October 31, 2022 • 25 mins
A conversation with Swati (Heartful Ayurveda) who shares her innovative and creative cooking skills to blend the senses of taste and smell with uplifting one's mental and spiritual states. Her unique tea blends not only boost your mood and is delicious, but she adds thoughtful messages just for you to start your day!
Guest Contact: Website: myheartfeltayurveda.com
Social media handles: Facebook and Instagram: Heartfelt Ayurveda
Etsy website : https://www.etsy.com/shop/HeartfeltAyurveda?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1344544985
This is a podcast for those who love to talk common sense about everyday issues. You will listen to a variety of guests that share common sense ideas through their life experiences by sharing what they learned. For any comments, questions or suggestions for future topics, please contact the show at: stand4commonsense@outlook.com
Song title: Upbeat Indie Folk Music
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Host (00:23):
Welcome back to Connecticut Common Sense where
in this podcast we discuss alltopics and issues that just have
plain common sense.
So in today's episode, you'll behearing from Swati, otherwise
known as Heartful Ayurveda onher Instagram and Facebook
(00:43):
pages.
She's got a real passion forcooking, especially with a
variety of spices.
But what she likes to do is toblend her culinary skills to
elevate once frame of mind andone spirit.
So I hope you enjoy thisepisode, and thank you for
(01:04):
tuning in.
Hello, today we're here withSwati um, total disclosure on
this.
She lives in Georgia with herhusband, and we met through our
spouses who were classmates in apostgraduate program.
So Swati.
(01:24):
Um, can you tell a little bitfurther about yourself to the
audience?
Guest (01:30):
Namaste everyone.
Namaste
Host (01:33):
Namaste
Guest (01:34):
Namaste.
Thank you for giving me thiswonderful opportunity to be
here.
Um, I am, uh, you know, I'm anAyurvedic Wellness counselor by
profession, and uh, I used to..
I come from a field of, uh,accessory design and gemology,
so it's a complete 360 degreeflip now.
Host (01:56):
Oh, right.
And yes.
And I remember when you weredoing your jewelry designs,
Guest (02:03):
Thank you.
Yes.
I, uh, you know, the, the, thegood thing about what I do is
that whenever I pick upsomething, I pour my heart and
soul in it.
It's like, like the passionignites in my work.
You can see it.
And, uh, I totally am a smallbusiness woman.
And, uh, I believe in a smalllocal business kind of a model.
(02:25):
And, um, yeah.
So right now I am in the.
wellness field and I am lovingevery part of it.
Host (02:34):
That's great to hear.
Now, I know that you have, um,an Instagram account and a
Facebook account, um, calledHeartfelt Ayurveda, and would
you let us know a little bitabout what is Ayurveda.
Guest (02:52):
Absolutely.
So Ayurveda can be broken downinto two words, Ayur and Veda,
Ayur means long life and Veda isthe science or the
understanding.
So Ayurveda is a beautifulancient science of life that
comes from India, which uh,gives principles and tools to
(03:15):
how to live a long, healthylife.
And the reason we need that longhealthy life is because we want
to fulfill our karma and ourdharma, and to do that, we need
to be healthy so that we canlive to a highest potential.
Host (03:33):
Okay.
Now, how did you get involvedwith Ayurveda from Jewelry
design?
Guest (03:41):
Yeah.
What a beautiful journey it hasbeen, but let me tell you, it's,
it, it has also has its ownchallenges and it's, it's been,
uh, it's been a rough ride.
You know, they say being bornand growth is painful, and you
can see that in nature.
I had adversities and lifechallenges in terms of my health
(04:04):
and emotional wellbeing, and itstarted with meditation.
A friend came along andintroduced me to the beautiful
concept of meditation.
I joined a community and fromthere I met an Ayurvedic
counselor in my area..
Took some, uh, seek somecounseling service from her.
(04:25):
And I was like, and then Irealized that the strength comes
from the journey inward and it'sa very untapped territory.
At least it was in my life.
And I, and that's what put me onthe path.
And I said, I wanna not justseek help, but I want to offer
what I can.
(04:46):
It just felt right to be in thewell field of wellness.
And I started studying, Ayurvedait was a journey of a year and a
half, and here I am, I graduatefresh graduate
Host (04:57):
Wow, that's great.
Um, so what has been yourgreatest reward and then also an
obstacle in starting this smallbusiness?
Guest (05:10):
Uh, yes.
The, I think the, the greatestreward is when people, just look
into my eyes and I can see theycan literally see through my
heart and soul.
They know that she gave her 110%here and they, the connection I
make with my clients for myyogis, I can say who are like
(05:30):
patients in my practice.
And I, when, when they heal, Iheal with them.
Um, the obstacle for a smallbusiness, I would say is that
it's a one man army.
It's like you handle everythingparallelly.
It's a lot of juggle fromaccounting to photography, to
(05:51):
creatives, to sourcing, and thenyou have a family life in the
backend.
Host (05:58):
Of Course.
Okay.
So let's get down to the nittygritty of your business.
Um, you had mentioned to me whenwe had spoken, um, about these
pop-up restaurants that you haveenvisioned and then ended up
creating, and they're known aspuka rasa.
(06:20):
Could you tell us a little bitabout this interesting and novel
experience?
Because you are hosting this inyour home.
Guest (06:28):
Yes, that's right.
And actually the vision is oneday to make it grow, it grow,
make it bigger, and host it ina, in some, uh, you know, where
it's more accessible to people.
But right now puka rasa isbasically a rasa in Sanskrit
means flavor and puka rasa islike authentic.
(06:50):
Uh, flavor from the foundation.
It's a plant-based gastronomicalexperience that I've created
because it involves theambience, the lighting, not just
the food, but everything comestogether for this beautiful
evening that people experiencefrom at when they enter my home,
the aromas and the littlerituals I do with them.
(07:12):
And, uh, you know, then we eatand I talk about ahara..Ahara
means input in Sanskrit and inAyurveda, they see human has,
uh, four inputs in life.
Food, water, breath, andperception.
And I try to cover all of theseacross the board in puka rasa.
And, um, we, I also play withthe six tastes that are involved
(07:36):
in food.
It's the sweet, sour, salty,bitter, pungent, and astringent.
puka rasa is like my brainchildwhere my creativity and passion
have come together.
And, uh, I cannot wait for mynext event that's happening this
fall on November 20th at myhouse.
Host (07:54):
Wow, that sounds delicious actually.
Okay, So I know you mentionedthat it's a plant based meal.
Um, is it vegan?
Uh, do you have fish, what, whatare your dietary rules for?
Guest (08:11):
Absolutely.
So, you know, uh, it's, it'smore aligned with Ayurveda and
Ayurveda does not encouragemeat, but at the same time, it
does not discourage meat.
It's very neutral.
It just lays these guidelines.
So the, the restaurant is notvegan, Sorry, The restaurant is
not vegan.
However, it is, uh, plant basedwhere I do not do meats.
(08:35):
I, I'm not very comfortablecooking meats or any kind of,
um, you know, fish, et cetera.
But, uh, I work with wholesomelegumes, organic vegetable and a
full grain, uh, you know, uh,products.
And, uh, the, I make sure themeal is completely fresh,
(08:57):
handmade, made from scratch andhomemade, and it has all the
qualities that a wholesome mealwould deliver, uh, to a person.
And it, it, I think you can feelit at your cellular level.
So that's the idea of plantbased here.
Host (09:13):
Okay.
So it's not vegan, but would itbe more vegetarian?
Guest (09:18):
Vegetarian?
Correct.
Host (09:19):
Okay.
Guest (09:19):
I wanted to say, right, the idea is to deliver a, a
delicious vegetarian experience.
Host (09:26):
Okay.
So is it strict vegetarian?
Because I know, um, in ourculture there are strict
vegetarians where they don'teven take eggs or dairy.
Um, are yours of the same line,or do you include some dairy and
some eggs?
Guest (09:44):
I do include dairy and eggs very happily.
And one of the reasons is I alsohappily include ghee, which is
clarified butter, which I makeat home.
And it's made from a culturedbutter, which has all the
probiotics needed for the body.
And the process of making gheeis is so, um, divine.
(10:04):
I would say it's actuallycalled, uh, God's, uh, food.
So, we'll, we'll elaborate moreon that later, but.
Uh, yeah, it's, it's definitelyincludes dairy and eggs.
Yep.
Host (10:17):
Okay.
And you had also mentioned to mebefore about that you usually,
um, focus on certain seasons.
For example, the fall season,you notice there's an uptick in,
um, people's imbalance of theiremotions or, um, their mental
(10:38):
health.
Um, can you elaborate a littlebit more about.
Guest (10:42):
Yes.
Uh, so before I dive into that,I'm just gonna throw a little
light on Doshas, which are theprinciple energies in our body
from Ayurveda..
Uh, they are called Vata, Kapha,Pitta.
These are the three energiesthat make us individually
different.
Like it's like a fingerprint andsome people can have two
(11:03):
combinations, or just anindividual, or some people can
be all three.
So anyways, the thing is thatwith seasons, uh, there is a
certain energy dominant in eachseason.
So like fall is here and we cansee it's a vata dominant season.
vata is the energy of movementand you will see a lot of
(11:25):
anxiety, racing thoughts,dryness, et cetera, you know,
happening in your body.
So, um, I, my food, it kind oftailors to that so that we can
pacify those, uh, upticks likeyou call them, or those
imbalances in the.
and we can have you at a summerlevel.
(11:45):
Summer means balanced.
So I'll use seasonal vegetableslike cabbage, carrot, something
grounding, you know, like beetsand uh, spices.
Like again, turmeric, uh, maybeheavier foods, like let's do,
um, whole milk or 2%.
And lots of, uh, pungent spicescome together in this season.
Host (12:09):
Okay, so basically you had mentioned that it's the whole
environment.
It's the total ambiance that'sbasically going hand in hand
with the food tasting that youoffer in your home.
Have you considered this typeof, um, innovative and creative
tablescape where you have thefood, you have the lighting and
(12:31):
the plating, and expanding thisconcept for people who may want
to do it in their home um, forthemselves and for guests.
Guest (12:42):
You know, this, this, this sounds amazing and, uh, I
am exploring the rims of this,uh, this concept, but I would,
uh, love to offer a consult onum, you know, put helping people
put together something like thisin their house.
Definitely.
Host (13:00):
Oh, that's really great.
Um, so you can let me know aboutany sort of link to that and
I'll let the audience know.
Yeah.
Now you also were letting meknow of, um, the other thing
that you're doing was theintuitive cooking workshop.
You show how meals can be donevery quickly and it can be fun
(13:23):
and it can be very uplifting toone state of mind or elevate
their mood.
Um, can you talk more aboutthat?
Guest (13:32):
Absolutely, yes.
So it's, it's very interesting.
I am a self-taught cook in mykitchen, and uh, about 10 years
ago, if you asked me how to makedal which is basically a simple
lentil curry or soup in India,it's supposedly a simple dish.
I did not know anything, what todo with the pot and the lentils,
et cetera.
So here I am, uh, you know,storming out gourmet meals and
(13:57):
feeding a party of eight or 10,uh, completely based on my
shoulders.
Uh, I, I think it's, it's, it'sa gift that I have that I
discovered and intuitive cookingkind of derives from my journey
over the 10 years.
I noticed that following arecipe was, actually a lot of
waste of time and energy, and Icould see that I was more in my
(14:19):
head than in my body.
And that's the concept ofmeditation.
So you know, you wanna be moregrounded in your body.
And intuitive cooking is a wayto just get in tune with the
food you're making.
And you don't measure, like, I'mgonna put apo of turmeric, you
just.
So much because that's what youneed today, and it's kind of
(14:41):
listening to the spices and theneeds of your body because A,
you can, once you're in tunewith the ingredients around you,
you'll see how your ingredientswill talk to you.
Host (14:52):
Oh wow.
That, that's so fascinating.
Um, and you've also mentioned tome about this, Ayurvedic
counseling that you also do.
I know you're not a medicaldoctor so you're not giving out
medical advice to people.
However, what you're I thinkfrom what I understand is that
you're giving alternatives tojust the regular run of the mill
(15:15):
pharmaceutical drugs and um,what you're trying to do is
target, um, the food intake, uh,the drink intake with yoga,
meditation, and, um, this is allto, um, basically bring about a
calm and a peace of mind.
Absolutely.
(15:35):
Is that accurate?
Guest (15:36):
Yes, it's, it's, it's pretty accurate and I can, I can
fill in some more, uh, it's, Ican call them as suggestions,
lifestyle and diet suggestions.
And it's totally up to the, theclient how far they wanna take
it.
Um, uh, you know, uh, the goodthing about my consult is I, I
need to know where you are.
So if, if I suggest yousomething, First of all tell
(16:00):
you, there is no obligation foryou to follow it if it doesn't
work in your routine.
It's, it's a waste of asuggestion.
So we come up with, with theideas and suggestions that
actually work for.
For you and, uh, I, I am happyto give diet and lifestyle
suggestions, yoga and meditationas you, as you said, I also love
(16:20):
to give out recipes for theseason so that I can get you
warmed up and creative in yourkitchen, And you can have some
nice family time together.
and yeah, so the first consultis, is, is elaborate.
It involves about 90 to 120minute consult because we have
to have to take all yourbackground, history, et cetera.
And then there's a suggestionsession, and then I obviously
(16:42):
encourage a follow up in a monthor two to see how everything's
going.
Host (16:47):
Oh, that's really wonderful that you do that.
Um, now you also do the conceptof gift baskets.
Yes.
And, um, you blend your ownteas, which I think is
fascinating by hand.
Um, so do you wanna sort of talkabout both of those things?
Guest (17:06):
Yes, absolutely.
So, you know, the tea blendingagain, is a very intuitive
process and kind of probably aderivative of the intuitive
cooking workshop.
Um, I love to work with herbsand spices and.
You know, just, just stuff inthe kitchen and uh, things that
are offbeat always fascinate me,just putting them together and
seeing what comes out.
(17:27):
So I do blend my teas by, uh,intuition a lot, and I put a lot
of good energy in them.
I usually do the blending in themorning time and it's from
Kapha, which is the spiritual,uh, early morning hour so that
we absorb all the right energiesin the tea.
And I right now offer two blendsthe Do Not Worry Blend and the
(17:49):
Rose Breakfast Blend on mywebsite.
The Do Not Worry, Worry Blend isactually perfect for this fall
winter season, the vata seasonlike I was talking about because
it has a grounding, calmingsense of energy.
The rose breakfast tea blend isan all around season or all
around year kind of a teabecause you can start your day
with that or you can start yourafternoon tea with that.
(18:11):
It's very light.
It is a black tea and it hasrose peals in it, and it, uh,
creates a sense of, uh, love andcare.
Host (18:20):
Oh, great.
So I.
Now for people who areinterested in doing any of these
things, um, from, uh, um,intuitive cooking to the gift
baskets, if they would like tohave a gift basket sent or maybe
to someone else, um, or maybetry your tea blends, how would
(18:40):
they go ahead and do that?
Um, would they have to go on theheartfelt ayurveda, on Facebook
or your Instagram page tocontact you??
Yes.
So,
Guest (18:52):
uh, you can do that.
I am very, very, um, avail, Imean available socially, uh, on
the social media.
So yes, uh, or you can go onmyheartfeltayurveda.com and
there's a place there where itsays, Contact me and there's a
little form.
You just fill in those threelittle blanks and it'll send me
(19:12):
an email directly and then wecan connect through email.
Um, I, for the gift baskets, uh,I do offer.
I do come up with a certainlike, uh, preset once in a
while, uh, for seasonally, likeI came up with a Valentine's
food basket or there's always aDo Not Worry basket that's
(19:33):
always available on my website.
It comes with a worry doll, atea, uh, some writeups.
I do, I also love to do creativewriting, so I'll, I'll write a
beautiful note to your friend orto you, something uplifting and
um, I am always happy to giveout my ideas and put together
(19:54):
something that will fit in your.
budget..any occasion.
Host (19:57):
Right.
Oh, okay.
Great.
Um, so as far as sort of windingdown towards the end of the
program, um, what do you thinkis the biggest misconception
that people have about, um,mental health and how diet could
be able to help with?
Guest (20:19):
Yes.
Uh, that's a great question.
I think the biggestmisconception about mental
health is, uh, I feel likepeople always say, But you have
everything.
Why are you depressed?
So I hear that a lot and um, itjust throws me off because it's
not about things it's actuallysomething internal that has
(20:39):
happened and it's the mind is avery complex area to tap and
it's, it's, it's hard topinpoint, you know, one area
that this, this is affected orthis is what happened.
But I know that the mind bodysystem is.
Very well connected in I weatherand Ira weather looks at it
holistically and completely, andit, we always look at it
(21:00):
together when we provide, uh,treatment protocols or I, I
would say suggestions and, um,uh, I'm sorry what was the
second question you asked me?
Host (21:13):
Oh.
About how, uh, the food relatesto the mental health.
Guest (21:19):
So the food is, is is an energy in Aveda, the food is
considered prasad an offering ofthe God.
So if, if you, if that, that'swhy cooking it, it just starts
from actually plucking, likewhen you put bringing your
vegetables at home and when youcook, you have to be present
(21:42):
with your food and also, Theenergy you put in the cooking,
that affects what you areabsorbing in your body.
So if, if you are distractedwhile you're eating or if the
person who's cooking your foodis not in the right mood, you
will feel that energy.
And not only that, if you eat aseasonally balanced meal and um,
(22:06):
you know, you don't cut outgroups like, I won't eat carbs,
I won't eat sugar.
Don't do that.
Uh, there is no blanketstatement in Ayurveda every,
every food is good and everyfood can be unsuitable for you,
we call it.
So we just have to find throughan Ayurvedic consultation, what
works for our body, what worksfor our imbalances, and what
(22:28):
works for the season we are in.
Host (22:31):
Okay.
Yeah, that's really veryinteresting about that.
Um, so one of my last questionsto you would be, since this show
is known as connecticut commonsense.
Um, mm-hmm.
what is your one piece of commonsense that you would like to
share with the listeners?
Guest (22:53):
Oh yeah.
Um, I think, you know me, I'mthe food lady, so it has to be
around food uh, it, uh, I thinkI love this phrase, and this
again comes to my rather letfood be that medicine.
And then medicine, be food,which translates to, um, the
(23:14):
food.
Your food is your medicine.
So if you eat a good diet, youdon't need medicine.
And if you need medicine, thenyou're, you're basically, your
diet is not right.
So kind of, you know, blendingthat in that, uh, you know, food
is medicine, food is everything,food is, uh, food is sacred.
(23:35):
Yes.
Host (23:36):
Okay.
Well that's pretty much commonsense,
Guest (23:39):
Yes.
Yes.
Host (23:40):
Well, thank you so much Swee for this conversation
today.
It was really very, veryenlightening and um, I hope it
did help a lot of people.
Hope you enjoy today'sconversation with Swati.
If you would like to contacther, please do so on her
website, myheartfeltayurveda.com.
(24:03):
That is myheartfeltayurveda.comyou can also catch her on her
Instagram and Facebook under thename heartfelt ayurveda.
(24:27):
Till next time bye
Welcome back to Connecticut Common Sense where
in this podcast we discuss alltopics and issues that just have
plain common sense.
So in today's episode, you'll behearing from Swati, otherwise
known as Heartful Ayurveda onher Instagram and Facebook
(00:43):
pages.
She's got a real passion forcooking, especially with a
variety of spices.
But what she likes to do is toblend her culinary skills to
elevate once frame of mind andone spirit.
So I hope you enjoy thisepisode, and thank you for
(01:04):
tuning in.
Hello, today we're here withSwati um, total disclosure on
this.
She lives in Georgia with herhusband, and we met through our
spouses who were classmates in apostgraduate program.
So Swati.
(01:24):
Um, can you tell a little bitfurther about yourself to the
audience?
Guest (01:30):
Namaste everyone.
Namaste
Host (01:33):
Namaste
Guest (01:34):
Namaste.
Thank you for giving me thiswonderful opportunity to be
here.
Um, I am, uh, you know, I'm anAyurvedic Wellness counselor by
profession, and uh, I used to..
I come from a field of, uh,accessory design and gemology,
so it's a complete 360 degreeflip now.
Host (01:56):
Oh, right.
And yes.
And I remember when you weredoing your jewelry designs,
Guest (02:03):
Thank you.
Yes.
I, uh, you know, the, the, thegood thing about what I do is
that whenever I pick upsomething, I pour my heart and
soul in it.
It's like, like the passionignites in my work.
You can see it.
And, uh, I totally am a smallbusiness woman.
And, uh, I believe in a smalllocal business kind of a model.
(02:25):
And, um, yeah.
So right now I am in the.
wellness field and I am lovingevery part of it.
Host (02:34):
That's great to hear.
Now, I know that you have, um,an Instagram account and a
Facebook account, um, calledHeartfelt Ayurveda, and would
you let us know a little bitabout what is Ayurveda.
Guest (02:52):
Absolutely.
So Ayurveda can be broken downinto two words, Ayur and Veda,
Ayur means long life and Veda isthe science or the
understanding.
So Ayurveda is a beautifulancient science of life that
comes from India, which uh,gives principles and tools to
(03:15):
how to live a long, healthylife.
And the reason we need that longhealthy life is because we want
to fulfill our karma and ourdharma, and to do that, we need
to be healthy so that we canlive to a highest potential.
Host (03:33):
Okay.
Now, how did you get involvedwith Ayurveda from Jewelry
design?
Guest (03:41):
Yeah.
What a beautiful journey it hasbeen, but let me tell you, it's,
it, it has also has its ownchallenges and it's, it's been,
uh, it's been a rough ride.
You know, they say being bornand growth is painful, and you
can see that in nature.
I had adversities and lifechallenges in terms of my health
(04:04):
and emotional wellbeing, and itstarted with meditation.
A friend came along andintroduced me to the beautiful
concept of meditation.
I joined a community and fromthere I met an Ayurvedic
counselor in my area..
Took some, uh, seek somecounseling service from her.
(04:25):
And I was like, and then Irealized that the strength comes
from the journey inward and it'sa very untapped territory.
At least it was in my life.
And I, and that's what put me onthe path.
And I said, I wanna not justseek help, but I want to offer
what I can.
(04:46):
It just felt right to be in thewell field of wellness.
And I started studying, Ayurvedait was a journey of a year and a
half, and here I am, I graduatefresh graduate
Host (04:57):
Wow, that's great.
Um, so what has been yourgreatest reward and then also an
obstacle in starting this smallbusiness?
Guest (05:10):
Uh, yes.
The, I think the, the greatestreward is when people, just look
into my eyes and I can see theycan literally see through my
heart and soul.
They know that she gave her 110%here and they, the connection I
make with my clients for myyogis, I can say who are like
(05:30):
patients in my practice.
And I, when, when they heal, Iheal with them.
Um, the obstacle for a smallbusiness, I would say is that
it's a one man army.
It's like you handle everythingparallelly.
It's a lot of juggle fromaccounting to photography, to
(05:51):
creatives, to sourcing, and thenyou have a family life in the
backend.
Host (05:58):
Of Course.
Okay.
So let's get down to the nittygritty of your business.
Um, you had mentioned to me whenwe had spoken, um, about these
pop-up restaurants that you haveenvisioned and then ended up
creating, and they're known aspuka rasa.
(06:20):
Could you tell us a little bitabout this interesting and novel
experience?
Because you are hosting this inyour home.
Guest (06:28):
Yes, that's right.
And actually the vision is oneday to make it grow, it grow,
make it bigger, and host it ina, in some, uh, you know, where
it's more accessible to people.
But right now puka rasa isbasically a rasa in Sanskrit
means flavor and puka rasa islike authentic.
(06:50):
Uh, flavor from the foundation.
It's a plant-based gastronomicalexperience that I've created
because it involves theambience, the lighting, not just
the food, but everything comestogether for this beautiful
evening that people experiencefrom at when they enter my home,
the aromas and the littlerituals I do with them.
(07:12):
And, uh, you know, then we eatand I talk about ahara..Ahara
means input in Sanskrit and inAyurveda, they see human has,
uh, four inputs in life.
Food, water, breath, andperception.
And I try to cover all of theseacross the board in puka rasa.
And, um, we, I also play withthe six tastes that are involved
(07:36):
in food.
It's the sweet, sour, salty,bitter, pungent, and astringent.
puka rasa is like my brainchildwhere my creativity and passion
have come together.
And, uh, I cannot wait for mynext event that's happening this
fall on November 20th at myhouse.
Host (07:54):
Wow, that sounds delicious actually.
Okay, So I know you mentionedthat it's a plant based meal.
Um, is it vegan?
Uh, do you have fish, what, whatare your dietary rules for?
Guest (08:11):
Absolutely.
So, you know, uh, it's, it'smore aligned with Ayurveda and
Ayurveda does not encouragemeat, but at the same time, it
does not discourage meat.
It's very neutral.
It just lays these guidelines.
So the, the restaurant is notvegan, Sorry, The restaurant is
not vegan.
However, it is, uh, plant basedwhere I do not do meats.
(08:35):
I, I'm not very comfortablecooking meats or any kind of,
um, you know, fish, et cetera.
But, uh, I work with wholesomelegumes, organic vegetable and a
full grain, uh, you know, uh,products.
And, uh, the, I make sure themeal is completely fresh,
(08:57):
handmade, made from scratch andhomemade, and it has all the
qualities that a wholesome mealwould deliver, uh, to a person.
And it, it, I think you can feelit at your cellular level.
So that's the idea of plantbased here.
Host (09:13):
Okay.
So it's not vegan, but would itbe more vegetarian?
Guest (09:18):
Vegetarian?
Correct.
Host (09:19):
Okay.
Guest (09:19):
I wanted to say, right, the idea is to deliver a, a
delicious vegetarian experience.
Host (09:26):
Okay.
So is it strict vegetarian?
Because I know, um, in ourculture there are strict
vegetarians where they don'teven take eggs or dairy.
Um, are yours of the same line,or do you include some dairy and
some eggs?
Guest (09:44):
I do include dairy and eggs very happily.
And one of the reasons is I alsohappily include ghee, which is
clarified butter, which I makeat home.
And it's made from a culturedbutter, which has all the
probiotics needed for the body.
And the process of making gheeis is so, um, divine.
(10:04):
I would say it's actuallycalled, uh, God's, uh, food.
So, we'll, we'll elaborate moreon that later, but.
Uh, yeah, it's, it's definitelyincludes dairy and eggs.
Yep.
Host (10:17):
Okay.
And you had also mentioned to mebefore about that you usually,
um, focus on certain seasons.
For example, the fall season,you notice there's an uptick in,
um, people's imbalance of theiremotions or, um, their mental
(10:38):
health.
Um, can you elaborate a littlebit more about.
Guest (10:42):
Yes.
Uh, so before I dive into that,I'm just gonna throw a little
light on Doshas, which are theprinciple energies in our body
from Ayurveda..
Uh, they are called Vata, Kapha,Pitta.
These are the three energiesthat make us individually
different.
Like it's like a fingerprint andsome people can have two
(11:03):
combinations, or just anindividual, or some people can
be all three.
So anyways, the thing is thatwith seasons, uh, there is a
certain energy dominant in eachseason.
So like fall is here and we cansee it's a vata dominant season.
vata is the energy of movementand you will see a lot of
(11:25):
anxiety, racing thoughts,dryness, et cetera, you know,
happening in your body.
So, um, I, my food, it kind oftailors to that so that we can
pacify those, uh, upticks likeyou call them, or those
imbalances in the.
and we can have you at a summerlevel.
(11:45):
Summer means balanced.
So I'll use seasonal vegetableslike cabbage, carrot, something
grounding, you know, like beetsand uh, spices.
Like again, turmeric, uh, maybeheavier foods, like let's do,
um, whole milk or 2%.
And lots of, uh, pungent spicescome together in this season.
Host (12:09):
Okay, so basically you had mentioned that it's the whole
environment.
It's the total ambiance that'sbasically going hand in hand
with the food tasting that youoffer in your home.
Have you considered this typeof, um, innovative and creative
tablescape where you have thefood, you have the lighting and
(12:31):
the plating, and expanding thisconcept for people who may want
to do it in their home um, forthemselves and for guests.
Guest (12:42):
You know, this, this, this sounds amazing and, uh, I
am exploring the rims of this,uh, this concept, but I would,
uh, love to offer a consult onum, you know, put helping people
put together something like thisin their house.
Definitely.
Host (13:00):
Oh, that's really great.
Um, so you can let me know aboutany sort of link to that and
I'll let the audience know.
Yeah.
Now you also were letting meknow of, um, the other thing
that you're doing was theintuitive cooking workshop.
You show how meals can be donevery quickly and it can be fun
(13:23):
and it can be very uplifting toone state of mind or elevate
their mood.
Um, can you talk more aboutthat?
Guest (13:32):
Absolutely, yes.
So it's, it's very interesting.
I am a self-taught cook in mykitchen, and uh, about 10 years
ago, if you asked me how to makedal which is basically a simple
lentil curry or soup in India,it's supposedly a simple dish.
I did not know anything, what todo with the pot and the lentils,
et cetera.
So here I am, uh, you know,storming out gourmet meals and
(13:57):
feeding a party of eight or 10,uh, completely based on my
shoulders.
Uh, I, I think it's, it's, it'sa gift that I have that I
discovered and intuitive cookingkind of derives from my journey
over the 10 years.
I noticed that following arecipe was, actually a lot of
waste of time and energy, and Icould see that I was more in my
(14:19):
head than in my body.
And that's the concept ofmeditation.
So you know, you wanna be moregrounded in your body.
And intuitive cooking is a wayto just get in tune with the
food you're making.
And you don't measure, like, I'mgonna put apo of turmeric, you
just.
So much because that's what youneed today, and it's kind of
(14:41):
listening to the spices and theneeds of your body because A,
you can, once you're in tunewith the ingredients around you,
you'll see how your ingredientswill talk to you.
Host (14:52):
Oh wow.
That, that's so fascinating.
Um, and you've also mentioned tome about this, Ayurvedic
counseling that you also do.
I know you're not a medicaldoctor so you're not giving out
medical advice to people.
However, what you're I thinkfrom what I understand is that
you're giving alternatives tojust the regular run of the mill
(15:15):
pharmaceutical drugs and um,what you're trying to do is
target, um, the food intake, uh,the drink intake with yoga,
meditation, and, um, this is allto, um, basically bring about a
calm and a peace of mind.
Absolutely.
(15:35):
Is that accurate?
Guest (15:36):
Yes, it's, it's, it's pretty accurate and I can, I can
fill in some more, uh, it's, Ican call them as suggestions,
lifestyle and diet suggestions.
And it's totally up to the, theclient how far they wanna take
it.
Um, uh, you know, uh, the goodthing about my consult is I, I
need to know where you are.
So if, if I suggest yousomething, First of all tell
(16:00):
you, there is no obligation foryou to follow it if it doesn't
work in your routine.
It's, it's a waste of asuggestion.
So we come up with, with theideas and suggestions that
actually work for.
For you and, uh, I, I am happyto give diet and lifestyle
suggestions, yoga and meditationas you, as you said, I also love
(16:20):
to give out recipes for theseason so that I can get you
warmed up and creative in yourkitchen, And you can have some
nice family time together.
and yeah, so the first consultis, is, is elaborate.
It involves about 90 to 120minute consult because we have
to have to take all yourbackground, history, et cetera.
And then there's a suggestionsession, and then I obviously
(16:42):
encourage a follow up in a monthor two to see how everything's
going.
Host (16:47):
Oh, that's really wonderful that you do that.
Um, now you also do the conceptof gift baskets.
Yes.
And, um, you blend your ownteas, which I think is
fascinating by hand.
Um, so do you wanna sort of talkabout both of those things?
Guest (17:06):
Yes, absolutely.
So, you know, the tea blendingagain, is a very intuitive
process and kind of probably aderivative of the intuitive
cooking workshop.
Um, I love to work with herbsand spices and.
You know, just, just stuff inthe kitchen and uh, things that
are offbeat always fascinate me,just putting them together and
seeing what comes out.
(17:27):
So I do blend my teas by, uh,intuition a lot, and I put a lot
of good energy in them.
I usually do the blending in themorning time and it's from
Kapha, which is the spiritual,uh, early morning hour so that
we absorb all the right energiesin the tea.
And I right now offer two blendsthe Do Not Worry Blend and the
(17:49):
Rose Breakfast Blend on mywebsite.
The Do Not Worry, Worry Blend isactually perfect for this fall
winter season, the vata seasonlike I was talking about because
it has a grounding, calmingsense of energy.
The rose breakfast tea blend isan all around season or all
around year kind of a teabecause you can start your day
with that or you can start yourafternoon tea with that.
(18:11):
It's very light.
It is a black tea and it hasrose peals in it, and it, uh,
creates a sense of, uh, love andcare.
Host (18:20):
Oh, great.
So I.
Now for people who areinterested in doing any of these
things, um, from, uh, um,intuitive cooking to the gift
baskets, if they would like tohave a gift basket sent or maybe
to someone else, um, or maybetry your tea blends, how would
(18:40):
they go ahead and do that?
Um, would they have to go on theheartfelt ayurveda, on Facebook
or your Instagram page tocontact you??
Yes.
So,
Guest (18:52):
uh, you can do that.
I am very, very, um, avail, Imean available socially, uh, on
the social media.
So yes, uh, or you can go onmyheartfeltayurveda.com and
there's a place there where itsays, Contact me and there's a
little form.
You just fill in those threelittle blanks and it'll send me
(19:12):
an email directly and then wecan connect through email.
Um, I, for the gift baskets, uh,I do offer.
I do come up with a certainlike, uh, preset once in a
while, uh, for seasonally, likeI came up with a Valentine's
food basket or there's always aDo Not Worry basket that's
(19:33):
always available on my website.
It comes with a worry doll, atea, uh, some writeups.
I do, I also love to do creativewriting, so I'll, I'll write a
beautiful note to your friend orto you, something uplifting and
um, I am always happy to giveout my ideas and put together
(19:54):
something that will fit in your.
budget..any occasion.
Host (19:57):
Right.
Oh, okay.
Great.
Um, so as far as sort of windingdown towards the end of the
program, um, what do you thinkis the biggest misconception
that people have about, um,mental health and how diet could
be able to help with?
Guest (20:19):
Yes.
Uh, that's a great question.
I think the biggestmisconception about mental
health is, uh, I feel likepeople always say, But you have
everything.
Why are you depressed?
So I hear that a lot and um, itjust throws me off because it's
not about things it's actuallysomething internal that has
(20:39):
happened and it's the mind is avery complex area to tap and
it's, it's, it's hard topinpoint, you know, one area
that this, this is affected orthis is what happened.
But I know that the mind bodysystem is.
Very well connected in I weatherand Ira weather looks at it
holistically and completely, andit, we always look at it
(21:00):
together when we provide, uh,treatment protocols or I, I
would say suggestions and, um,uh, I'm sorry what was the
second question you asked me?
Host (21:13):
Oh.
About how, uh, the food relatesto the mental health.
Guest (21:19):
So the food is, is is an energy in Aveda, the food is
considered prasad an offering ofthe God.
So if, if you, if that, that'swhy cooking it, it just starts
from actually plucking, likewhen you put bringing your
vegetables at home and when youcook, you have to be present
(21:42):
with your food and also, Theenergy you put in the cooking,
that affects what you areabsorbing in your body.
So if, if you are distractedwhile you're eating or if the
person who's cooking your foodis not in the right mood, you
will feel that energy.
And not only that, if you eat aseasonally balanced meal and um,
(22:06):
you know, you don't cut outgroups like, I won't eat carbs,
I won't eat sugar.
Don't do that.
Uh, there is no blanketstatement in Ayurveda every,
every food is good and everyfood can be unsuitable for you,
we call it.
So we just have to find throughan Ayurvedic consultation, what
works for our body, what worksfor our imbalances, and what
(22:28):
works for the season we are in.
Host (22:31):
Okay.
Yeah, that's really veryinteresting about that.
Um, so one of my last questionsto you would be, since this show
is known as connecticut commonsense.
Um, mm-hmm.
what is your one piece of commonsense that you would like to
share with the listeners?
Guest (22:53):
Oh yeah.
Um, I think, you know me, I'mthe food lady, so it has to be
around food uh, it, uh, I thinkI love this phrase, and this
again comes to my rather letfood be that medicine.
And then medicine, be food,which translates to, um, the
(23:14):
food.
Your food is your medicine.
So if you eat a good diet, youdon't need medicine.
And if you need medicine, thenyou're, you're basically, your
diet is not right.
So kind of, you know, blendingthat in that, uh, you know, food
is medicine, food is everything,food is, uh, food is sacred.
(23:35):
Yes.
Host (23:36):
Okay.
Well that's pretty much commonsense,
Guest (23:39):
Yes.
Yes.
Host (23:40):
Well, thank you so much Swee for this conversation
today.
It was really very, veryenlightening and um, I hope it
did help a lot of people.
Hope you enjoy today'sconversation with Swati.
If you would like to contacther, please do so on her
website, myheartfeltayurveda.com.
(24:03):
That is myheartfeltayurveda.comyou can also catch her on her
Instagram and Facebook under thename heartfelt ayurveda.
(24:27):
Till next time bye
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