Ayurveda for Modern Life

I liked reading the galley of this book because it focused on why and how to incorporate Ayurvedic eating into my current lifestyle. Rushton provided enough of what a person needs to know to get started eating this way rather than spending too much time on the history and spiritual aspects of food as the books on the subject I’ve tried reading before have done. Rather than making huge claims about what Ayurveda will do for those who practice it; she presented some of the basic benefits, told her story and encouraged readers to try small changes in their own eating habits at first and to observe the changes they see in the way they feel. She covered the doshas based on the physical and emotional characters of eaters, as well as the three tapas, (qualities of foods) and the seven tastes of food, and how to put them together. The fact that she made suggestions rather than establishing rigid rules, and encouraged taking baby steps rather than doing a radical overhaul made Ayurveda seem very relevant and doable. She included about 60 pages of recipes at the end, many of which were good for all dosha types. Her cardamom chia spice breakfast porridge was wonderful as was her millet and pear porridge. I marked several curry recipes to try and one for a slaw. By the time I finished the book I was eager to experiment with this new (for me) way of eating.

This books serves as a good introduction to the topic of Ayurveda. The focus on baby steps to see how the system works for the reader as an individual is partially refreshing in a landscape of these books typically handing out rigid rules that overwhelm ones first steps.

The writer sharing bits of their own life kept the text relatable throughout and did not overshadow what they were writing about. That said in the kindle format provided by my arc copy I was unable to fully appreciate the provided charts and believe it may work better for those reading physical copies.

I practise ayurbedic eating and have done for some months now. I already knew my dosha but this book gave me a good starting block on how to incorporate my new lifestyle into my old busy and erratic one. It helps to bring the two together and find a good balance between them. All the while teaching you new things about your dosha. Great for anyone starting out or wanting more information on doshas and balancing yourself.