Day 9: 🍃 Energy & Balance: The Harmony of Spices and Movement

🥦 Nutrition: Powerful greens to nourish deeply (spinach, moringa)

🏃 Ayurveda Element: A mindful start—gentle morning movement to cultivate awareness ✍️ Reflection: How does my mood shift after moving with presence?

Today, we begin with a nutrient-packed dish that’s both easy to make and full of Ayurvedic balance.

Zucchini, carrot, and spinach are gently cooked in ghee and warming spices, then infused with smoky salmon, rich in omega-3 and deep flavor.

For this recipe, I’ll follow portion sizes aligned with my daily calorie plan (created by a Nutritionist). The goal? To add taste to ingredients that can be challenging—like cooked spinach, often bitter on its own!

This way, you’ll see how much spice to use and in which combinations, so they harmonize rather than overpower.

Verdure speziate e salmone affumicato – Ayurveda in equilibrio

A comforting dish to balance Vata, nourish your body, and make even the bitterest greens delightfully flavorful!

🌧️ It’s a rainy, cool day at 1871m and this dish is perfect for warming spices, rich textures, and foods that ground Vata’s airy nature.

This dish harmonizes:

• Sweet, soft vegetables (zucchini, carrot, spinach)

• Spices to awaken digestion (ginger, turmeric, cumin)

• Omega-3 richness from smoky salmon. You can use fresh salmon too.

All cooked gently to preserve nutrients and transform flavors.

🛒 Ingredienti

✔️ 2 zucchine (thinly sliced)

✔️ 1 carota (julienne or coarsely grated)

✔️ 1 mazzo di spinaci (washed & roughly chopped)

✔️ 100gr salmone affumicato

✔️ 1 cucchiaio ghee (best for Vata)

✔️ ½ cucchiaino semi di cumino

✔️ ¼ cucchiaino semi di finocchio

✔️ 1 pizzico assafetida (hing) (optional, aids digestion)

✔️ ½ cucchiaino curcuma

✔️ ½ cucchiaino zenzero (powder or fresh)

✔️ 1 pizzico cannella o noce moscata (optional, soothing for Vata)

✔️ Sale rosa q.b.

✔️ Acqua calda q.b. for cooking

Facoltativo: 💦 A squeeze of lemon or amchoor powder at the end for a fresh digestive boost

🔥 Procedimento

1️⃣ Heat ghee in a pan, adding cumin & fennel seeds until aromatic.

2️⃣ Add carrot & zucchini, cooking gently for 5 min.

3️⃣ Stir in spinach, turmeric, ginger, salt, and a splash of warm water. Cover.

4️⃣ Add smoked salmon (even frozen works!). Let it melt into the dish, infusing flavor. 5-7 min.

5️⃣ Turn off the heat and add lemon or amchoor for brightness.

6️⃣ Finish with a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg for warmth.

Serve hot, alongside a cup of ginger & fennel tea to support digestion.

💡 Ayurvedic Tip: If smoked salmon feels too heavy, briefly steam it before adding.

⚠️ Don’t sauté salmon first! It might turn salty or rubbery.

If I don't have Hing in the house? What is the alternative? Can I use Amchoor (Mango Powder)?

🔀 Alternative to Hing: Use fennel seeds + fresh ginger + a squeeze of lime/lemon at the end!

Hing vs. Amchoor: Spice Secrets

🌿 Are they interchangeable? Not exactly! But if hing isn’t available, amchoor adds a fresh tang at the end of cooking.

Spice	Flavor	Effect on Vata	Purpose
Hing	Pungent, sulfury	Strongly pacifies	Reduces bloating & boosts digestion
Amchoor	Tart, fruity	Mildly pacifies	Adds acidity & balances Kapha

🏋️ The Art of Movement – Joint Awareness

In Day One of "The Challange" we talked about:

🏋️ EXERCISE: Instead of exhausting workouts, I’ll simplify movement by focusing on joint rotation, like great yoga teachers say:

👉 Ponder – "Where does movement come from?"

I answered: "When I move my wrist and close my eyes, I see that the movement actually comes from the shoulder. When I move my elbow and close my eyes, I see that the movement comes from the SHOULDERS too! When I move my ankles and knees, the movement comes....."

Try this:

When I close my eyes and I move my ankles in circular motion and my knees in circular motion, where the movement comes from?

• Change Image

  Knee
• Change Image

  Inner Hip Joins
• Change Image

  Ankle

Tag me in comment section below, @adyaym, and write "ANSWER" to get the answer.

💡 Today, we concentrate on our neck.

Neck Joint Rotation - Why Slow

Slow, deliberate movements help engage muscles safely without strain.

🔍 Now, check your hips:

✔️ Are they supported by a blanket or pillow, keeping them higher than your knees?

✔️ If not, take a moment to align your back, neck, and head in one straight line.

Start!

🔗 If you want to do it together, play the video below

Joint and Glands - Neck Rotation

📝 Reflection Journal - Write it down

• How does moving with awareness shift my mood?

• Which body part feels tense or sore?

• How long can I sit comfortably before shifting?

  
  

This is your journey too, and I love being part of it!

🌱 Let’s keep refining, playing, and deepening awareness. ✨

Drop me a message, @adyaym on IG, FB, TikTok, telling me your improvements and difficulties.