Celebrate grains
Today is known as Lammas or Lughnasadh (Loo-na-sa) in the Druid/Pagan tradition. You may feel a shift in the air – we’ve had some thunderstorms, more wind coming in (though still warm) and the goldenrod is blooming. To me, signifying a shift from high Summer, to late Summer..and even early, early Autumn energy. The grief is already sneaking into my heart.
This is an ancient day to celebrate the corn harvest. In Ancient European languages, corn (korn) meant any grain, not what we have come to know as Native American corn. Though, of course, this is also the time of year when it’s time to enjoy corn on the cob!
I made sourdough bread over the last couple of days, baked this morning. I have been working on keeping my starter alive for the past 8 months or so, and I’m glad to say it’s still going strong. #lifegoals
It’s an important time of year to eat healthy sweets. Grains are a natural sweet, and in Ayurveda, it is said that they should potentially make up half of the meal for certain body types.
This may seem like a different philosophy from a lot of our new diet fads – where grains are considered the enemy. I understand that they are a product of agriculture, that they can cause blood sugar spikes in some people, and that they may make some people feel as though they are gaining weight.
But quality and quantity is everything. And, it’s worth looking into your ancestry and knowing your Ayurvedic constitution, as well.#studyayurveda
Whole, unprocessed grains, and those eaten slightly fermented, are absorbed every differently in the body. They are sweet, grounding, and their nourishment is made more available for the body to receive.
Energetics of Ayurveda
Both Vata and Pitta dosha are balanced by the Sweet taste. White sugar, though, imbalances all doshas – so in this case, we are talking about more subtle or sattvic sweets. This includes whole grains, root vegetables and squashes, oils like ghee and coconut, fresh dairy, super ripe fruits or things like dates an raisins.
Vata is also balanced by the Sour taste, and sourdough bread has that slight tang – which indicates a host of nutritional as well as the energetic benefits. I, myself, usually get sluggish digestion if I eat much bread, but sourdough, in moderation, seems to help me digest the grains well.
I feel so much more connected to the rhythms of the Earth, my body, and my LIFE having this knowledge. I am so grateful to the language and science of Ayurveda for giving me a deeper way to practice…bring human.
I have an email series coming out next week around food as medicine, slow bowel habits, and what it really means to practice holistic medicine. As you’re on the email list already, you’ll receive them.
If you’ve been wanting to study Ayurveda, yet don’t want a huge financial and time commitment, I have two online courses starting in September. I have been teaching them for years, and solidly stand behind the information.
Applications are open for The Healing Diet – interviews start August 13. And Womb Healing is already filling up.
Praying that you soak up the end of Summer, luxuriate in Earth’s abundance, and feel the season’s nourishment deeply in your cells. |
