Raw vs. Cooked Food

As more and more fresh foods come into season, you may be wondering about when to eat raw vs. cooked food.

If you have been following me for a while, or have studied Ayurveda elsewhere, you know that when the weather is cold, we focus on eating warm, cooked foods. This supports the digestive fire.

Once we reach warmer weather, which in turn creates the growing season, we may be able to eat more fresh, raw foods, but it all depends on your Agni (digestive fire).

If you are more Pitta predominant (or imbalanced) and your health is good, you feel strong and vital, and your digestion tolerates most foods well, you are probably able to eat salads this time of year.

If you are more Vata predominant (or imbalanced), you will tend toward gas and bloating, and constipation caused by cold and dryness. For you, eating raw foods will further challenge your digestion and elimination, so you may opt for sticking primarily with warm, cooked foods. Eat raw foods sparingly.

If you are more Kapha predominant (or imbalanced) you will tend to have sluggish digestion and elimination caused by dampness and stagnation. For you, eating raw foods might help you feel lighter, but beware of too much cold. So a balance of raw and cooked is probably ideal in your diet.

Some other ways to tell if there are challenges with digesting raw foods are if you feel tired, cold, or have brain fog after eating. This is your body giving you subtle messages telling you things are out of balance. Overtime, these imbalances lead to disease and your body's messages will show up with more force. Here is an opportunity to pay attention, so we can alleviate unnecessary suffering. 

You can also watch a Tuesday Talk on this topic of Raw vs. Cooked foods HERE. 

How do these recommendations resonate with you? They might lead you to try out some experiments. Go for it!

If you don’t know your constitution, you can take my Dosha Quiz on my website.

With love and light,

Hannah