Ruminations and ideas

Today I was treated by my mum to a beautiful lunch in a relatively posh restaurant in Bergerac. I haven't eaten out in a while mainly because I just enjoy simple, tasty, home-made, ayurvedic-style cooking but today was a treat. When we talk about 'nourishing ourselves' it doesn't always have to be with rice, vegetables and beans - which have been the main staples of my recent ayurvedic diet. Today I was nourished differently - I was cooked for in a restaurant and I was treated - and my soul was nourished - thank you mum :-) However, a few months ago I don't think my digestive system would have coped with what I ate at lunch time as well as it did today and that's because I have been increasing my agni. Agni is your 'digestive fire' and the aim of an ayurvedic diet is to increase your digestive fire so that you can burn - or digest - the food you put into your body. You are not what you eat - you are what you digest ! The way we increase our agni depends on our dosha. My dosha is currently Vata which means my digestive fire does not like to be cooled down with cold drinks, salads or ice-cream. My body is also not great with tomatoes so the starter in the 'menu du jour' would normally have been a bit of a challenge - cold roast tomato soup with parmesan icecream - wow! Delicious! The main course was 'aiguielletes de canard' - a generous amount of them with a fruit sauce and a zabayonne de pommes de terre. Again - such different, stimulating tastes. The dessert was a Pannacotta . Normally served in a small dish, this was presented as a thin layer on a large plate - again... delicious but cold, sweet and creamy. Although all three courses were obviously served separately, my stomach received all three within an hour, so really I now have quite a complicated mix of foods in my belly which I am grateful that my agni is strong enough to deal with as I have no signs of indigestion or bloating - things seem to be burning well! However, it will be a simple soup for me tonight as everyone's agni is always weaker in the evenings - which is why if you are going to treat yourself - or be treated - best make it a lunchtime treat when your digestive fire is at its strongest between 12 and 2pm. Bon appetit!