Laura Dean Bennett
Staff Writer
Westerners have become more familiar with Chinese medicine in recent years.
West Virginians, in particular, have long understood the value of medicinal plants in the Eastern medicine tradition because of the market for medicinal plants which grow here, such as ginseng, goldenseal, cohosh and ramps.
But before Chinese medicine, there was Ayurveda, the 8,000 year old system of medicine which originated in ancient India.
The word Ayurveda (eye-ur-vay-da) comes from the Sanskrit language and means “wisdom of long life.”
It is a complete roadmap to a balanced, healthy lifestyle and is still practiced around the world today because it provides solutions to modern dilemmas about lifestyle and diet.
As chronic disease continues to increase around the globe, Ayurveda is gaining popularity as more people seek answers and alternatives to what is making us unwell.
Dr. Julie Hare, M.D., has come into contact with many local patients and their health problems through her work at Pocahontas Memorial Hospital’s Rural Health Clinic.
She and Kristy Lanier, owner and chef of the DirtBean café in Marlinton, have teamed up to present a series of Ayurveda-based dinners and discussions about this ancient tradition.
“Kristy and I are both educated in core Ayurvedic principles and both of us have been extensively treated in the Ayurvedic medical system,” Hare said.
“We’ve both experienced the same profound positive effect that Ayurveda has had on our lives.
“When I tell people that Ayurveda saved my life, it is no exaggeration,’ Hare insisted.
The core of Ayurvedic practice is “right diet” and “right lifestyle.”
Ayurveda uses herbs and a form of acupuncture, just like traditional Chinese medicine.
It also employs regular detoxification methods as its most powerful tool.
However, none of these advanced approaches works well if a person is eating and living incorrectly.
There is an Ayurvedic saying, “When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use, when diet is right medicine is of no need,” Hare continued.
“The purpose of our Ayurveda Nights is to share a little of this wisdom,’ she said.
As everyone knows, it is one thing to read something, and another to directly experience it.
Many of us believe that in order to eat healthy we have to spend a lot of money, but Hare disagrees.
“We want to demonstrate that fallacy, as well as bring some deeper knowledge and awareness about how Ayurveda frames healthy eating,” she added.
The dinners will take place at DirtBean on Second Avenue in Marlinton.
The meals will be prepared by Lanier, and anyone who has eaten her cooking at the DirtBean can tell you that Lanier knows her way around the kitchen.
“I’ve always served healthy, fresh food at the DirtBean,” Lanier said.
“I’ve been incorporating Ayurveda principles in my cooking for some time now, and I’m pleased that my customers seem to enjoy it.”
Lanier and Hare will host three dinners in all, with the first one to be held on Saturday evening, January 27.
Lanier’s Ayurveda-conscious meal will be served at 5:30 p.m., and will be followed by an interactive discussion, centered on a specific Ayurveda principle, will be led by Dr. Hare, beginning at 6:30.
The first Ayurveda dinner will offer a vegan dinner menu featuring allergy and gluten free options, braised root vegetables, barley oat biscuits with chutney, soup, dessert and tea.
The price for a tasting portion will be $12. For a complete dinner, the cost will be $20.
The overall focus will be on serving guests delicious, healthy food and providing guests with a fun and educational evening.
“Ayurveda principles are easy to understand but sometimes feel brand new,” Hare explained. “It’s simply a different way to look at our world, our food and our health.
“Food is the most powerful tool we have in pursuit of a long healthy life and to combat disease,” she continued.
“Kristy and I are looking forward to introducing our guests to Ayurveda. We’re looking forward to introducing its principles to everyone. It’s important, because food truly is our most precious medicine,” she added.
Especially as we begin a new year, now may be a good time to discover how to stave off disease and live longer, healthier lives.
If we can do that with a healthier, Ayurveda-based diet, I say, bon appetite!
You can follow Dr. Julie Hare at AlleghenyIntegratedMedicine.com and Kristy Lanier/The DirtBean on Facebook.