Interview with Sahara Rose, Certified Holistic Ayurvedic Nutritionist
TRUSTING YOUR BODY'S WISDOM
Sahara: It’s really important for people to know what is going on with their specific bodies according to their environment, the weather, their stress levels, and exercise, because all of these things play into account. Since we live in the information age, it’s very easy to become confused.
Everyone has a different recommendation. One person is a raw vegan and the other person is paleo. Someone is eating this way and someone is eating that way and you can become confused because you see these things are working for them but you don’t know whats going to work for you. Something could be working for you for a little bit and then it stops.
You’re not really sure if it’s working or not.
I know this because I personally went through all of this confusion. All of my clients come from the same background and my book is about this. So what it means to eat right for your mind body type is to constantly tune in and assess whether something works for you.
Asking yourself, does this particular food work for me? Does this practice I am doing work for me? Always, always, always, listen to your body as a guide and know that your cravings, everything that your body is telling you to do, is for a purpose. It’s to get you to do something that will help you to get back into balance.
What it takes sometimes, is shutting off the voice in your head that’s telling you, “Well, I am supposed to have that many calories” and “I am supposed to not eat” or “I am supposed to eat” and just really allowing yourself to come into a vulnerable state of listening to your body and intuition.
HOW TO DIGEST HEALTH TIPS
Question: What are some good Ayurvedic health tips to help navigate this modern crazy world filled with so much information? What are some general pointers?
Sahara: Well, my website is going to have a Dosha quiz and it has some suggestions for each Dosha for your mind and your body type which can be two different things. One thing that I felt when I was studying Ayurveda in India was, “Oh you’re a Vata so you must be this way” and some of the things worked for me and some would not. That’s why a lot of people don’t really listen to Ayurveda, because sometimes it can be too general.
We have to keep in mind that Ayurveda was created 5,000 years ago in India where their goals were different, their food was different, their life was different. But what’s really amazing in Ayurveda is that before there was religion or electricity they were already creating complex systems of health. That is amazing.
But we also have to know that a lot has changed and we know a lot more today than we did back then. So maybe something what’s written in the text is no longer going to work for us. That’s why I am a huge proponent of bringing in herbs from Chinese medicine and bringing in even different ways of eating that you may have never heard of before such as using your blood tests, using your urine and stool tests to really tune into and listen to what’s going on in your body. We have these tools available to us right now and we’re so lucky that we’re able to eat the best foods from around the world so we should use that.
However, at the same time, it just takes being educated and aware of what you really need versus what you are just doing because you read an article or someone else told you to do it. It really just takes knowing yourself.
KNOW YOURSELF
Question: What are some ways to get to know yourself
Sahara: It can all come down to what your mind body type is. That’s why taking the quiz on the website is going to
give you that first insight and then once you know, then there are so many articles and websites and books, like I have coming out, where you can assess, “Ok if I am feeling Vata, what am I supposed to do?” What are you supposed to do if your body is going through a Pitta phase, if it’s going through a Kapha stage? It’s all going to be dependent on these fluctuating stages.
So that’s what I love about all ancient forms of medicine. There is not one quick tip for everyone. We are used to the nutritionists giving out general information such as, “Drink more water” or “Eat this”. No, maybe you shouldn’t drink more water, maybe it’s just totally dependent on you and your body’s needs. So, my one quick tip is: Don’t listen to the quick tips made for everyone and just do what is right for your body.
SUMMER SEASON
Question: So Ayurveda really works with the seasons and how they affect our body. Seasonally, what’s going on right now? What dosha are we entering and what are some good foods and self care tips for this current season that we’re moving into?
Sahara: So we’re going into the summer. The summer is a time where the flowers come into full bloom and everything is coming to fruition. Our agni, our digestive fire, is going to be stronger than ever before just because the weather is hotter. When the weather is extremely hot, you want to be careful to not over exert yourself. Don’t push your boundaries, don’t create too much stress on yourself because when your agni is hot your temper is also kind of hot too. You know when someone’s hot headed, that’s an actual literal thing.
So stay cool, keep calm and practice something like a yin yoga. Something that is going to cool down your body temperature. Eat more foods that are biologically available to us right now such as berries leafy greens, avocados, juicy fruits, mangoes, watermelons—foods like that are going to be really good at this time because that’s what the earth has provided for us to cool down our bodies.
I recommend going to a farmers market and seeing what is local and what’s seasonal around you because that’s what’s going to be your medicine at the time.
Sahara Rose is a Certified Holistic Ayurvedic Nutritionist and the upcoming author of “Eat Right for Your Mind Body Type”.
Check out her website: I am Sahara Rose (formally: eatfeelfresh.com)
