Ayurveda Wellness Healing lunch challenge….

Ayurvedically speaking our lunch should be made fresh and be the biggest meal of the day.

Having a big lunch is important because the sun, pitta energy (element of fire, energy of transformation!), and our agni (digestive fire), are all in alignment. This means big, lots o’ fire to digest big, lots o’ food! Our digestive fire is the strongest it will be all day long and it’s looking for a big meal to work on. If we wait to have our biggest meal at dinner, there is no fire left in nature or in us, so the food sits like a big blob in our bellies until the next day. Yuck!

Put the salad down. Salads are popular because they don’t have to be heated, they stay pretty fresh all day, and they are easily carried around. Plus, veggies! Unfortunately, salads are not the best choice from an Ayurvedic perspective because they are cold, light, rough, and can be hard for many people to digest. They can be okay in summer time for some people but overall they don’t give enough staying power for anyone and by 3:00 we’ll be sniffing around for cookies or chocolate.

Choose warm, nourishing foods. If possible, lunch should be warm, full of vegetables, delicious spices and flavors, protein of choice and balanced by what your dosha needs.

Try really hard not to eat at your desk. Multi-tasking and eating do not mix because we confuse our minds. “Am I eating food? Or am I typing? Or am I talking?” says the mind. The focus needs to be on the food so we can taste it, chew it well, and begin the digestive process healthfully (digestion starts in the mouth!). At the very least, step away from your desk and go into a conference room. Play your favorite Pandora or Spotify station to create a nice ambiance.

Bonus points if you can take a leisurely 15-minute walk outside after lunch. It helps the digestive process and keeps our mind nourished. This is not a power walk, it’s a stroll.

If not now, when?