Ayurveda invites us to incorporate specific principles into postpartum foods to help pacify vata. It also encourages us to examine the six tastes of Ayurveda (see blog post HERE), and nourish our bodies with tastes that help create more earth, fire and water in the postpartum window. Below we dive deeper into the 8 Ayurvedic principles of postpartum care.
1. Warm - Agni (our digestive fire) tends to burn brightly when we consume warmer foods rather than colder foods. Warmth also invites a sense of feeling nurtured, and helps pacify elevated vata.
2. Delicious - We are typically more inspired to eat when what we are eating tastes excites our taste buds. We are also more likely to feel satisfied after a meal.
3. Moist - Avoiding dry foods will not only help pacify elevated vata, it will also increase ease with digestion.
4. Light - Joy and positive thoughts are often more accessible when we eat lighter meals. Rather than enjoying a smaller meal that might leave one feeling heavy, opt for a larger, lighter meal that will help one feel satiated longer, and support optimal digestion.
5. Simple - Welcoming a new baby into the family comes with its own complexities. Preparing and enjoying simple meals can create a sense of ease, peace and unity.
6. Recognizable - When we get to eat foods we know and love, we invite joy and delight into our experience with foods. Trying new foods can be fun, although we run the risk of not enjoying the food during a sacred time when ideally the birthing person feels inspired and fulfilled.
7. Beautiful - A lovely looking dish tends to be more alluring than one that is not. When we consume something beautiful, whether food, images, words, we invite more beauty into our being. Keep the beauty simple with an herb for garnish, a lone flower on a serving tray, or using a favorite bowl or mug.
8. Prepared with Love - There is truly something sacred about a meal that has been crafted by the hands of people with love in their hearts. Preparing food with deliberation and care elevates the human experience surrounding meals.
Comment below with your favorite meals inspired from these postpartum nourishment principles!
Blog post published by Christine Anderson of Woven Postpartum.