Ayurveda is a holistic healing system developed in ancient India to increase an under-standing of the human body, mind, and spirit. It organizes the elements of ether, air, fire, water, and earth into three body types, or doshas, and even though each person is unique, one of these doshas will predominate their constitution and will need to be bal-anced on a regular basis. Dairy products are important foods in traditional ayurveda; however, for every milk-based food that ayurvedic healers revere, there is an equally effective whole-food, vegan alternative. The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen follows the same nutritional principles as traditional ayurveda and is an exceptional educational resource for people who wish to practice an ayurvedic diet without the use of animal products. Over 120 delicious recipes provide healing flavors and harmony to the mind and spirit. Notations on each recipe page show how the unique chemistry of that recipe can be used to balance the body’s constitution. Ayurveda is one of the oldest documented sciences, originating approximately 5,000 years ago in exotic, colourful India. It's been documented and perfected by ayurvedic experts since its humble beginnings, and is a science so vast it could take lifetimes to absorb all the knowledge and universal understanding it has to offer. Humans experience the gunas through the five sensesñsound, touch, sight, taste, and smell-which are extensions of the five elements-ether, air, fire, water, and earth. According to ayurveda, the five elements are the building blocks of life. Ayurveda organizes them into three doshas or body types: vata (air and ether), pitta (fire and water), and kapha (water and earth). Doshas are, essentially, the language of ayurvedic medicine. This cookbook will help you determine which dosha predominates in your body, which foods will keep it in balance, and which you should probably avoid, plus recipes that will make it easy to achieve balance and stay there. Each recipe is coded so you can tell at a glance which ones increase, decrease, or balance a dosha. Vegan ayurveda follows the same nutritional principles of health and balance as traditional ayurveda, but without the use of animal products. This is a significant difference, since cow's milk is worshipped in India, where it is considered the most complete and sattvic food in tradition ayurvedic medicine. However, for every milk-based food that traditional ayurveda reverses, there is a more than adequate, whole-food vegan alternative that will have a similar effect on your dosha. For example, vegan ayurveda replaces milk, butter, buttermilk, yogurt, and ghee (clarified butter) with equally nourishing foods, such as coconuts, avocados, raw almonds, coconut juice, and raw tahini. Honey, an animal product that is considered a staple of traditional ayurvedic medicine, is substituted with brown rice syrup, dates, frozen fruit juice concentrate, and other natural, plant-based sweeteners. Plant-based foods can reverse such medical issues as high cholesterol and high blood sugar. Lactose-intolerant individuals find a great deal of relief when following a vegan diet. Pitta and kapha types tend to feel less sluggish and less toxic on a vegan diet. You will find that your digestion and elimination improves without the heavy, mucous-forming properties of animal products (honey excluded). It can help you keep a natural, healthy body weight and add more energy and vitality to your life.