Carrot Bread for Vata Season

Non-stop busy days?

Rushing from one place to the next?

Offering support to the people in your life?

Not a lot of time left for yourself or to b r e a t h ?

I feel you.

Late fall/winter is the season of Vata (take your dosha quiz and read more on ayurvedic healing here). This season brings out qualities such as cold, dry, airy, clear, and moving. Change is in the wind, transformational shifts can occur.

When an excess of the aforementioned qualities are present, we can begin to feel out of balance. This might show up in the way of insomnia, dry skin, constipation, anxiety or depression. So how do you get yourself back into balance in the midst of this bustling season?

Balance/Pacify Vata

• Eat warm foods, fresh, well-cooked foods. Avoid cold salads, dry, and uncooked foods. To pacify the qualities of cold, dry, and airy, eat foods that oppose these qualities; think warm, thick, liquid qualities.
• Drink warm water or tea throughout the day to stay hydrated. I like to slice fresh ginger rounds, toss them into a mug with cardamom pods, pour some hot water over the top and let it steep for a few minutes. These spices have a warming effect on the body too!
• Eat more foods with sweet, sour, or salty properties, less astringent, bitter, and pungent foods. Does this make that bucket of Halloween candy free game? Probs not.
• Be at peace with eating a little bit more. Instinctively, this is our body's time to store fat for the cold winter ahead, to choose more hearty foods. Work with nature rather than against. Eat in moderation, honor your body by honoring the food you take into it and the energy that it provides you.

This bread is adapted from the Xinalani Retreat, a yoga retreat center in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This recipe was featured in Yoga Journal Magazine a few years ago. This remains to be my favorite recipe for cakebread. Think like zucchini or banana bread, but with carrots Studded beautifully with pecans and raisins.

 

I've been making this bread regularly this season. I'll make a full loaf, take half for my long weekends of yoga teacher training, and freezing the other half for later use. This bread make a fantastic, easily packed snack. Warm a slice with a smear of ghee or coconut oil for breakfast, serve with some fresh fruit. Sometimes I'll crumble it over Greek yogurt with extra raisins and pecans. Ah-mazing!

This is also a fabulous base recipe that you can further adapt. Sometimes I'll omit the turmeric and sub in zucchini, walnuts, and currants for carrot, pecans, and raisins. Try any combination that strikes you!

Carrot Bread makes 1 standard loaf, 10 slices

pecans, raisins, coconut oil, turmeric

• 2.5 cups spelt or other whole grain flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup raw cane sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
•  1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk of your choice

Method

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and lightly grease a standard 9-inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, turmeric, baking soda, and sea salt.

In a large bowl, mix shredded carrots, eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. Fold dry ingredients into wet until well blended. Gently fold in pecans, raisins, and milk. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted through the middle comes out clean.

Enjoy this bread with a strong cup of french press coffee, chai tea, and great company!

I love to hear from you, how do you find balance amongst the change of fall/winter?

What are some of your favorite fall recipes?