Holisitic Cassandra News

Food–ah, there is much enjoyment in cooking and eating fine food. I come from a family of Italian lineage and food holds a certain significance and joy for us all. Eating well– eating fresh, beautifully prepared food– has been the norm for much of my life.

I believe I have a pretty healthy relationship to food, having established good eating habits from my early childhood. My father taught my sister and I to eat well and exercise as we were growing up. Every year, my father’s garden was filled with delights– corn, zucchini, tomatoes, basil, cabbage, kale, garlic, string beans, beets, melons. Also, the fact that my father was a fruit farmer for much of his life certainly helped foster my love and appreciation, and, of course, access to the freshest, most luscious produce imaginable. Every summer, I would gorge myself on fresh peaches, nectarines, cherries, and berries.

Not to mention, my mother is a brilliant cook who has always enjoyed (and continues to enjoy) making beautiful culinary creations. This is part of her personal heritage and upbringing, having a mother who was born in Italy and learned from a very early age to cook splendid, simple meals with the freshest of ingredients. My mother carries on this tradition in a way that is really quite conscious and healthful– but certainly not fanatical- never sacrificing taste for healthy options- yet never overindulging tastes to the point of unhealthful eating…. a perfect, simple balance, you could say.

Throughout my twenties, I began experimenting with cooking and learning about what food choices worked best for me and my lifestyle. I cooked primarily vegetarian for years – and would eat chicken and fish on occasion. It made sense for me at the time– I wanted to eat consciously and cook cleanly and simply. Eating a sattvic, vegetarian diet was congruent as I pursued my yogic path. A few years ago, I had fun with the raw food craze- buying a dehydrator and “cooking” my own raw concoctions– granola, vegetable crackers, dried fruits and nuts. It was labor intensive and rewarding– I enjoyed the awareness of preparing food in this way and believed I was taking very good care of my self. As I continued eating mostly raw, however, I sensed that my energy level was somewhat depleted , my digestion slow, and my overall sense of vitality felt compromised.

I began to explore Ayurvedic nutrition for some answers. I became very interested in this ancient system of health and self-care which seemed to make sense to me on a very common-sense level. Learning about my dosha, or personal constitution, I found that eating raw was not the best option for me– I need more grounding, warming foods….. I could really benefit, I learned, from adding meat to my diet — as a matter of fact, I needed meat to fully nourish and maintain balance to my overall being. I began experimenting here and there- on a very small scale….

Fast forward a few years to today…. I am in a relationship with a man who definitely appreciates the nourishment of meat…… Would you believe– I just finished a beautiful, thoughtful, aromatic (and romantic) dinner of leg of lamb (butterflied with parsley, garlic, rosemary, and lemon zest) , basmati rice, grilled asparagus, and some other gorgeously sauteed farmer’s market green — the name of which escapes my mind right now.

I feel satisfied, nourished, and only a little bit, guilty…… Well, no– not really guilty— For me, I know I am practicing self-care and healing– achieving optimal energy through a conscious, healthy diet. When I eat meat, I make certain it is from a reputable, caring and healthful source– local, organic, hormone and antibiotic free and/or sustainable. I buy from Fleischer’s Butcher in uptown Kingston (my apartment- is directly across the street)…. Their products are all local and organic and compassionately raised. I am a conscious consumer here as with other aspects of my diet– and feel that this is what my body needs from time to time. I am convinced that chemically processed, factory-sourced or “farmed” meats as well as high-fat meats are definitely best to be avoided.

Ayurvedically speaking, I am vata/pitta by my doshic nature. The vata aspect of my constitution needs animal protein to build muscle and maintain tissue mass. I have energy, feel strong and pretty efficient in my overall functioning when I eat according to this diet. My pitta aspect could survive with a mere addition of some white chicken breast. I am finding, however, that organic lamb is really a good choice— it is lean, full of flavor, and has low acidity as a protein– ultimately, it does not conflict even with my fiery pitta nature.

I work on balancing my diet and trusting my intuition or “natural intelligence” of my body– most of the time I get it right and know that I am giving my body what it needs to feel vital and strong. When I don’t, I trust that I can make reasonable modifications at my next meal or two to even at the score! Moderation( balanced action) is a realistic approach as well as the most life-affirming, I find, at least for me.

Enjoying food, not limiting myself with any overly restrictive diet or guidelines — makes sense to me not only in terms of working toward a life of balance but also seems to honor my natural (familial) propensity to appreciate food at its best….

Can I continue to be on my spiritual path and eat meat from time to time? I believe the answer here is “yes”…. I am practicing self-care which is one of the main tenets I teach my clients. I continue to be conscious and mindful in my choices. As a yogi, I work towards practicing ahimsa (nonviolence) toward my self and others. I believe that my appreciation, awareness, and gratitude for what nourishes me — whether it is meat, vegetable, or mineral– is a practice of compassion, kindness, ad self-love and care.

And, I must admit, I find comfort and pleasure in knowing that even the Dalai Lama began to eat meat at the advice of his doctor because his vegetarian diet was not fueling him properly. Who would have guessed it? I suppose each of us needs to live and move toward clarity– discovering what works best for us, without judgment but rather with curiosity, compassion and full self-acceptance.