Ayurveda’s Holistic Approach to Menopausal Wellness
A 4-Week Online Retreat
Our on-demand programs are great introductions to the healing power of Ayurveda. Discover the Ayurvedic Daily Routine, overcome insomnia, and more—whenever, wherever!
Ayurveda is not a one-size-fits-all system. Considerations for each person’s unique constitution play a prominent role in providing diet, lifestyle, herbs, yoga, and more recommendations. Spices are packed with healing power, especially as it relates to kindling our agni, or digestive fire—crucial for optimal health. Each dosha benefits from different spices. So which are best for you?
Take the Dosha Quiz here and download a free guide.
The three elemental energies in Ayurveda are vata, pitta, and kapha. They are each comprised of a combination of two elements.
Vata=Space & Air
Pitta=Fire & Water
Kapha=Water & Earth
Each person’s constitution (prakruti) combines the three elemental energies in varying amounts. These elemental energies are referred to as doshas when they are out of balance. It’s important to understand that the word dosha means “that which is out of balance.” When we speak of a person’s constitution, we are referring to the way they were born (prakruti), not their current state of doshic imbalance (vikruti).
Symptoms of indigestion can provide clues for determining which dosha is the culprit in imbalances. Ayurveda makes different recommendations for each person based on their individual needs.
For instance, three people can all eat the same meal, but if they suffer from indigestion, it could present itself differently for each person. Symptoms of gas and bloating could indicate vata dosha, heartburn or acid reflux could indicate pitta dosha, and nausea could indicate kapha dosha.
It’s not enough for us to eat “healthy” foods. We need to digest foods well for them to have a beneficent effect. Spices are intelligent and work to aid in digestion and enhance the bioavailability of the foods we eat. Various spices mixed together work as a team to assist digestion and assimilation of nutrients.
Other spice superpowers are their ability to make hard-to-digest foods easier to digest, as well as their ability to mitigate the adverse effects of poor food combinations.
For all the mixes below, combine all ingredients well in a mixing bowl and then transfer to an airtight spice jar.
You can cook with a spice mix by adding it at the beginning of cooking, at the end by heating them in ghee (1 part ghee, one part spices) for 5-10 seconds and drizzling over your food, or simply sprinkle it over a meal. Or, simply add ½–1 teaspoon of spice mix to warm water and drink it before a meal.
Vata-Balancing Spice Mix
If you find that you tend to skip meals, forget to eat, or experience gas, bloating, or constipation, you’ll benefit from a vata-balancing spice mix.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. ground cardamom
2 Tbsp. ground fennel
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. pure cane sugar
1 tsp. asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp. pink salt
Pitta-Balancing Spice Mix
Do you tend toward heartburn and acid reflux, or, get diarrhea? Is your appetite strong, and do you get irritated when you don’t get to eat on time? If so, you’ll benefit from a pitta-balancing spice mix.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. ground fennel
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. pure cane sugar
1 tsp. pink salt
1 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tsp. dried mint
Kapha-Balancing Spice Mix
Do you love food and tend to overeat? Then, you might be the type of person who gets nauseous from a meal you don’t digest well and experience bowel movements later in the morning or the afternoon. In this case, a kapha-balancing spice mix will work well for you.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. ground fenugreek
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. pink salt
1 tsp. pure cane sugar
For all the mixes above, combine the ingredients well in a mixing bowl and then transfer to an airtight spice jar.
