AYURVEDA PERSPECTIVE ON FOOD IS ROMANTIC / PASSIONATE

A general lack of enthusiasm and zest in your life can cause you to seek food as a source of romance and passion. You might feel uninspired by your home environment, or bored with your job, and feel the need to jazz up your food as a result. And while the joy of eating can certainly can be a passionate affair, relying on food for passion could have negative health consequences. Jazzy food tends in the direction of stimulating, spicy, sour, and eaten in larger quantities than recommended. If you rely on food as a way to cultivate passion in your life, you may be over stimulating your digestive tract. Many people are already overstimulated by their environment, and the heat of spices and their sourness could aggravate internal pitta related conditions.

I remember the first time I ate a chili pepper, which was at a Thai restaurant. It was so sharp and hot, that it burned my insides for days. Many years and chili peppers later, I find my tolerance for chilis has increased. Along the way, even the spices which were so exotic and sensual seemed to lose the depth, flavor and richness they once had. So I had to take a break for a while, and give my intestines a chance to rest as well.

Now, I still indulge my passion for food on special occasions, but it is the rarity that heightens the experience and romance of the food. Meanwhile, I have had a chance to develop other artistic pursuits, which don't involve ingesting, absorbing, and changing my blood chemistry through food. As pleasurable as food is, the real meaning of the food is its ability to nourish you. Using it to substantially fill some other purpose could distort natural healthy cravings..