APPLES AND PEARS MATE
It’s definitely Autumn when not only do you have to put your coat on for the first time in months when leaving your house in the morning, but also if the apple and pear trees in your local area (if you’re fortunate enough to have them), start dropping their fruit!
Contrary to popular opinion, in Ayurveda an apple a day does not keep the doctor away. Instead, during this season of change, a bowl of stewed apple might just do the trick. Cooked apple has grounding, nourishing properties which- as previously discussed- are so important for us at this time of year. Cooked apple quenches thirst, warms the tummy and relieves tension as well as moistening, detoxing and cleansing the entire digestive tract. This helps to get rid of anything lingering from the Summer time inside, leaving your body fresh and clean for the new season. Stewed apple leaves the blood and the colon cleansed, with its sweet and sour taste putting a smile on our faces. Stewed apple is seen as tridoshic (it balances Kapha, Pitta and Vata doshas) and is therefore a bit of a winner all round really. Those with a Kapha imbalance would do well to have stewed apple for their breakfast if losing weight is something that is desired.
I like pairing my stewed apple with cinnamon and cardamom just to give it that extra depth of flavour as well as a richer brown colour. These warming spices aid digestion and delight the senses simultaneously. Adding pears into the mix at this time of year is great for those who suffer with high Pitta symptoms (which have usually been aggravated over the Summer months) such as inflammation, irritability, heat rashes, hyperacidity and so on. Again, to ensure that pears don’t increase Vata, it’s important that they are cooked first. Raw apples and pears can be cold and drying which are qualities we have enough of during the Autumn. One other Ayurvedic ‘rule’ to keep in mind is that fruit should be eaten alone- so, not to be eaten with custard, as hard as that may seem at first! Experimenting with warming spices, a drizzle of honey or a dash of coconut sugar here may help die-hard custard, yoghurt or ice-cream fans get a handle on this very British of desires!