“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates
One of my greatest passion is pure and honest food. Every season gives so many new flavors and colors. Discovering new recipes makes me a happy person.
Our bodies are connected to the earth and effortlessly keep up with the rhythm of the seasons. It makes sense to adjust our diet & lifestyle accordingly and to enjoy everything that nature has to give us.
Below my favorite recipes for this season.
Summer Pitta time.
The heat is increasing, there is a need for other activities and going outside, relaxation and playfulness are central. In the summer the Pitta dosha is active, the fire & water element.
You can notice this in yourself, by experiencing more warmth/heat in yourself, you can be more outwardly - socially oriented and there is more activity in yourself.
The summer season ivnvite you to relax, freedom, playing, lighter food.
Pitta dosha, however, likes structure, rules, order, control and by nature has a strong digestion, is hot, sharp and penetrating. So, to keep Pitta in "control" during the summer, so that you can enjoy freedom and step out of "having to", here are lifestyle and nutrition tips. Would you like to receive the full nutrition & lifestyle reader for Pitta? Please contact me.
SUMMER
If we look at nature, everything is blossoming and we can let the earth do her work. 21 June is therefore also the sign of "celebrating life" not working so hard, but enjoying the sun, nature, relaxation and social activities. Let go of all the rules for a while, enjoy and seek out the coolness. With slow yoga, bare feet on the grass, swimming and going into the woods. Lavender on your temples can have a wonderful cooling effect. And oil your body every day with coconut oil to care for and cool it down.
Agni
In summer, Pitta dosha is at its most central and Agni at its weakest. The heat causes our pores to open and a large part of the heat from the fire to evaporate. That's why in summer, especially on the hottest days, we don't feel like eating whole meals and a (warm) salad is often enough. You can help your digestion by eating easily digestible/light food and adding some extra spices like: cumin, mustard seed and fennel. Try to avoid cold foods/ice creams etc. (this puts out the digestive fire), eat lots of leafy vegetables and pour yourself a refreshing melon/coconut drink every now and then.
Enjoy the summer!
Breakfast
PITTA: Crêpes with apple-fig puree
These pancakes are particularly good for Pitta because figs are cooling and good for the liver and gall bladder (Pitta-related organs) because they balance acidification. Coconut is also cooling and yet constructive and nourishing. Finally, spelt is a beautiful ancient grain that has not been tinkered with much. This is nourishing and balancing for Pitta at the same time.
Ingredients (for 4-8 crepes)
8 dried figs
2 large apples
1 teaspoon ground coconut
4 cardamom pods, seeds from seed pods, crushed
1 cup spelt flour (250 ml)
pinch of salt
1½ - 2 cups water (start with 1½)
organic honey or maple syrup to taste
Preparation
Start with the apple-fig puree. Cut the figs small and let them soak in water for a while. Cut the apples into pieces. Cook the figs together with the apples, the coconut and the ground cardamom seeds in a small amount of water. Leave to simmer on a low heat until the fruit is cooked.
In the meantime, mix the spelt flour/book wheat and the salt and add the water. Start with 1 ½ cups and judge whether it is a good batter before adding more water. Stir until you have a smooth batter. Heat a little coconut oil or ghee in a frying pan and add enough batter for a pancake. Fry the pancake on low heat until the top is dry and the bottom is light brown. Turn over and fry the other side. Serve with the apple-pineapple purée and some honey.
source: www.dehippevegetarier.nl
Lunch Grilled salad
2 courgettes
2 large red onions
1 fennel in pieces
Green asparagus
2 garlic cloves
carrot
olive oil
pepper
salt
Cumin
For extra appetite, you can add some lentils and quinoa.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Cut all the vegetables into chunks. Mix all the vegetables with 1 or 2 tbsp olive oil and pepper and salt to taste in an oven dish and bake the vegetables in the oven for about 20 minutes.
Courgette Soup
2 courgettes
1 fennel
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp dried sage leaf
1 vegetarian stock cube
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 litre of water
pinch of black pepper
Some soaked yellow mung beans, if necessary
Wash the vegetables well and cut off the top and bottom of the courgette and fennel.
Cut them into large slices and put them in the pan. Peel the clove of garlic and add it, together with the sage leaf, the stock cube and boiling water.
Leave to cook for around 10 minutes on a gentle heat and purée with a hand blender. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese. Season to taste with pepper.
inspiration www.myfoodblog.nl
Cooling melon - coconut - coriander drink
* Coconut water (half a glass)
* Watermelon juice (half a glass)
* Half a handful of coriander leaves
* 5 mint leaves
In the blender and...mmmmm summer drink
It's autumn!
Time to enjoy the beautiful autumn colors, make it cozy and cozy in the house and you can relax a bit more. In Ayurveda, autumn is called the Vata (air & ether)) season. Our Agni (digestion) becomes more powerful. That is why we have a little more appetite and feel like warming & grounding food. Since Vata is triggered by the wind and is quickly restless, we may focus on the opposite; Warmth, regularity and grounding. You can balance yourself in the fall by adding warming herbs and spices to your diet such as; cinnamon, cardamom, gerber and black pepper. It is recommended to avoid cold and raw foods such as salads or ice-cold drinks. Vata has a drying effect. Therefore, add some extra oil or Ghee to your diet & lubricate your body every day with warm, cold-pressed organic sesame oil. This Abhyanga (self-massage) calms the nervous system and prevents dryness in the joints and skin)
Feeding in the fall; pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot. And as a drink; Ginger tea and a nice warming Chai.
Activities such as; hiking, yoga and hot baths are ideal for the fall. Keep it warm!
Yummie Breakfast
Oatmeal cake
Oatmeal
coconut oil
Banana
Peach
coconut grater
Lemon
Organic baking soda
Cinnamon
Unroasted and unsalted nuts
Raisins - cranberries
1 egg
Puree the banana & peach. Mix all ingredients.
30 minutes in the oven at 170 degrees.
Vata Curry
Pumpkin
Lentils
Garlic
Onion
Garam masala
Ginger
Turmeric
Salt pepper
Coconut milk
Rice
Sauté one and later add 3-4 cloves of garlic. Add some water with the sliced ginger and steam the pumpkin until soft, add the lentils, the Garam Masala, turmeric, salt and pepper. Add the coconut milk. And the boiled rice. Top it off with some cilantro and pumpkin seeds.
Chai LattePumpkin
Almond milk or oatmeal milk
Clove
cinnamon
ginger
cardamom
clove
Pumpkin puree
Let this steep for half an hour and then whisk the milk