Being of Indian descent, Ayurveda (which follows a lineage of basic philosophies and principles) has been a practice and lifestyle throughout my upbringing. As with any practice, I believe that many Ayurvedic health theories have some truth to them, and others don’t.

Ay-ur-veda, which consists of two Sanskrit words, Ayur meaning ‘Life’ and Veda meaning ‘Knowledge,’ is a balance of living – and having – through ‘Life Knowledge.’ In contrast, when we separate our life into categories, we create duality and don’t always see how actions are going to affect other areas in our life; we don’t look at the heart of the matter, and in turn, don’t live in the present moment. The latter tends to exist more often than not.

When it comes to food and nutrition, let’s go back to the basics. What you are about to read will not come as a surprise to you, as we already know what is good or bad for us. So, why do we see it as being so hard? Why are we programmed the way we are? Why do we not lead a life of consciousness? It seems that we nourish ourselves by default, doing those things that really do not serve us. We do not always admit to our own actions, nor do we put our own integrity first.

Every day is a new day; you can start anything you want, today! One of those steps could be to accept that you are choosing your experience, and to take responsibility for what you are experiencing. We all make detours along our amazing journey; we learn, we laugh, we love. Those are just some of the things that we do so naturally. Our gift is to do these things in balance and harmony – to fight our own inner demons and know that these basic Ayurvedic principles do work.

So, whether you want to improve your body image,or gain a clearer perspective in your life’s purpose, here are six of the most important steps you can take to find a happier, healthier you when it comes to food:

Eat only when you are hungry, I mean ‘really hungry.’
Do not eat incompatible food items together.
Eat in a calm and comfortable place, by eliminating all distractions and “be present” when you eat; enjoy the experience of eating.
Eat at regular times.
Be curious (No, it did not kill the cat).
Lastly, be compassionate, kind and gentle to yourself when it comes to food.

I do believe that I have been very blessed with my heritage and my life. People often ask me, ‘Why are you so happy?’ or tell me, ‘You radiate a beautiful, glowing energy; how can I experience this, too?’ All I can say is this life is a journey; there is no final destination. I can be anything I want to be, and I choose to be Happy, in Love and Present in this moment. I invite you to do the same. Namaste.

Dipika Patel, the “Queen of Nutrition,” is a certified Holistic Health Practitioner, Intuitive Healer, AromaTouch Therapist, Reiki Master, Chef and Cookery Teacher. She can be reached at [email protected] or (760) 821.3119.