Eat Feel Fresh: A Contemporary, Plant-Based Ayurvedic Cookbook

I'm not even sure how I came across this book because I have never heard of her but I am so glad I did. I have studied Ayurveda casually for decades and find it wonderfully adaptable and definitely life-changing, but the traditional suggestions for an Ayurvedic diet were so heavy on dairy and grains I always found that element to be out of touch. Like the author, I was once a raw vegan for a long time and it was helpful initially, since I'm a Pitta and lived in a hot dry climate, but over time it just weakened my digestion and of course, disaster ensued. I experimented a lot over the years with various ways of eating and food prep and recently realized that for my best health it's all about alkalinity and avoiding inflammation. That's honestly something everyone could benefit from but I'll stick to my own story for the sake of objectivity and authenticity.First, I am struck by how beautiful this book is. As a lifelong bibliophile I loathe paperbacks and was delighted to see this as a hardcover book and quite affordable. The pages are a heavy duty matte finish, which is lovely to the touch and will no doubt prove more durable with frequent use over time. The aesthetic value of this book cannot be overstated, either. Even the layout and presentation of the text only pages is lovely and makes it all easy to skim or flip through for specific information, though this book is a treasure trove of useful and applicable information so you'll want to read it cover to cover.The recipes are lovely and very straightforward. There is some initial investment in some things you might not have on hand (like Ashwaganda or Shatavari) but they are not expensive and can be easily obtained online or at health food stores and it is well worth the adaptation. These are meals, snacks and beverages which are meant to be pleasing to the palate, easy to create and deeply healing. I absolutely love that. As she comes from a raw food background as well, this is the first Ayurvedic book I have seen which addresses that and makes room for including that in your life. You don't have to be fully raw to benefit from those foods and you don't have to give up all raw foods to incorporate Ayurveda into your life. I personally find that during the hot summer months, including more cooling raw dishes is the perfect path to keeping my fiery, acidic Pitta constitution happy but during the cold winter months I limit uncooked foods to some fresh fruits and creative salads with healing homemade dressings. So you can see that Ayurveda is also quite intuitive and remarkably easy to adapt to your body type (dosha), climate, season, age and current state of health and this book will make it very easy for anyone, even someone totally new to Ayurveda, to flow with this ancient way of living which offers so much timeless wisdom.As a 30+ year yoga practitioner (and 13+ year teacher) who has been fascinated by Ayurveda as a sister science for a long time, I find this beautiful, lovingly-created book to be an invaluable resource. I offer my deepest gratitude to Sahara Rose for the passion and creativity she poured into this offering.

I have purchased a few Ayurvedic cookbooks, and have mixed reviews, but generally they can be rather complex from their tone to their recipes so that becomes off putting.But this book: Eat, Feel, Fresh is remarkable in its simplicity making understand of and cooking with Ayurvedic principles easy and doable.The book is well written, filled with stunning photography and serves are both a guide to Ayurveda and a cook book beginning with some useful resources including a guide to Ayurveda, a resource to discovering your Dosha which is important as each one - Vata, Pitta or Kapha, tends to tie into how and what you should eat. This is followed by a guide to how to eat the Ayurvedic way and the basics to stocking your kitchen to prepare for the recipes that follow.The recipe section is divided into 6 district chapters: Breakfast (for your Dosha), Six taste bowls. Tridoshic dinners, snacks and sides; Desserts and potions such as golden milk or green juice. I particularly love the section on the bowls as after a day at work this is an easy way to throw together a dish that is high in nutrients and quick in prep time. I also really like that fact that these serve one, as you can make as few or many as you want following the basic template. The Thai one is amazing with the warm peanut sauce and uses easy to source ingredients. I am excited to try the Tempeh Tikka next as Tikka was one of my favorite dished growing up in the UK but always with chicken, so this way I get to try a vegan version.Another stand out are the dips - how many vegan books have the same old Guac or plain hummus (which is not exactly "new" ) but this one has Tandoori Cauliflower dip, ginger edamame hummus and avocado tahini dip...excited for these new options. There are also some lovely dished that will lend well to Fall / Winter like a vegan version of Shepherds Pie; the traditional Kitchari which I have made many times but this book offers versions tailored to your Dosha with different additions such as Kale or squash; and some great soups and curries. The desserts also look amazing and different such as Chocolate Bark made with chickpeas and a version of peanut butter cups made with Chai or "Golden Mylk" .On a great note, there is not a call for crazy, complex indients - so a trip to any grocery store will do. And the recipes are easy to follow, which means I will use them time and time again as the one thing I never have enough of is time and hours in the kitchen is not for me.In short, this book makes Ayurvedic cooking easy ,simple to follow, delicious and yes, contemporary. The best Ayurvedic book I own!

I have read many books on Ayurveda but this one is my favourite by far! Although it doesn’t go super deep into Ayurvedic philosophy it gives you the essence of it in a beautiful and easy to understand way. After that she has wonderful recipes with pictures that pop off the page and actually inspire you to make them. Many Ayurvedic books are great but they have you searching everywhere to find the right foods and taste that go together. Sahara has done a wonderful job at taking out all the complexities of this, making it so easy to eat in an Ayurvedic way. She also is mixing Ayurveda with a modern day approach creating meals that have flavours from all over the world instead of sticking to the native foods in India, making this book more practical for all! On top of this, she makes Ayurveda modern by altering her recommendations for this day and age. One example of many is now she is recommending mushrooms as modern research has discovered the many medicinal benefits of them, in traditional Ayurveda they didn’t recommend mushrooms as many that were picked back then were posinous! The changes like this are necessary for bringing Ayurveda to the 21st century and for bringing Ayurveda to all! We are truly blessed to have Sahara make this book, and on top of this, it is probably the most beautiful book I have ever bought! This books seems to be a labour a love and I have nothing but love for this book and everyone I show it to seems to say the same!

I am overjoyed with this cookbook. The recipes are not complicated, and I was able to find all the ingredients at my local Indian grocery store in Europe. Sahara Rose Ketabi is steeped in knowledge that she imparts in an easy to understand way. I am completely new to Ayurveda and after eating for my dosha for only a week, my digestive issues have cleared up. But the best part IMO is how gorgeous the book is, and how wonderful the matte pages inside feel. Also the size and weight. It's not too big or heavy. It's absolutely perfect. The pages are beautifully illustrated and colorful with fantastic photos of the food. I cannot recommend this enough, it's my #1 favorite cookbook!

The book is very interesting and informative, as well as colorful. I have tried a good amount of the recipes and overall it tastes good. I have noticed that some of her measurements are off. For example, I follow it precisely but noticed some things are not mixed how it should be (ex: maybe too watery). Also, I have not noticed any evidence that Ayurveda works, just that it tastes good. I made a Moroccan recipe, then went to Morocco a month later and it tasted almost nothing like the country, like way, way, way off. But she does mention that this is her own spin on things. So overall I liked the book for taste and fun but not sure how accurate it was.

Libro molto interessante ricco non solo di ricette ma di informazioni sull'Ayurveda. Molto bello anche esteticamente

I understood myself much better than I thought I do. I resonated with each and every word of this book. I used to think eating raw vegetables will solve all issues I have with my digestion and overall health. But when I used to follow that diet I used to start looking malnutritioned and loose excess fat. I was just racing against the waves. Never knew what exactly my body needed. Unhealthy eating patterns was a norm.I felt every page speaking to me like “hey, that’s how it is and that’s how you can heal”.Can’t thank enough, Sahara Rose for existing and sharing her ancient wisdom with us. I believe whoever finds this book be transformed into her highest self ✨