Week 1 – Foundations of Ayurvedic Cooking
Objectives
- Understand the Ayurvedic view of food as medicine.
- Learn about the importance of digestion (Agni) in health and vitality.
- Explore the six tastes and their impact on balance.
Lecture Content
- Food in Ayurveda is not just nutrition but energy that affects body, mind, and spirit.
- Strong digestion = strong immunity, clarity, and natural radiance.
- The six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, astringent) each nourish the body in different ways and pacify or aggravate the doshas.
Practices & Activities
- Guided tasting: sample a food from each of the six tastes.
- Create a simple warm spice tea for your dosha.
- Journal: reflect on how different foods affect mood, energy, and digestion.
Homework
- Drink warm water with lemon each morning.
- Add at least one “missing taste” to your daily meals.
Week 2 – Cooking for Your Dosha
Objectives
- Learn how Vata, Pitta, and Kapha influence food choices.
- Discover which foods balance or aggravate each constitution.
- Begin customizing meals for your unique needs.
Lecture Content
- Vata: needs warm, grounding, oily, and nourishing foods (avoid raw, cold, dry).
- Pitta: needs cooling, calming, sweet, and bitter foods (avoid spicy, fried, acidic).
- Kapha: needs light, spicy, warming, and energizing foods (avoid heavy, oily, sweet).
- Seasonal eating: adjusting meals to the weather and climate.
Practices & Activities
- Dosha quiz or reflection (students identify their constitution).
- one dish adapted three ways for each dosha (e.g., kitchari variations).
- Small group discussion: “What foods bring me balance? What throws me off?”
Homework
- Prepare one dosha-balancing meal during the week.
- Journal how it makes you feel—energy, mood, digestion.
Week 3 – Spices, Herbs & Healing Recipes
Objectives
- Understand the medicinal role of spices in Ayurveda.
- Learn how to use common kitchen spices for balance and healing.
- Practice making simple, restorative recipes.
Lecture Content
- Spices aid digestion, absorption, and detoxification.
- Key spices:
- Cooking with intention: the energy you put into food affects its impact.
Practices & Activities
- Spice-blending exercise: create a simple masala mix at home.
- Cooking demo: digestive tea, spiced lentil soup, golden milk.
- Guided mindfulness practice while cooking.
Homework
- Use a new spice in your cooking each day.
- Keep a “spice journal” on how flavors affect digestion and energy.
Week 4 – Food as a Lifestyle & Daily Ritual
Objectives
- Integrate Ayurvedic cooking into everyday life.
- Learn mealtime rituals that enhance digestion and well-being.
- Create a personalized Ayurvedic meal plan.
Lecture Content
- Importance of eating with the seasons, time of day, and natural rhythms.
- Mindful eating practices: gratitude, chewing slowly, no distractions.
- Lifestyle tips: eating largest meal at midday, light dinners, regular routines.
- Food as self-care: nourishment for body, mind, and spirit.
Practices & Activities
- Students design their own dosha-balancing weekly meal plan.
- Closing circle: share experiences, insights, and favorite recipes.
- Guided meditation on gratitude for food and nourishment.
Homework (Ongoing Practice)
- Commit to one Ayurvedic cooking habit for the next 30 days (e.g., daily warm meals, mindful eating, cooking with spices).
✨ By the end of the course, you will:
- Understand the principles of Ayurvedic nutrition.
- Know how to cook for their dosha and the seasons.
- Use spices and herbs as healing tools.
- Have a personalized Ayurvedic cooking routine that supports balance and vitality.