During the recent years, Ayurvedic wisdom has been propagated by religious or sectarian gurus rather than by Vaidyas (traditional Ayurvedic physician), scholars and Indian women, who have kept the Ayurvedic tradition alive for thousands of years. Gurus tend to mould the Ayurvedic wisdom from scientific to sectarian. This book, written by a woman Ayurvedic scholar, who has also had Western education in medical sciences, is a valuable piece of work, as it puts forward the scientific aspect of Ayurveda in context of its food culture and preparations. It is a prime example of the integration of scientific values in Indian cultural tradition. The book highlights the rational basis of what we should eat, when, how and why. The book contains authentic Ayurvedic food culture and mode of preparation of various international recipes by applying Ayurvedic principles. Scriptural wisdom of Ayurveda does not tell you to give up your glass of wine or leave out your favourite dishes. The way to good health is not through insipid food, but to enjoy the colours and flavours of life and have sensuous fulfilment with various rasas (tastes) of the cosmos. The secret to good health lies in understanding the Ayurvedic food culture and following its Eight Golden Principles. The book teaches the art of preparing balanced and rejuvenating food by using different herbs and spice mixtures and by attaining the knowledge about their hot and cold nature. With appropriate knowledge of Ayurvedic food culture, one can enhance energy, immunity and vitality and above all can cure one's minor ailments. The Great Sanskrit scholar and an India's leading Pandit on Indian cultural tradition, Professor Dharmanand Sharma has described this book as follow: "Dr. Vinod Verma's book, which is based upon the ancient scientific principles of Ayurveda and is presenting modern methods of preparation is like a ray of hope in this age of darkness and confusion when our food is little better than poison. It is not only a recipe book but also describes the Ayurvedic food culture, which can help many people heal their digestion-related ailments. The use of modern equipments to shorten the time and systematic preparations of numerous spice combinations make the book a valuable gift to humanity. This book is a commendable and extraordinary attempt to present the ancient wisdom in a modern way for the benefit of humanity."
About the Author: Along with a doctorate degree in reproduction biology in India, Dr. Verma studied Neurobiology in Paris University and obtained a second doctorate. She pursued advanced research at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda (USA) and the Max-Planck Institute in Freiburg, Germany. At the peak of her career in medical research in a pharmaceutical company in Germany, she realised that the modern approach to health care is basically fragmented and non-holistic. Besides, we are directing all our efforts and resources to cure disease rather than maintaining health. In response, Dr. Verma founded The New Way Health Organisation (NOW) in 1986 to spread the message of holistic living, preventive methods for health care and to promote the use of mild medicine and various self-help therapeutic measures. Dr. Verma grew up with a strong familial tradition of Ayurveda with a grandmother who had enormous Ayurvedic wisdom and was a gifted healer. She has studied Ayurveda in the traditional Guru-shishya style with Acharya Priya Vrat Sharma of the Benares Hindu University for 23 years. Dr. Verma is an ardent researcher and is working hard to compile the living tradition of Ayurveda and spread it in the world through her books and other activities. She has published twenty three books on yoga, Ayurveda, Women and Companionship. The books are published in various languages of the world. Besides, she has published numerous scientific articles. Several other books are in preparation. She lectures extensively, teaches in Europe for several months a year, trains students at her two centres in India and gives radio and television programmes. A film on Ayurveda with her was made by German television in 1995 and was shown in 100 countries, in 130 languages. It was the first film on Ayurveda. Dr. Verma has founded Charaka School of Ayurveda to train interested people with genuine Ayurvedic education so that they can further impart the knowledge of Ayurvedic way of life and save people from becoming a victim of charlatanry in Ayurveda. She is doing several research projects on medicinal plants and their combination in the form of remedies. She is the founder and chairperson of The Ayurveda Health Organisation, which is a charitable trust for distributing and promoting Ayurvedic remedies and yoga therapy in rural areas of India. She lectures for school children in the rural and remote areas of the Himalayas to promote wisdom of traditional science and medicine.