and clarity . People w ith pre dominantly Raja sic qualities tend to be egoistic , ambitious,
aggressive, proud, and compet itive and they have a tendency to control
others. They lead a life marked  by sensual enjoyment, pleasure and pain,
ef fort an d restlessness, anger and jealousy . They are hard worke rs and they
like pres tige, power and position. They become agitated quite suddenly , and
they hav e a fear of failure; they easily become mentally drained . Their task,
then, is to soften this quality so they can continue to be compas sionate and
loving (more Sattvic). A person with predominantly  T amasic qualities can fall easily into
darkness, inertia, heaviness and  materialism. This can result in depression,
laziness, excess ive sleep, eating and drinking. T o balance, they need to
reduce some of these qualities so they can move towards a more Sattvic
life.The basi c nature of our mind is Sattvic, or creative, with just en ough Rajas
and T amas to bring our desires to fruition. The balance between these three
qualities is vital for health and happiness. A Sattvic mind lends itself to
calm, clear and creative thinking that allows the individual to easily resolve
problems withou t too much Raj as and T amas. T oo much Rajas  and T amas
distort th e natural balance of th e mind and have a negative impact on our
lives. There is a connection between how we are eating and how we are acting. Whether a person struggles with  depression or committing crimes, we know
that food is a big driver of thei r behaviour . By choosing what we eat, we
can choose between Consciousness (Sattva), agitation (Rajas) or inertia
(T amas). It is important to balance both our physical and our mental constitution. Sattvic food is not necessarily good for all constitutions and imbalances. Some Sattvic food can be too heavy for V ata, too sour for Pitta or too
mucus-producing for Kapha. (W e’ll discuss these ideas in more detail in
Chapter 9 .) D I G E S T I B I L I T Y  A N D  E N E R G Y
Our digestive system is like an  engine for the vehicle of our h uman body
and life. Digesti on is our body’ s  natural process for breaking do wn the food
we eat and trans forming it into t he fuel or ener gy we need while getting rid
of w aste matter . A lack of de eper understanding has led to eating and
lifestyle habits that have unde rmined this innate ability . As mentioned
earlier , inflamm ation is at the root of many illnesses and in our society
today we’re finding that wha t we eat, combined with our  weakened
digestive systems, is causing a lot of inflammation. While ultra-focusing on
what we  eat, we have under -foc used on what we can digest. It is  no wonder
that in spite of  eating the per fect foods, we continue to st ruggle with
digestive issues and ill health. Our body has a n innate ability to heal, if we can only learn to harmonize
with its nature a nd stop getting i n its way . So, what we eat is important, but
what we digest is far more important for our longevity and vitality .W e ar e what we digest and what we don’t eliminate. Proper and healthy eliminatio n is part of strong digestion and poor
elimination is a sign of poor d igestion. A yurveda expands ou r digestion
beyond our ability to digest foo d; it also includes our ability to digest our
emotions and our experiences. An inability to digest and metabolize our
experiences and emotions results in emotional challenges and creates
habitual patterns  that make life dif ficult. When our digestion ha s weakened
or we develop f ood sensitivities , somewhere in there we have not allowed
the full expressi on of our emoti ons and experiences. I have yet to have one
client fo r whom that has not been true. Even when I am not looking for the
psychological factors, they star e me in the face. This puts me  in a much
better place to be of service to my clients. Strong digestive power is one o f the four pillars of health in A yurveda. The
other three are S leep, Meditation and Purification. Eating certai n foods and
eating them at ce rtain times of th e day can make us feel bloated, unwell and
uncomfortable. This is a sign of a weakened digestive system. There are
many se rious health issues related to weakened digestion, such as acid
reflux, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), food aller gies,
constipation, let har gy and others. W e can take a pill but until w e get to the
root of the problem, all solutions will be temporary . While it is wise to eat or ganic, non-GMO and unprocessed foods, our
ability to digest, absorb, assimilate and eliminate the undigested food is far
more important , and will give us a deeper insight when making food
choices. Our food combinations, the timing of our meals, our internal
experiences and the outer environment are some of the factor s that af fect
digestion. W eak  digestion is one of the reasons that we can ea t the purest
and healthiest foods, yet create toxins (which A yurveda calls A ma) in the
body . There is no magic food or magic pill when it comes to our  health and
vitality . W e are multidimensional beings, and the purpose of food is not to
just fill an empty  space, but to nourish us on many levels. W e are unique in
our con stitution, tendencies and imbalances, and the one -size-fits-all
approach to food just does no t work. Moreover , seasonal changes and
physiological changes point to the need to look at the whole picture andgain a deeper u nderstanding o f how food can be used as a  preventive
measure, as well as to speed u p healing and recovery in the case of an
illness. T o sum it all up, the five A yurvedic concepts or principals we have
discussed in this chapter are: Consciousness, Bigger Context, Connection
with Creation, Ener gy , Quality and Balance and Digestibility . L et’ s look at
these concepts in detail in the next chapters. What a r e the gaps in your health? Can you find one concept in this
chapter that may bridge that gap?C H A P T E R  7C o n s c i o u s n e s s  a n d  i t s  R o l e  i n  H e a l i n g
As we discussed  previously , Consciousness is Source ener gy and it is the
mother of all C reation. Our journey into the physical body begins with
Consciousness j ust like a tree begins with the seed. However , it transcends
the h uman life as we know it an d extends beyond the Earth. In other words,
it do es not end when our human life ends. It has no beginning  and no end
and it exists beyond the concept of time and space. It is the source of all our
thoughts, and emotions, and our liveliness, and it contains the codes for our
ener gy , information and intelligence. Healing comes from connecting with
this Source and disease arises  when we are disconnected from it. The
challenges that we discussed in the first section of this book dis sipate when
we become conscious and develop a deep relationship with that part of
ourselves that is beyond our body and the mind. Consciousness is not an intellectual concept; the understanding comes from
experiencing it. It is nothing, in  the sense that it is devoid of any duality or
polarity , and yet it is everything. It is an absolute that contains  the ener gy ,
information and  intelligence that manifests in the physical body . It exists
within us as we ll as outside of us. The nervous system is the  seat of our
Consciousness. As infants and young kids under age five, we experience the
still and the absolute nature of Consciousness and we have a memory of it. Beyond the age of five, we begi n to move into the experience of human life
and for get our connection with this Source. When we experience it again, it
is like coming home to ourselves. W e remember that that is w ho we truly
are, Pure Consciousness. Our physical, mental/emotional, ener getic,
intuitive and spiritual bodies are dif ferent expressions of this
Consciousness. H O W  D O E S  C O N S C I O U S N E S S  H E A L ? Experiencing Co nsciousness is about being in touch with our tr ue Essence. This experience is expansive, whole and blissful and we naturally gravitate
towards it. W e begin to infuse the experience into our lives. W e begin to
align our actions, our choices and our lifestyle to wha t we haveexperienced. W e  begin to heal. W e move towards acceptance, w hich spares
a lot of our ener gy that was tied up in worry , control and conflict. This fee ling of wholeness perm eates our being. Psychologica l stress that
also cau sed bloc kages in the flo w of this ener gy and intelligenc e begins to
dissipate. W e now set up the ground for healing and health. W hat we need
to do  to heal aga in becomes clear . W e become open to making changes that
were not possible before. W e tu ne in to what we need and we find ways to
get it. W e begin to believe that healing is possible and begin to  trust in the
bigger p icture. W e feel part and parcel of this Universe and no  longer feel
isolated. In deeper parts of us, w e begin to believe that all is we ll. W e move
towards activities and life styles that promote our health and our growth. Anything else is no longer desi rable. It is this shift that allows us to heal
and transform our lives. Any meditation practice that involves transcending beyond the physical aids
in exper iencing and developing greater Consciousness. Through meditation,
we relea se stress from our ne rvous system. The mental and emotional
imprints on the n ervous system begin to loosen their grip, and c hannels that
were blocked begin to open. In this way , we are working at the root cause of
illness and we are not just stuck in a limited medical diagnosis. There is  a deep connection be tween spirituality and healing. T o become
more conscious is not to control the outcome of our actions; it is rather to
co-create with that which is lar g er . It is to harmonize with our higher Self
and let Nature d o what is for the highest good. W e regain our p ower when
we harmonize with Nature. W e heal when we reconnect with the Source out
of w hich all life  arises. When we become that tuned in to who we truly are,
there is no longer an attachment  to a desired outcome, instead we feel okay
with whatever happens. W e realize that what is in store for us  is far more
than we could have imagined. Our indi vidual Consciousness is  part of the Unified Field of Consciousness. The laws of Unified Field are the laws of Nature and this is the foundation
for A yurvedic Medicine. It is no longer possible to be Conscious and
engage in lifestyles that block our healing.H O W  T O  D E V E L O P  C O N S C I O U S N E S S
When we talk about living our ultimate T ruth, we are talking about the
bigger T ruth that connects us all. That truth isn’ t attained by thinking
harder; it is only attained by transcending thinking, i.e. not thinking at all. That is what meditation is! The act of not thinking, not doing, so the truth
may sur face in the silence and in  the non-doing. That T ruth is there whether
we know it or not. But when w e can connect with it via meditation, it is
most use ful. In that ultimate T ruth, our personal truth may surface; the truth
of our desires, the truth of our cu rrent life, and that holds the key to learning
how to heal. So,  connecting with the bigger T ruth will serve us greatly . The
ultimate T ruth is that at the core of our existence, we are whol e, complete
and Pure Consciousness. That is the key to healing our relationship with
food, and healing our life. W e are multi-dimensional being s and the only way to restore w holeness is
to b egin at the Source. Healing happens in our core and not necessarily in
the elimination of symptoms. When we heal from within, the symptoms
either disappear or no longer get in the way of our happiness. The dee p desire  of our being is to feel loved, validated, needed, cherished,
and valued and the irony of this is that at our core we are nothing but love. W e are worthy and we are on this planet to have a human experience in all
that we experience and, ultima tely , to rest in the knowing that we are
complete and whole at our core. This is simple but not easy! Our subconsciou s is a place of n eutrality , in the sense that it does not judge
how we  fulfill our desires or em body our core beliefs. If the subconscious
belief is that “I am unworthy ,” then our habits and life will continuously try
to fill that need by any means possible. Food becomes one of the means. Until we change our subconscious beliefs, any breakthrough will be
temporary and we will find ourselves repeating this pattern ov er and over
again. In order to have a dif ferent belief, we must have a dif ferent
experience; an experience of wholeness. Meditation creates that experience.Our me ditation will feed our emotional hunger in place o f the food
upon which we’ve been pr eviously r elying to do this. Patti, a mother of four school-a ge kids and the wife of a very busy husband
came to me one day feeling overwhelmed with all that she had to do. She
felt she was con tinuously on the run and in an emer gency mode. She was
starting to feel flutters in her chest and she was struggling with anxiety . She
worried about the kids and felt guilty if she could not keep up. One of the
first things I suggested for her was to learn meditation. She began a
meditation pract ice and came fo r a follow-up appointment a we ek later . She
felt calm and l ess intense and was able to accomplish mor e. She was
surprised at the quick r esults s he was obtaining fr om the med itation. She
worried less and finally felt tha t everything was going to be okay . She felt
happy and she looked happy and at peace. Everyone’ s expe rience with meditation will be dif ferent and the results are
dependent upon the state of one’ s nervous system and w hat else is
happening in your body and yo ur life. But I have yet to have a client who
did not experien ce benefits from meditation. For many , if not  for all my
clients, it has been the key to helping them regain their health. Create s ome tim e and space in your life to be still and quiet. Start with five
minutes. Notice the ef fect it has on your life. That is meditation. Learning a
technique will help you establis h a solid practice. Find a teacher who can
teach you this practice. Pay attention to one ar ea of y our life. Ar e ther e any patterns that you
r epeat? What is one pattern that you continuously r epeat?C H A P T E R  8T h e  B i g g e r  C o n t e x t
Our Consciousness is the subtlest yet the most powerful part of our being
and it holds our power to heal. Healing is not just about physical health; it is
about th e harmonious co-existe nce of our inner and outer worlds. In the
medical field, we think of health  as a mere absence of symptoms or of any
diagnosable illn ess. How many of us have no known symptoms yet we just
don’ t fee l well? Nothing is wrong, yet something is. That something is our
disconnect from our T ruth. Our physical symptoms, our mental/emotional
turmoil is simply a result of tha t disconnect. Our symptoms tell us when a
disease shows up physically , but that is not where it originates. Debbie came to me with sever e digestive issues. Her doctors suggested
sur gery , which did not sit well w ith her as she was bar ely r ecovering fr om a
pr evious sur gery for these same issues. After going thr ough th e details of
the consultation, I asked her what was r eally going on. That’ s when she
burst into tears and shar ed with me the story of her marital difficulties. Pr essur e to make her marriage work at any cost was keeping he r quiet and
she was outwar dly trying to accept the situation. Internally , s he was not
able to “digest”  the state of her marriage, causing the health  issues she
was experiencing. Giving her some herbs and dietary r ecommendations
without helping her to r esolve the underlying cause would not  go far . She
had never thought about what her expectations and needs we r e fr om her
marriage. She was denying herself the right to be happy and fulf illed for the
sake of keeping the marriage going. Along with giving Debbie some dietary guidelines, I also guided her to
r esolve the marital conflict. In the medical w orld, the causes of an illness are believed to be physical,
hence the endless testing to see w hat’ s going on with the physica l only . This
may be needed, but it isn’ t the complete picture. At the very best, any
psychological i ssues are referred to a psychologist or a psychiatrist,
fragmenting the patient as if their physical health is separate  from their
psychological health. Y ou may get a little help from pursuing both routesseparately , but the whole pictu re is missed. This creates a huge internal
confusion and conflict for the patient and they never really understand
what’ s going on and how to fix it. W e are not a piece of machinery whose parts can be outsourced  to dif ferent
experts to “fix” what’ s broken. Every part of our being af fects every other
part and only a holistic view can reveal the real problems. Rita came to me in the hopes of avoiding sur gery for her hip. She was in a
wheelchair and had been unable to walk for the pr evious thr ee years. The
lack of movement had caused further tissue deterioration. Accor ding to her ,
she became paralyzed all of a sudden out of the blue. This did not make
sense to  me as I could not find any physical r easons for her condition. I had
picked u p fr om her pulse that ther e had been a past heartache t hat had not
been r es olved. A fter I ruled eve rything else out for her condit ion, I asked
her if she had e ndur ed a trauma in the past that was not yet healed. And
ther e was. She r eported immedi ately that her inability to walk occurr ed at
the same time as she had felt abandoned by one of her family members. This
is the first time that she had con nected the trauma to her inability to walk. Now we both knew wher e the issues wer e and what needed healing. The roo t cause of disease is se ldom physical. Healing is about going to
those deep root causes and creating shifts there. When we change that one
thing in that deep place, chang es begin to cascade into every area of our
life. Even the sm allest shift will have a profound ef fect, just like a little stir
at the bottom of the ocean can create tidal waves. Healing is built in and healing i s what our human journey on this planet is
about. M any of  us are compell ed to go beyond the physical when struck
with a terminal illness, a tragedy  or just one of life’ s challenges. This innate
healing is your T ruth, the wholeness that is trying to find you. S pirituality is
about connecting with your spirit, as it knows the truth, and healing is the
experience or result of that connection. All healing in that regard is
spiritual. In the world of fixing, improving and navigating the web of societal
conditioning, sp iritual healing is a breath of fresh air  awakening us to the
knowing that we are whole, and are at the perfect place and time in ourlives. It is in this place that the process becomes more of Self-discovery
than of self-improvement. This is where we know that we can heal from
anything and overcome any obstacles that get in our way . W e can always
take a pill! And at times, it may be necessary for a short while so we can
start to think straight. But if w e really want to heal at every level of our
existence, then we must dig deeper , ask the bigger questions and develop a
bigger context for our health. “Why do you th ink you are hav ing the health issues that you are having?”
Asking this question to my clients takes them beyond the symptoms and
allows their life story to emer g e. They often begin to see how the same
story is playing out in other areas of their life, such as their wo rk and their
relationships. Simply the willingness to look beyond the physical symptoms
raises the level o f our awareness and we begin to see a bigger picture than
we had before. That in itself is empowering and begins the healing process
at the level of our awareness. U N R E S O L V E D  S T O R I E S  A N D  D I S E A S E
More times than not, a disease i s about our unresolved story . Th e only way
to resolve or to heal the story is to go into the experience of it. What we
experience at the cellular level will continuously repeat in other areas of our
life and in our  illness, until i t is resolved. The only way to heal that
experience is first to allow it and open our heart to it as it is very much a
part of who we are. And then w e may ask the bigger question. What may I
learn from this experience? What’ s the lesson? This is where we do the
work, d ig a little deeper and learn and heal what we need to heal. Our
beliefs change, our habits line up and our body begins to heal. When we r ealize that we have the power to change our story , we begin
to heal. This work isn’ t e asy . It requires a certain kind of stamina, but it is definitely
easier th an livin g with an illness . Y ou may experience resistance in all kind
of dif ferent ways, rationalizing the situation away or pretending that all is
okay , w hen it isn’ t. Fear shows  up in all kinds of distorted w ays. This is
where you need expert guidance to help you through. Healing is an or ganicprocess. W e can’ t will it or force it to occur . W e allow it and stay present to
it. That is healin g! It has its own timing, and we can facilitate i t by getting
out of the way . These are the ancient teachings and the wisdom. W e can heal from anything
if we use it for that purpose and with that intention. Healing r equires that
we be willing to  take a deep dive within and can stay the course . Healing is
chosen, while illness happens b y default. Y ou  can  heal from anything and
overcome the blocks that show up in the process. I believe that! In order for
you to heal, you must believ e that, too. W e have the power to heal
ourselves. Annie came to m e wanting to g et off her medication for colitis. In spite of
doing e verything right, she felt her body had abandoned her . As we
continued to work deeper , aband onment was the r ecurring theme in her life
and it started with the passing of one of her par ents. Since th en she tried
har d to hold on  to the people in her life out of fear of being abandoned. That was the un r esolved issue that had manifested as colitis. I t was a big
r elief for  her to discover this an d to connect the physical to her emotions. Now we both knew wher e she needed help. What’ s unr esolved in your life? Something always is, as our lives ar e a
work-in-pr ogr ess. When we ar e conscious of it, we see the unr esolved as
it is, rather than giving it mor e  power than it deserves. Whe n we give it
mor e power , that’ s when it can manifest physically .C H A P T E R  9O u r  C o n n e c t i o n  w i t h  C r e a t i o n
W e are each a part of the whole of Creation. That which created us created
everything aroun d us. The five elements, Ether , Air , Fire, W ater and Earth,
are the building  blocks of Creation. They are categorized from  the subtle,
light an d intang ible to the hea vy , dense and gross, with Ethe r being the
subtlest and Earth being the den sest element. Everything in Creation can be
understood in relation to these five elements, in a way that is similar to how
light can be separated into the seven colors of the rainbow . C reation is a
cyclical and dynamic process, continuously changing and flowing. Something is being created and something is being destroyed al l the time to
maintain balance. These elements are fluid forces that work with one another to create cycles
of the seasons, of day and nig ht, of our life and our internal cycles. W e
know th ese elements in their raw  form as space, breeze, sun, water and the
earth beneath our feet. The way to understand these elem ents is to
understand their  qualities and th eir function, and to learn how they operate
in everything living. These elements work interdependently , each af fecting
the other; so, more than just science, we need deep wisdom and  intuition to
keep the m all balanced. Each el ement has its desirable and not-so-desirable
qualities. When we talk about bringing balance into our life and our health,
we wan t to harness the most desirable qualities of these elements and
minimize their undesirable qualities. The vari ety of foods, of body and personality types, of animals , and all the
variety in plants and trees, can be understood in terms of which  element is
most predomina nt. Each element combines with another element for its
most desirable expression, for example, Earth and W ater join  together to
make mud—the stuf f that holds our homes and our bodies together (Kapha). Fire combines with a little bit o f W ater (so it does not burn and  dry things
up) to heat things like our digestive fire (Pitta). Air and Space together can
move things, such as pollen in the spring or food in our body (V ata).V ata, Pitta and Kapha, can also be viewed as forces that are continuously
destroying (V ata), or ganizing (Pitta) and Generating (Kapha) to maintain
balance. The combination of these elements is what gives rise to our
constitution and  our imbalances. Imbalances are called Dosha in Sanskrit. Literally transla ted, Dosha means “that which is spoiled,” as any of the
three forces can be out of balance. T o heal is to balance these forces in our
life. Each one of us has a unique body and personality type, and we need
and desire dif ferent things, an d for that reason we each need a unique
approach to food and our diet. W e need all five elements in our food, in our
life and in our body to live a balanced life. Let’ s look at ea ch element
separately to understand them better . E T H E R  O R  S P A C E
The natu re of this element is e xpansive, open, subtle and soft. The Ether
element is considered to be the first expression of Consciousness into
Creation. This element is formless and it is the subtlest of all the elements. It provides space for all the oth er elements to function so it takes on the
qualities of the other elements that are operating within it. This element is
all around us; w ithout Space, we can’ t exist. W e clearly experience this
element at the beach or the park where there is a lot of open space. Ether is also represented by the  channels or spaces in our body where all
our bodily functions take place. Our spirit is of the Ether element and many
cultures have practices of fasting  to connect with that element via prayer or
meditation. Whe n we are fastin g, we are not taking in other e lements via
our food , and therefore we are creating more Space. Having too much of
this elem ent can make us feel spacy and depleted, and having too little can
make us  feel rigid or stuck. As mentioned earlier , each element  works with
another element s for its expressi on. Space combines with Air to  give rise to
V ata, wh ich is a destroying force. It moves or separates and d estroys the
previous cycles in our body , in Nature and in life. A I R
The natu re of this element is irregular , mobile, expansive, dry , light, rough,
cold and  subtle. This is the next level in the expression of Con sciousness,and this is the point where Consciousness takes a particular direction. This
element is formless but it’ s less subtle than the Ether element. The most
important functi on of this eleme nt is movement. It combines with Space for
its b est expression. Spreading of pollen and a soft breeze are desirable
functions of this element but in excess they give rise to tornadoes that create
destruction. When in excess, this element can be fierce and destructive. Air elem ent is responsible for all the movements in our body . The
movement of our breath, our blood circulation, the movement o f food, and
all c ommunicati ons are a functio n of this element. Air is responsible for the
electric ener gy in our nervous system, the movement of all tissues, the
functioning of our hearing, and speaking and our sense of touch. Having too
much A ir can make us feel bloat ed and gassy and having too little can make
us feel stuf fy and stuck. But we need just the right amount to feel balanced. Popcorn, crackers and leafy greens are of predominantly Air element. Having too much of these foods, for a person who is predominantly made
up o f th is eleme nt (V ata dosha) and especially in the winter mo nths (which
is V ata season, as discussed below) can cause depletion, as Air is
destructive when present in excess. F I R E
This ele ment is hot, sharp, light, dry and dynamic. The most important
function of this element is to tra nsform and it is needed for Consciousness
to e xpress itself into form. Th is element provides dynamism , heat and
power . I t combin es with the nex t element, W ater , for its best expression and
is th e or ganizing power of Crea tion. T oo little sun can dampen everything
and too much can burn. W ithout the sun, most plants can’ t grow and
produce. Again,  we need just the right amount for its balanced f unction. For
example, we need just the right amount of heat to cook our food. This ele ment is responsible for t he digestive fire in the body . It is needed to
transform and metabolize our food into the ener gy we need. W eakened
digestion leads to many illnesse s, so balancing this element in our body can
be t he single m ost important and health-promoting action w e can take. A yurveda alway s looks at the whole picture; just as enough Fire is neededto tr ansform our food; it is al so needed to transform our em otions into
intelligence, and to transform our experiences into wisdom. It is responsible
for maintaining optimal body temperature, and the absorption and
assimilation of food, as well as for the transformative power of the liver . W e need  some Fire in the foods  we eat to transform them into ener gy and
we add that by spices, not just hot, pungent spices, but also many other
spices and herbs that can add a little heat to the food to make it easier to
digest. Hot, spicy food has a predominance of Fire element in it, and so
does a fiery tem perament. The same heat that can keep us warm  during the
winter m onths c an, in excess, in flame our body . Our body is always trying
to achiev e home ostasis, a point of balance. When we eat, we w ant to eat in
a balanced way . Someone with a fiery personality (Pitta dosha) will become
more fiery by eating hot and spicy foods (Pitta foods), especially in the
summer months (Pitta season), so eating cooling foods is neede d to balance
the emotions. Chili pe ppers, ginger , cinnamon , cumin, black pepper are some examples of
foods with Fire predominance. W A T E R
The nat ure of this element is fluid, cold, dull, soft, slimy or oily , and
mobile. Fire transforms Consciousness into this next level of its expression,
the first express ion with form. The most important function of this element
is nurtu rance an d cohesion, to hold things together and in that sense its
function can be compared to a m other that nurtures the family and holds it
together . No processes in the body can take place without W ater . Its most
important function is transportation. It is the carrier or the medium through
which a ll proce sses take place. W ater takes on the qualities of the other
elements that it combines with . As it combines with Fire, it works to
balance the Fire so it does not get too hot. When combined w ith Earth, it
becomes mud that holds thing s together . T oo much of this element can
cause floods and too little can c reate drought. Again, we need j ust the right
amount for its balanced function. Balance is not a static point; it is a
dynamic process where these elements are always working to move toward
that state over time.W ater m anifests as the plasma and lymph systems in our body that bring
nutrients to our cells and carry toxins away from the cells. It governs our
sense of taste and our reproductive function. Our body is estimated to be
60-70% water . This element nu rtures the cells, detoxifies our or gans and
connects the whole body together . Celery , cucumber , and melon s are good examples of foods with a
predominance o f this element. Carbohydrates also fit this category due to
their abi lity to glue things toge ther , hence the need for carbohydrates and
fats. T oo much can cause gluten sensitivity , which is actually a way for us
to reduce the am ount of carbs w e consume. This is how balance is built into
the body , and is attained. E A R T H
The natu re of this element is heavy , dull, constant, dense and gross. This is
where Consciousness fully takes form and becomes substance. It is this
element that holds and cradles everything together , providing support,
ener gy , and structure. T oo much of this element can result in stagnation and
rigidity and too little results in instability . Creation is always  working to
find bala nce so just the right amount of this element needs to be  present for
the other elements to express themselves fully as well. The Earth element in our body c reates immunity , strength, and stability , and
manifests as bones, muscles, cartilage, nails, hair , teeth a nd skin. It
combines with the element W at er for its best expression. T oo much of this
element can manifest as “couch  potato syndrome,” lethar gy , a tendency to
being overweight, obese and, on the psychological side, hoarding and
holding on to things, old grudges and emotions. Foods with Earth element predo minance are meats, root vegetables, cheeses
and swe ets, prot ein and minerals. W e need a suf ficient amount  of these to
sustain our muscles, strength and our immunity . Now let’ s discuss how
these five elements are expressed in our body , our mind, in seasons, in
cycles of the day and night, in dif ferent tastes, and in foods. E L E M E N T S  I N  O U R  B O D Y  A N D  O U R  M I N DAs ment ioned earlier , each element combines with another element to give
rise to the three forces that can be seen and experienced everywhere in our
world. E ther and Air combine to  give rise to V ata. W ater and F ire combine
to give rise to Pitta. W ater and Earth combine to give rise to Kapha. V ata, Pit ta and Kapha are the Generating, Or ganizing and Destro ying forces
in o ur b ody and our being and they are always working to bring balance
within u s. (W e can abbreviate th em as GOD). And, while we each have all
of th ese forces within us, one tends to predominate. When we re fer to these
forces a t work in the body the y are called Constitutions, or “Dosha” in
Sanskrit. (Although “Dosha” is used to describe an imbalance, the word is
used interchangeably with “constitution.”)
V A T A  C O N S T I T U T I O N
Ether and Air combine to create a V ata constitution and those blessed with
this dosha may be unusually short or unusually tall but they will have a
small frame, and are always very thin. They tend to be vivacious, talkative,
creative and enthusiastic but ma y have hard time staying on task and being
focused; they may fidget. Pleas e note that the most desirable and the most
undesirable qual ities of any dosh a can be found within the same person, and
most of us are trying to get to a “balanced” state where the undesirable
qualities of V ata—such as too much talking, a tenden cy towards
hyperactivity , an d an inability to focus—are minimized. T oo much of the
undesirable qua lities of this dosha can result in insomnia, an xiety , fear ,
constipation, bloating, arthritis, food sensitivities and all er gies, and
depletion, amon g other issues. S omeone with a balanced V ata d emonstrates
more of  the desirable qualities of V ata, which are creativity , enthusiasm,
softness and balanced movement. V ata governs the other doshas so it is always a good idea to keep this dosha
in balance. W oody Allen is a perfect exam ple of someone with V ata constitution. A
chipmunk is another one. (Every time I see one, I call it a V a ta-deranged
creature. )Due to their creative nature, those with V ata constitution, tend to hop from
project to project continuously looking for stimulation. Like their
predominant elements, Ether and Air , they don’ t like routines, schedules or
discipline. They want to do wh atever they want, whenever , which makes
them fe el easily overwhelmed . This leads to worry , anxiety and other
challenges. The natural tendency for V ata is to enjoy things and foods that
are close  to their nature. They l ove running, and enjoy V ata foods such as
salads, crackers, cold and raw foods, soft drinks, and popcorn, and they tend
to eat on the run. Like incr eases like  and too much of these foods create a
V ata imbalance with some or all of the issues mentioned previously . Understanding o ur constitution helps us understand our nature and what’ s
needed t o get back to balance. O ur deeper understanding and our awareness
can help lead us  back to balanc e. In spite of the natural tendency of V ata
people to eat lig htly and flit from  one activity to another , they need routine,
discipline and warm, cooked, and oily foods in order to ge t back into
balance. For them to enjoy their free and creative nature, they need an
anchor , boundaries and disciplin e in their lives. Otherwise, they  will end up
expressing their most undesira ble qualities. Foods that pacify V ata are
discussed below . Shar on came to me experiencing high anxiety and fear . She loved being
physically active  and enjoyed dancing and running. She ate healthily , or so
she thought: lots of salads wer e  always on her menu. She had r ecently lost
her husb and and  she had becom e mor e fearful of being alone. Shar on was
very thin and sh e had a small build (the hallmarks of a V ata c onstitution). W ith her  activiti es and eating (r unning and dancing ar e V ata activities, and
salads ar e V ata foods) she was  cr eating an imbalance that cr eated mor e
fear and  anxiety  in the wake of her husband passing away . I r e commended
that she stop ru nning and enr oll in Y oga. I also r ecommended that she eat
mor e cooked, warm and oily foods. She also learned meditation. V ata
people need lots of security , boundaries and love. I suggested that she join
some meet-up gr oups to meet people. She followed all of my
r ecommendations diligently (this is not always the case with my clients!). At
one of her appo intments, she asked if it was okay that she was feeling so
happy a nd that anxiety was now her e to be found. That turned out to be her
last appointment. She loved Y oga so much that she is now teaching it.P I T T A  C O N S T I T U T I O N
Those with Pitta constitution h ave a medium build and are muscular and
athletic. Fire and W ater pred ominate in their constitutions. When in
balance, these types are sharp, generous, social, focused and they have big
personalities.
_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:

        I can share many stories with
you abo ut healing myself and my son without doctors and now know, in no
uncertain terms,  that doctors do n’ t know the best option for you, as they
only present one option. It is up to us to choose what’ s best for us. Healing is not a glamorous or a romantic journey; in fact it can shake you to
your core. But it is empowering. And the results are nothing short of
miraculous. The  well-meaning doctor took my power away by making me
believe sur gery was the only option. He had an opportunity to educate me,
give me  options, and inform me of the aftermath of the sur gery, and I would
have walked away equipped with information on which t o base my
decision. Instead, he decided for me and used my pain as an opportunity to
sell only  what he had to of fer. He left me confused and disempowered. This
is a norm al ever yday occurrence  in the medical world. So, before you rush
to a quick fix and hand your h ealth over to someone else, think long and
hard. Ask around, look around and get the answers you need. Feeling confused is a sign to pause and wait until the confusion lifts. Y ou
will know when something is ri ght for you. Y ou need to trust t hat. One of
the skills I teach my clients is to trust in their own wisdom. W e all know our
truth; we just need to trust it and rely on it. T aking the easy way out is
actually much harder than doing  what’ s right for you. I had to endure a lot
of pain during my recovery but I was okay with it because that is what Ichose to do. Wh en we take cha r ge of our own health, something sparks in
us; our internal fire and our inner knowing. W e come alive and become a
force to be reckoned with. Don’ t  let anyone tell you otherwise. After it is all
said and  done, it is ultimately yo ur life, your health and your responsibility. Anything less than that will leave you open to be victimized. T H E  F R E S H,  H O T,  C O O K I E  T R A P
During the writing of this book, I went out for dinner with my good friend,
Sherry, and we talked about the subject of my book. She shared with me
something that I thought was very timely and needed to be in the book. It
turned o ut to be the inspiration b ehind this chapter. Here is what she shared. In the college town of Ann Arbor, MI, these “insomnia cookies” ar e all the
talk. As the name would suggest, they ar e tar geted to the inso mniacs and
ar e deliv er ed “fr esh and hot” to college kids in the middle of the night, like
at 3:00 a. m. I  checke d the company’ s website before writing this. The menu
of fers nothing but varieties of cookies like Sugar Rush, T riple Chocolate,
Cookie Cake. Etc. , and the pac kaging is quite enticing and attractive. On
the surfa ce, this is no big deal; you can get cookies from any where. But
here is why this is a big deal:
Insomnia or the inability to sleep  is an illness that needs treating as it results
in other  illnesses such as ch ronic fatigue or adrenal fatigue, mental
disorders, depres sion and anxiety, to name a few. Proper sleep is  essential to
the healthy functioning of all of  the other biorhthyms of our body, and lack
of p roper sleep m akes everythin g worse. All college kids stay up during the
night and do du mb things, but now they can do dumber things and get
themselves even sicker just at the touch of a button. There is an opportunity
to te ach these k ids about healthy habits, alternative options a nd the long
term ef f ects of their actions, but instead someone takes this opportunity to
make money of f of these young people and lead them to a sicker lifestyle. By selling cookies to these kids, they are promoting insomnia  and future
illness. S ugar is a highly addictive substance which now the kids can get by
staying awake. This is why it is  of utmost importance that we wake up to
our own responsibility in creating the health and the life we desire. And
lastly, w e must beware of the lure of “hot and fresh. ” Crap serv ed “hot and
fresh” remains crap. My adult clients who struggle w ith food addictions and poor eating habits
typically ate and lived like that when they were young. Some 30  years later,
their way of living in their younger years has resulted in multiple health
issues th at they can no longer i gnore. They struggle with their health and
can’ t seem to do what’ s healthy, even when they know what to do. The
sugar addiction of our youth can leave traces of memory that can get
activated in your adult life. These formerly “insomniac kids” ca n end up as
adults who will struggle to s tay healthy, and this will mean missed
opportunities fo r them to grow and to live their dreams. What s eems like a
“norm” can start us on a path of  struggle for the rest of our lives. This is no
joke and can’ t be taken lightly. Loving cookies at 20 can turn into hating your life at 50. W ake up. Don’ t let your l ack of responsibility be someone else’ s opportunity. Don’ t
wait to be rescued or saved, as that is your job. Don’ t look to the outside to
decide what the right thing is for  you. Don’ t follow the societal norms when
it co mes to your health. Don’ t go with the flow. Don’ t try to fit into the
mainstream, create your own stream. Our reference and guidance must
come from within. W e are all at a dif ferent stage in our life and we all have
dif ferent lessons  to learn. Every life and every situation and every challenge
is un ique. Fitting in is way over -rated. Fitting in with like-minded people is
great, but in ord er for that to happen; you must know your ow n mind. Do
you agree with whoever you are trying to fit in with. If not, find another
group that aligns with you. Comparing, Conforming and Complaining ar e the 3 C’ s to avoid. Measuring yourself against a world norm is misleading and is not the way
to determine what you should do. A young client thought he shou ld not be too har d on himself for drinking
alcohol thr ee times per week when everyone he knew was drinking almost
daily. He actually felt bad abou t it and knew better; that should have been
his r efer ence point, not what the others wer e doing, as he discover ed during
our session. Our actions and behaviours are i ndicative of who we are and what value we
place on  ourselves. Any behavior that undermines your own valu e would be
a waste of the miracle that you are. That in itself is the worst kind of insult
to the Creator. Wher e in your life can you take mor e r esponsibility. T aking
r esponsibility includes asking for the right kind of help. Do you need
that type of guidance. C H A P T E R  6A y u r v e d a  F i l l s  t h e  G a p
Knowing is one thing, but mos t of us struggle with doing what we know. This path from knowing to do ing is riddled with complexity, conflicting
information and  our own lack of understanding about ourselves. W e need
clarity a nd a deeper understanding in order to integrate our knowing into
our living. This is where A yurveda can fill the gap. It provides a system to
heal our  relationship with food, a system that brings us clarity, common
sense an d wisdo m, a system tha t provides a bigger context and, is relevant
and usable for everyone. Most importantly, A yurveda provides a system that
promises lasting health while ending our battle with food once and for all. Instead of providing a set of rul es to follow and the inducement to forever
chase th e next best diet, A yurveda is a dynamic living wisdom that assists
us in understand ing our lives, o urselves, and our changing needs. It guides
us to optimize our health naturally, in alignment with our calling or our
purpose. Food is a means to an end. Can we relate to it in a way that creates
an inner environment of balanc e, health and longevity. There is a natural
intelligence in food. Can we m aintain and harness its intelligence so it
supports our health, our purpose and our life. W ith A yurveda, we can. A yurveda’ s deep  wisdom and understanding is foundational in healing our
relationship with food and it empowers us to assess the fad diets and
programs that keep us searching  for results at the same time as they fail to
fulfill th e promises they make. A yurveda is a holistic system that views
each ind ividual as a whole and understands that all levels of our existence
—physical, emo tional and spiritual—are interconnected. A yurveda starts
from the premise that health is n’ t just about a lack of symptoms, but it’ s
about a balanced  mind and bod y. It recognizes that spirituality and healing
are n ot s eparate concepts; they a re one and the same thing. This is how food
becomes our medicine. This sy stem has been here from the beginning of
time, it is time-tested, and it is more relevant and needed now than ever
before. T H E  S C I E N C E  O F  L I F EThe word A yurveda comes from Sanskrit, and translated into English it
means “The Science of Life. ” It is a vast construct that is more than 6000
years old, and it was cognized by enlightened beings who unde rstood how
life work s. Unde r the umbrella o f A yurveda, life works and it makes sense. The interconnectedness of our health to every aspect of our lives provides a
matrix t hat exis ts everywhere in Nature. Food has been used  to heal, to
prevent disease and to promote good health and longevity. A yurveda’ s nutr itional health system is highly sophisticated, y et it can be
greatly simplified, so we can all use this ancient science and wisdom in a
meaningful and practical way. It  is not a black-and-white scienc e, as it asks
that we go beyond the five sens es, use our own wisdom and intuition, tune
in to  the source of our health and longevity, and wake up to o ur own full
potential. It asks us to stop looking for easy answers and devel op a deeper
understanding w ithin ourselves, one that is fed by our own experiences. It
beckons us to t ap into the big ger T ruth that we already know, use our
common sense, and stay true to our nature. There is a magic and  mystery to
it, just like there is magic and m ystery to life which is beyond description
but n ot beyond our experience. When we are talking about com mon sense,
we a re ta lking a bout using our s ubtle, yet very powerful senses, and waking
up to the T ruth that we already know. W e are here to expand, prosper and grow, and to be a light in the world in
any way we can ; we need more light than we have ever needed before. It is
in our true nature to heal and to fulfill our purpose. In a world that is pulling
us a way from th is truth in a very rapid and aggressive way, we need to hold
on to it even more fervently, for the sake of the world. But before we run to
save the world, we must save ourselves first. Education goes a long way towards helping people participate i n their own
healing and in that sense A yurveda is a participatory medicine. It actively
involves the individual. Unlike the passive approach to medicine that does
not educate a person, A yurveda asks people to evolve, grow and deeply
connect with their reasons for  getting well. In this way, patients feel
empowered and can participate in their own health and healing. Every ti me I share A yurveda’ s wisdom with my clients, it rings true for
them. It makes sense to them and there is no questioning it. Th ey feel as iffor the very first  time they unde rstand what is going on with them, and that
relieves the stress and burden th ey did not even know they were carrying. I
wish the  same for you, and that this knowledge can be the ans wer you’ve
been looking for. For furt her understanding, it is important to draw a distinction between
A yurvedic medicine and W estern medicine. An A yurvedic practitioner will
obtain h is or her diagnostic information by feeling a person’ s pulse on all
levels of their bo dy, by touching the skin, by looking at the person’ s overall
appearance, the quality of their speech, how they walk and how they smell;
this is much more than mer ely focusing on the symptoms they are
experiencing. A yurveda seeks  to understand what truly is going on physiolo gically and
psychologically with a patient. Intuition, common sense and the
practitioner ’ s level of Consciousness can detect imbalances that no
machinery or blood work can ever show. This is a high-touch and highly
personal approach, very dif ferent from W estern medicine, which relies
heavily on the results of a blood test or a machine’ s diagnostics. A wise
physician will use both approaches and not limit the patient’ s treatments to
only w hat alig ns with their belief system; he or she will use all
methodologies f or helping their patients. That is how we bring compassion,
care and health back into our so -called health care system. A yurveda works
with W e stern m edicine when that’ s what the patient needs. The  goal is not
to co llect patients, but to empow er them and facilitate the heal ing process,
to bring people to a point where they no longer need the health practitioner. I a m presenting  this vast know ledge to you in the simplest way possible. What’ s p resented here is an intro duction to the A yurvedic system to get you
thinking and, hopefully, to get you started on your healing journey. This can
be the wisdom that can end our  turmoil around food and diets. Read this a
few time s. Let the information sink it. W e’ll start with some bi gger overall
concepts that you can begin to t hink about, and then we will go deeper into
each concept so we can apply them on a day-to-day basis. C O N S C I O U S N E S SMore commonly understood as awareness, Consciousness is the Source
ener gy out of which awareness arises. Think of it as a field  or state of
existence. It is an ener gy that has frequency or vibration and  all that we
attract into our life is a match for the vibration we internally experience. The same Source ener gy that created us also created the food we consume. A wareness is not a static phenomenon; it is a continuously expanding state
of C onsciousnes s that connects us to our Source. The more aw are we are,
the better decisions we make. In fact, the quality of our life depends on how
aware we are. A lthough Consci ousness is the field out of which awareness
arises, I will be using these two terms interchangeably. Anything we are not aware of is in our subconscious  min d and it is b elieved
that we live clos e to 95 percent of our lives subconsciously. This may sound
outrageous at first, but the reali ty is that we have a great deal of untapped
potential and life can only get better as we develop more Consciousness. In order  to heal, we must be aw are of what needs healing. How we do one
thing is how we do everything. How we eat and how we view food is a
result of  the beliefs about ourselves that we learned during the early years
of our lives. Som e of those belie fs may not be conducive to how we want to
live today. Our professional life, our relationships, and how we live are the
result of our sub conscious belie fs. As we become more consci ous, we can
tune into the specific beliefs that are creating habitual patterns in our life. The sam e belief s that color our health af fect our relationships, o ur work life
and, in fact, all aspects of our lif e. By becoming more aware, we can decide
what be liefs are  working against us and use our free will to change those
beliefs. Change is most ef fective when it is internally driven, rather than externally
imposed. When we look to the e ver changing information about  food that is
available to us and try to make changes, these changes are almost always
short-lived. W ith short-term and fragmented changes come short-term and
fragmented resu lts. W ithout understanding what needs changing and why it
needs changing, we soon give u p. But in the expanded Conscio usness, our
focus is more on uncovering our potential and becoming whole than it is
about just losing a few pounds. This focus pulls us inward, healing us in
ways th at we never thought possible, and in that lar ger healing, ourrelationship with food and everything else begins to shift and heal. This is a
more direct and much faster path than hopping from one diet to the next. Change is a con stant in life: our needs, our desires and our inne r and outer
environments are all dynamic processes of life that require that we be
“awake” to them so we can a djust how we live accordingly. Our own
experiences are our biggest source of learning and wisdom, and  learning to
rely on our inner wisdom will empower us in a way that no pill ever can. W H Y  D O  Y O U  W A N T  B E T T E R  H E A L T H.
The author believes that doctors often do not provide patients with the best options and instead try to sell their own products, taking away the patient's power to make informed decisions.
What is the author's stance on the role of doctors in making health decisions?
The author emphasizes the importance of trusting one's own wisdom and intuition, and encourages readers to look inward for guidance rather than seeking external validation.
What is the author's perspective on the importance of intuition and inner wisdom?
The author views food as a means to an end, and stresses the importance of understanding the interconnectedness of our physical, mental, and spiritual bodies.
What is the author's view on the role of food in our lives?
The author advocates for a holistic approach to healing, which involves understanding the interconnectedness of our physical, mental, and spiritual bodies, and working with the body's natural rhythms and cycles. This approach is in contrast to the Western medical model, which focuses on symptoms and does not consider the individual's unique constitution.
What is the author's approach to healing, and how does it differ from Western medicine?
The author emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and self-awareness, encouraging readers to take responsibility for their own health and well-being by tuning into their own inner wisdom and intuition.
What is the author's stance on the importance of self-reflection and self-awareness?