You are What you Eat, People!
As I sit to write, I can smell the apple chips lingering on low in the oven downstairs. The warm scent of cinnamon wafts through the house, countering what I see out my window— the grey, white sky and the bare trees all surrounded by the cold, dry winter air. This is ayurveda: to balance the season and their elements with foods used for healing and harmonize the body and mind with food used as medicine.
One of my favorite concepts from ayurveda, in simple terms, is that man is the microcosm of the world he inhabits, and all the cells that we are, the unique molecular construction that is us, is a reflection of the greater cosmos. In turn, the world mirrors/contains the same elements in different degrees. These elements are defined as the five Mahabhutas— earth, water, fire, air, and ether.
We are what we eat, and as we interact with the world around us, we are what we digest mentally, emotionally, and physically. Ayurveda brings principles, spices, and herbs into our diets so that we can assimilate the food we intake optimally to increase our vitality, health, and prana or lifeforce.
The schools of ayurveda and yoga are intrinsically connected. Both have a long history of lineages, roots in the Vedic texts, and specific practices leading up to the goal of Self-Realization. I always speak of ayurveda as the sister school of science to yoga – a path of diet and herbs and a journey of inner work through healing the subtle body and mind, paired with yogic meditation and pranayama.
I am passionate about bringing ayurvedic concepts to people so they can incorporate simple steps in their lives to feel clear, grounded, and focused. Ayurveda has helped me change my lifestyle and balance the flames often fanned by the distraction of our fast-paced world.
Apple Chip Recipe
I used apple chips to decorate my Holiday Yule Log dessert, and you can also use apple chips in salads, soups, as crackers, as a snack, or as a pretty, festive decoration inside or outside. My ten-year-old likes to dip them in honey! Pick any apples you like— for a sweeter taste; it would be a Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp, or for a more tart flavor; it would be a Granny Smith, Cortland, or Empire apple.
Ingredients
3 large apples- such as Gala or Honeycrisp (or any you like)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Method
Turn the oven to 200 F, and don’t be tempted to speed up the process by altering the oven temperature.
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- Slice apples as thin as possible (close to 1/8 inch; use a mandoline if you like).
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- Spread the apples in one layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet (you will probably need 2) and sprinkle with cinnamon.
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- Bake for 1 hour, then lovingly turn the apples over and bake for another hour.
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- Lastly, turn off the oven and let the apples cool before removing from the oven (if they don’t seem crunchy, leave them in the oven a bit longer, testing in 15-minute increments). Enjoy immediately and/or store in an airtight container.
With much love,
Helen
