Founded in India more than 5,000 years ago, Ayurveda , literally “the science of life,” is thought to be the oldest health care system. Ayurveda is a complete holistic science of healthy, balanced living, which maintains that there is an innate healing ability within the body. Each person is viewed as having a unique mind-body constitution and set of life circumstances.

A key principle in Ayurveda is that the human body and the universe are composed of PRANA, primal life energy. This vital life force manifests in the form of five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether.  These five elements form the basis for all things found in creation, including human beings.  Balancing the elements is the key to maintaining health, (both physical and mental). We experience any imbalance in the five elements as illness, discomfort, or pain.

Fundamentally, the way to keep the body in balance is through breath, food, water, sunshine, exercise/movement, and sleep. Foods which keep the body in balance are those which are found in nature: grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds, beans, herbs, and roots. These foods have prana in and of themselves and carry prana throughout our bodies.

In the Ayurvedic view, the more removed we are from the preparation of the food we take in, and the more removed that food is from its natural state, the less likely it is to nourish and assist us. And the more we depart from nature in our food and lifestyle habits, the more we suffer in one way or another. The potency and digestibility of foods is at his highest when used in the right combinations and tailored for the unique conditions of the individual.

Ayurveda maintains that most disease is traceable ultimately to incorrect diet. Paraphrasing from the Ayurvedic scriptures:  “When diet is correct, there is no need for medicine; when diet is incorrect, medicine is of little benefit.”

And by the way, Ayurvedic cooking is not limited to Indian cooking. The principles of Ayurvda are universal and can be adapted to any culture or cuisine.  Ayurveda offers a framework that can make use of and integrate other culinary and healing systems. It is as practical a system today as it was at its origins.