If you want to feel better all day, eat a breakfast that brings balance.
When you wake up in the morning, agni, digestive fire is low. Just like a fire that has burned down to embers, you must stoke agni gently to ensure its steady strength all day long. When the flames are stable, you will be better able to digest what you eat and experience with ease.
Breakfast means to break the fast, and it’s important to do so with care. The traditional Western fare of bacon, toast and eggs are heavy and hard to digest, weakening agni by expending too much of its limited energy first thing in the morning. This affects your digestion for the rest of the day, and, over time, causes imbalance that will lead to disease. Opt for a simple and nourishing meal at the beginning of your day instead. One of our favorite is steamed bananas.
Lightly steaming bananas with a bit of oil and a few spices wakes up their prana, counters their astringency and makes them easier on agni. A sprinkle of mineral salt in the steam water brings in the salty taste, reducing cravings and supporting digestion all day.
This is the perfect recipe to use whenever you have very ripe bananas. Steaming them in their skin balances the overripe sweetness and saves them from the compost bin. When you taste how delicious these are, you’ll never toss aside your brown bananas again.
If you’re used to a heavier breakfast, you might be skeptical that such light fare will sustain you until lunch. But try it once or twice a week and see how you feel. You might be surprised at what a difference this kind of breakfast makes in balancing your appetite and boosting your energy levels all day long.
Enjoy steamed bananas as a breakfast on their own, or eat them with one or two other types of fruit. Since fruit digests quite quickly, you’ll feel best if you eat steamed bananas without grain, nuts, dairy or other types of food.
Simple Ayurvedic Recipe: Steamed bananas
Augmenting
Serves four (six pieces per person)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
You'll need
Bananas (the exact number of whole bananas depends on their size. You’ll want enough to get 24 two-inch pieces)
1 tsp. coconut oil or ghee
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
Sprinkle of mineral salt
Water
Here's how
Leave the bananas in their skin and chop them into two-inch pieces. Slice the tips off either end to create a small opening.
Add water to just cover the bottom of a large pan with a lid. Add the oil and spices and bring to a simmer. Add the bananas, cover and steam for 1 to 2 minutes on medium-low heat, just until they change color slightly. Serve warm.
Visit our Ayurveda Lifestyle page for kitchen essentials