A little less than a year ago, my children and I moved to New York. My husband had been living here for a year already due to his new job, and we made the decision that it was time to relocate the family. It was a time of great joy, as we had finally reunited and started our new adventure in New York City.
As with any transition, even if it’s a happy, intentional change, we need to support our bodies and minds to adapt to and thrive in a new environment. Change in our environment often results in changes in dietary habits, sleep, work, community support and daily habits and stressors, and all of these need to be addressed.
So, what did I do when my environment changed? I reflected on Ayurvedic principles, which I had studied a few years ago, and tapped into the basic wisdom we all have. I decided to
GO BACK TO BASICS.
In addition to cleaning up my diet and removing some of the obvious offenders (think processed foods + sweets), I started preparing my family’s traditional dishes that I grew up with in Serbia (with a little Dr. Bojana tweak, of course!). Eating nutritious meals I knew and loved in my childhood seemed intuitive.
Fortunately, my kiddies and husband enjoy them, and since many of you have asked me to post more recipes, I wanted to share these special dishes with you.
This week, I am sharing my grashak, djuvec and paprikash recipes. The key ingredients of these dishes, as you’ll see, are vegetables. They will make your plate colorful, give you plenty of nutrients, and can be enjoyed on their own (usually paprikash and djuvec), with salads (all three), or even as side dishes (usually grashak).
I also invite you to think about and share what your “Back to Basics” would look like. What do you think are components of a supportive, nourishing diet, that is ideal for you? What dietary habits promote balance for you?
Prijatno (translation: Bon appetit),
Dr. Bojana
P.S. I’ll go into the non-dietary basics during times of change in an upcoming newsletter. To be continued…
