Recent & Past SVA Newsletters

RAW

vs

COOKED

FOOD

~ Dr Marianne Teitelbaum

There are many reasons why consuming raw foods is becoming such a trend. One major reason is nowadays people are so busy working and trying to take care of themselves and their families that they feel they are too busy to cook food. As a result, we see them consuming raw vegetables in different ways, which while they may look healthy, actually aren’t as nourishing as their cooked counterparts. 

For a while the raw food diet was making traction. Their argument was that when you cook the food you lose the enzymes in the food. Which it does, but, we’ll talk about that in just a minute.

Lots of people also decided to learn how to juice their vegetables, rather than standing over a pot cooking them. They feel that the juicing process breaks down the hard cellulose fibers in the food, allowing for quick absorption into the cells. Which it does, but we’ll also address that issue as well. People make lots of salads nowadays because they can just quickly cut up the lettuce and vegetables and throw them into a bowl — and it looks so green and healthy. Which it is, but let’s see what Ayurveda says about that!

So why is it then, if you look at cuisines and cultures around the world, you see people cooking their food as their day begins? You don’t see them eating large raw salads or people in indigenous cultures juicing their vegetables. The same is true for the blue zones of the world where people live to be over 100 years old more than any other parts of the world — they’re also cooking their food.

Whenever I see conflicting information like this, I always like to go back to see what the ancient seers of Ayurveda had to say. They cognized this information from a very high state of consciousness. It is therefore said that the gems of knowledge of Ayurveda are siddhantas, which is roughly translated as eternal truths. Truth which will be the same 1 or 10 generations from now. Unlike modern research which shows: “eggs are good for you,” “no wait they’re bad!” Or “cholesterol clogs your arteries” but then again “never mind, no it doesn’t!” It’s actually so important you can’t possibly eat enough in one day to fulfill your body’s needs. 

So again, let’s examine what those ancient seers had to say about cooking food. 

First, they stated that cooking the vegetables was important for the following reason. The vegetables contain marut (due to its bitter taste). And remember, marut is that component of prana (the life energy) that is etheric in nature. Vegetables also contain soma (due to their sweet taste). And again, remember that soma comes from the cooling lunar energy.

Just as a quick review, prana, the energy that comes from nature, the radiation from the sun and the moon — that energy which comes into all the orifices on our face and head and goes down the spine to branch off and be delivered to all the organs and glands, that pranic energy which keeps us alive — is made from soma, agni and marut.

So now you can see — the vegetables contain marut and soma — which means they are lacking agni — the warm radiation coming from the sun. So, when we cook the vegetables, the addition of the heat adds the vibration of agni to the vegetables. The agni is there because it is needed to transform the soma contained in the food into ojas and kapha. 

So to reiterate: the prana which keeps us alive, is made from soma, agni and marut: the vibration of the moon, the sun and the flow of that energy — all of which come from nature. Once in our bodies the agni is transformed into Pitta (used for transformation and cooking of our food), marut is transformed into Vata (which controls the movement of things in our body) and the soma is converted to Ojas and Kapha. Ojas is a very fine end product of digestion produced after all 7 tissues have been nourished, and represents our neurotransmitters and hormones and gives us great strength and immunity to disease. Kapha is the lubricating factor which is found in our joints, our stomach lining, our brain and our entire nervous system.

Now: if we don’t cook our food the soma doesn’t get transformed to Ojas and Kapha, but instead what happens is we make ama from the soma. This is known as Shleshma in Ayurveda, and shleshma can clog the body’s vast network of physical channels — and if this happens then marut becomes blocked and soma cannot be transformed into Ojas and Kapha.

We’ve actually all seen shleshma — when we have a head or chest cold and we blow our nose — we’re looking at the shleshma mixed in with the mucus. The sinuses are a channel, for example. Usually air goes in and out of this channel, but when clogged with shleshma, the sinuses become blocked. 

When we cook the food there is a molecular interaction of the oil or ghee, the water, salt, and spices which enhances the liver’s function and the absorption of nutrients into the cells.

Not only that, but the ancient doctors even without microscopes said that some vegetables contain compounds which are detrimental to our health, but those compounds would go away if we cooked them. Now, for example we know that kale, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables contain goitrogens which depress the thyroid gland. But about 60% of it evaporates out when we cook them.

Also spinach and other green leafy vegetables contain oxalates which pull the minerals from our bones and could cause kidney stones, but again, about 60% of them evaporate out when we cook them. 

And taro root contains a substance called calcium oxalate which is irritating to the mouth and throat, but the irritation goes away after you cook it thoroughly.

Now, regarding the argument that cooking leaches out all the enzymes. The real truth is that while it may leach out some of the enzymes, the overall absorption into the cells due to the cooking of that food is much more than if it were raw.

For example, if you ate raw broccoli, not many nutrients would absorb into your cells because the cooking process alone isn’t enough to break down the hard cellulose fibers in the broccoli. But if you cook it and soften the fibers you’ll get even more absorption into the cells. But if you cook it with ghee or olive oil, the fats will drag it across the cell membrane, which is made of cholesterol, and bring the nutrients deep into the cell. And even further, if you cook the food with spices, the spices create all kinds of enzymatic reactions which also aid in digesting and transporting the nutrients into the cells.

And keep in mind that raw vegetables contain all the qualities of Vata, which means that they are cold, light and dry, just like Vata is. Which means that if you constantly eat raw vegetables and cold raw vegetable juices you are sooner or later going to imbalance your Vata, which can give a whole host of various symptoms around the body.

So there you have it. Yes, you can eat some raw vegetables occasionally as a little side dish — but I would keep it at that — just as a side dish, and not the constant use of large salads, wraps, raw vegetables and raw vegetable juicing. 

You can try it for yourself and see if you feel better eating large salads and raw vegetables all the time, or if in fact you feel better eating soups, warm cooked stews, dahls and lots of cooked vegetables, with fat, oils, spices, water and salt.

I hope you found this information useful as you strive to live a more healthy lifestyle.

Thank you,

Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum

Cinnaminson, New Jersey

www.drmteitelbaum.com

856-786-3330

Spices are a Must!

“Spices can be POWERFUL healing tools. Yes! Spices! Those things that we sprinkle into our cooking to illuminate the flavors in our food and dazzle our taste buds can bring great healing to our bodies.

It actually turns out that cooking with certain freshly ground spices in specific ways can make the nutrients in your food become ‘time-released’, nourishing the deepest tissues….

It’s true.

My Ayurvedic teacher and Mentor Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra taught me this. He also taught me all about the healing powers of the individual spices. And how to create a customized ‘spice mix’ for individual patient needs.

I am sure you have heard of the healing, anti-inflammatory power of turmeric. And maybe you read a post of mine a while back that warned against using turmeric in capsules. 

Now I am going to tell you how to get the most healing value out of turmeric that will only benefit every organ and system even down the road.

And that is….. use it in cooking! With other spices. Cooked with ghee or olive oil and a splash of water to buffer the heat. With food.

It’s that simple.

Vaidya Mishra’s Easy Spice Mix:

1 part turmeric

1 part cumin

6 parts coriander

6 parts fennel

Besides being highly anti-inflammatory, turmeric is very healing for the liver. It restores the intelligence of the liver so that it can filter and clean the blood more effectively, improving its function. 

A tremendous aid to digestion, cumin burns ama (clogging, toxic material), and enhances the absorption of nutrients from the foods that it is cooked with.

Coriander is a magical spice. It cleans the blood, calms the mind, and cools the organs and cellular system. 

Fennel is also magical in that it coordinates the effects of the other spices, It stimulates digestion without heating, and it even relieves gas and bloating.

How to make this spice mix: 

–Get yourself an inexpensive coffee/spice grinder (or DIY if you have elbow grease!)

–Buy organic whole spices. (with the exception of Turmeric that will be already powdered)

–Grind the spices and blend together

You can now cook with this mix. 

In the beginning use only up to ½ teaspoon of your spice mix in cooking.  

Basically, heat some ghee or olive oil with a bit of water and add the spices and then add some veggies or whatever food you are cooking. Cover. And enjoy!

Let me know how it goes!!!

p.s. Why do we add water? It is because ghee or olive oil brings out the fat soluble healing portions of the spices and the water brings out the water soluble. Why not reap the benefits of both!

Vaidya Kameshwar Mishra’s

Favorite Loki Recipe

“My father, Vaidya Kameshwar Mishra, was very high pitta by constitution. In the summertime, he loved to have loki daily, because loki is very high in soma, and it kept his pitta dosha in check. The recipe I share with you today was his everyday favorite recipe for the whole summer! 

This recipe calls for the least ingredients and is thus surprisingly flavorful. It is particularly ideal for high pitta constitutions because it pacifies pitta without dulling agni, and without throwing off the other doshas. 

Loki is a staple vegetable in India, and there are countless delicious ways of preparing it, based on the local cultural traditions. This is a specific SV ayurvedic recipe that can be used effectively for high pitta conditions or when one is prone to high pitta imbalances in the summer heat.”

Using Soma Salt with it adds extra cooling potency for pitta, and keeps agni in check as well.

Soma Salt is a cooling rock salt, as the name soma suggests. In nature, soma represents the cooling, nurturing elements which are so often missing in modern life. While all salts have a hot (agni) quality, only Soma Salt has the cooling (soma) quality needed to balance it.

Soma Salt is extracted from the mountains of North West India in the historic land of Sindh. In Vaidya Mishra’s Shaka Vansya Ayurvedic lineage, this salt is known as the “Queen of Salts” due to its high mineral content and its unparalleled somagenic qualities.

We take great care to purify the salt crystals using a Shaka Vansiya purification technique passed down in Vaidya Mishra’s family. Find out more here

On August 3rd, we celebrated Vaidya Mishra’s birthday, and on that beautiful occasion we launched the official

SVAyurveda Podcast station on the Apple Channel.

Now you can take Vaidya with you everywhere and anywhere you go so everyday can be a continued celebration of more Bliss and Balance through the SVAyurvedic knowledge for perfect health… Namaste!

Did you miss our online celebration?

Click here to watch

Want to learn more about Ayurveda and a healthy diet but not sure where to start?

Join us for our

Annual Autumn Detox

Transition smoothly from Summer into Autumn with a SVA Home Detox under the guidance and with the teachings of Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra. Experience the bliss of the heart lotus that reflects in the mind; re-set your metabolism and prep your body from the inside-out for the new season. Grow in health and happiness together with fellow participants for under the guidance of certified SVA Home Detox Educators.

If you can dedicate one day a week to yourself, then this Home Detox course is for you! This program is a safe, easy, and effective do-it-yourself-one-day-a-week for seven weeks home-detox. You will access to knowledge videos of Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra who will guide you through the Detox process; copious classroom notes and documents, checklists as well as your personal SVA Home Detox Educator. This course is designed to empower you by giving you the tools to best take care of your health and happiness on a daily basis during seasonal transitions and all the remaining days of the year. Join us to find out more during our free intro session.

Questions?

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August 17 @1:30pm (pacific) – more info below

(Repeat detoxers welcome for a nominal fee!)

The SVA Home Detox program includes the following modules:

• Integral physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, detox and rejuvenation vedic understanding
• Time tested ancient SVA protocols for modern lifestyles
• In-depth SVA knowledge for diet, daily routine choices suited for your body type and seasonal changes
• Personalized products for a individual experience
• Expert one-on-one guidance throughout the length of the detox
• Fast, easy-to-make, delicious, nourishing detox recipes that will help curb cravings and address unhealthy habits 
• Access to SVA material, documents, video recordings via our online virtual classroom

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