Helpful Tips for Meal Prepping

Meal prepping is a game-changer, especially if you're juggling a busy schedule or trying to stay on top of your nutrition goals. Start by planning your meals for the week ahead and creating a detailed grocery list to stay organized and avoid impulse purchases. Choose simple, versatile ingredients that can be used in multiple dishes, such as lean proteins, whole grains, and fresh vegetables. Prep in bulk by cooking larger portions of staples like rice, quinoa, or roasted veggies, and store them in portion-sized containers for easy grab-and-go meals. Investing in high-quality storage containers can also help keep your food fresh and organized. Don’t forget to label your containers with the type of meal and date to avoid confusion later. Lastly, keep it fun and flexible; rotate recipes to avoid boredom, and allow room for occasional adjustments if plans change. With these tips, meal prepping can become a seamless part of your routine, supporting both your health and productivity throughout this course. I am in the process of transitioning away from plastic storage containers and dishes. It's now well known that they all leach forever chemicals into our food - micro plastics which remain in our bodies which have just recently begun to be studied. 

In Ayurveda, an organic vegetarian diet is recommended. Organic whole milk, ghee, homemade cheese (panir) and lassis (yogurt smoothies) are integrated into the diet due to their ability to increase Ojas (healthy glow due to good health and the end product of excellent digestion of healthy organic nutritious foods through the seven dhatus (tissues). These dhatus are Rasa (plasma), Rakta (blood), Meda (muscle), Mamsa (fat), Asthi (bone), Majja (nervous system and bone marrow), and Shukra (reproductive system. 

Lukewarm honey lemon water should be taken first thing in the morning following using the restroom, scraping the tongue, flossing, Nasya (nasal sesame oil drops), and Gondusha (sloshing and gargling warm sesame, coconut or olive oil). Breakfast should be light because the Agni isn't very strong during this part of the day. Oatmeal, hot quinoa or rice is a good choice. So is stewed apples or pears. I like to peel them and sautee them in ghee before stewing them with cinnamon. A slice or two of chappati or other type of flat bread with a bit of ghee spread on hem is a good addition. Dried fruit and roasted nuts are great snacks and are digested more fully when soaked in overnight first. 

Boiled organic whole milk with a bit of ghee in it makes an excellent midmorning snack and can substitute for breakfast with other health snacks a couple hours later. Organic whole milk can be fully digested through all seven dojas in just 24 hours. If you can gain access to unpasteurized, that's even better, but you need to boil it before drinking or risk bacterial contamination.The MAGA community is busy spreading misinformation about this. It's important to protect yourself from unnecessary risks. It's the only food that has this capability. Most foods take 3-4 days to complete this process. Boil it with turmeric and you've got golden milk, which is full of Ojas boosting qualities. Cinnamon or Cardamom are also good choices. 

If you do eat meat, it's best to be taken with the main meal during the Pitta time slot, which is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  This is due to the fact that the Jathar Agni is at its peak, corresponding to the Sun reaching its zenith during this time slot. 1 cup cooked organic vegetables, one cup of Basmati or Jasmine rice (or another type of healthy grain such as quinoa), and cooked yellow mung beans (Dahl) with the option of including a small serving of salad is the ultimate main meal. A light dinner of vegetable soup, kitchari or dahl make the perfect supper, best eaten between 5:00 pm. to 7:00 p.m. The ideal bedtime is between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. That gives you a chance to be sleeping deeply during Pitta time and gives Pitta the boost it needs to burn off any stagnant mental Ama which may have accumulated throughout the day. Our dreams are messages and symbols to help us resolve this mental Ama. Pitta is made of fire and water and is in charge of digestion and eyesight. So Pitta is responsible for the images we see in our dreams as part of the process of burning and cleansing our minds of this mental Ama. 

The reason the serving size for salads is recommended to be small is because it takes longer to digest raw fruits and vegetables. Too many raw foods create a drying effect on the microbiome. 

The halfway mark between supper and bedtime is an excellent time for a cup of warm boiled organic whole milk.  

One teaspoon of lemon juice and grated ginger together make an excellent Agni booster. This is especially true for people dealing with weak Agni. Digestive spices like sweet fennel, cardamom, and (           ) combined together make a great tea. Vata tea is made this way and can be purchased from MAPI online. Banyan Botanicala also carry this tea. Pitta tea is made of (                   ) and Kapha tea is made of (                    ). A thermos filled with Vata tea is a great start for transitioning to hot or warm water. I prefer that over warm water by itself. 

Spring water is the best type of water to drink. Purified tap is the best second choice. I am going to purchase a Burkee when I move. Where I am currently living we have a brand new water filter built into the refrigerator. Water is best taken when hot. If that isn't feasible, warm is preferable. During the hottest part of the year, it's tempting to yearn for ice water. Yet ice cold water isn't good for the digestive system. Our bodies are 97-98° constantly. Drinking and eating cold drinks and foods stirs up Pitta, which adds fire to Jathar Agni to ignite the digestive process and restore the temperature of all the digestive organs and the microbiome.

Honey should be organic and local.

 

Chemical additives, artificial dyes, artificial sweeteners and excess sugar should all be avoided.

Junk foods, fried foods, heavy foods, fast foods, deep fried foods, frozen foods, processed foods, canned foods and drinks should be avoided or at least minimized. Leftovers should also be avoided. Leftovers lose their pranic value with each passing day, and obviously aren't safe after the three day mark, depending on the dish and whether or not preservatives are added. There haven't been many peer reviewed studies on the effects of microwave radiation on food. However, it is known that they change the molecular structure of the food, and therefore it makes sense to minimize their life use. I have known people who lived solely on frozen dinners cooked in the microwave. Obviously frozen food has lost some of its nutritional value, and canned food has lost even more. They were organic, but still not optimal for health, with all the steps taken in cooking a healthy meal were skipped. When we cook a meal for our loved ones with a joyful, loving heart, we infuse the food with our Prana (Chi). 

We will explore the ideal diet for Vata, Pitta, and Kapha and include recipes for daily menus in the days to come.