The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen : Finding Harmony Through Food

Ayurveda is a holistic healing system developed in ancient India to increase an understanding of the human body, mind, and spirit. It organizes the elements of ether, air, fire, water, and earth into the body types, or doshas, and even though each person is unique, one of the e doshas will predominate their constitution and will need to be balanced on a regular basi.

Dairy products are important foods in traditional ayurveda; however for every milk-based food that ayurvedic healers revere, there is a equally effective whole-food, vegan alternative. The Ayurvedic Vega Kitchen follows the same nutritional principles as traditional ayurved and is an exceptional educational resource for people who wish to practice an ayurvedic diet without the u e of animal products.

Over 120 delicious recipes provide healing flavors and harmony to the mind and spirit. Notation on each recipe page show how the unique chemistry of that recipe can be used to balance the body's constitution.

Talya Lutzker is certified ayurvedic practitioner, certified massage practitioner, yoga teacher, professional chef, and the founder of Talya' Kitchen, an organic, nutrition-focused catering business. specializing in ayurveda ince 2003, Talya offers personalized nutrition consultations, personal chef services, catering, natural food store tours, ayurvedic massage, pancha karma, and yoga classes.

I met Talya at the Health and Harmony Festival, where I had a booth to introduce myself as a teacher of Tibetan and ayurvedic medicine and founder of the dhyana Center of Health Sciences. Talya came to my booth for support with her health. I thought, "Here's an inquisitive woman with a lust for life." It was clear that she had a lot of knowledge and a deep willingness to make changes in her life. I consulted with her, read her pulse, suggested some medicinal foods and remedies, and we discussed emotional patterns in relation to health-all according to ayurvedic philosophy.

Eleven years later, I am grateful for all the time we have spent together and for Talya's support through changes in my own health, as well as her vast knowledge of yoga. She loves to share her knowledge and experience with many people; she brought her mom to the dhyana Center (three hours from home) for treatments and always made time to ask questions for others.

In 2002, Talya began studying in my certification programs, including Clinical Foundations of Ayurveda, Aromatherapy, and Ayurvedic Whole Food Nutrition. I knew ayurveda would serve her life path because she has the ability to feel it in her heart, as well as the intellect to see it as a science. Even as a student, she was testing and documenting recipes, finding ways to cook medicinally to support health, and making sure everything tasted like pure love and devotion.

Once Talya was certified as an ayurvedic practitioner, she dove into her clinical internship, consulting with clients. In the years that followed, she refined her skills in pulse assessment, ayurvedic bodywork, and pancho karma techniques. She recognized that her passion lay in ayurvedic whole-food nutrition, and she rightly made this her life's focus. Talya was the first ayurvedic chef at the dhyana Center, and she has been developing her talents ever since. She dedicated her time to cooking beautiful meals for clients in pancha karma retreats, creating menus for each individual's needs, providing ayurvedic catering options, and teaching ayurvedic cooking classes. She's an avid researcher who checks out every detail of a recipe and learns what each individual client needs for his constitution. Talya's great-tasting recipes have earned her quite the reputation. I am sure this is why we sell so many of her books at the dhyana Center.