Let’s talk about food. The rice bowl is my best friend when it comes to a simple, nourishing lunch or dinner that feeds everyone in my family. It's the simple rice bowl that healed my body of ulcerative colitis 15 years after being diagnosed. And it's the Ayurvedic way of eating that has me lighter, happier and healthier than ever before.

I use the 60/40 ratio to choose ingredients.

The bowl in the photo is basmati rice, black eyed peas, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cilantro. Yum!

Some frequent concerns about this way of eating:

Won’t eating carbs make me fat?

In my experience, it’s not rice or quinoa that causes weight gain. It’s bread, cookies, muffins and other processed and overly sweet carbohydrates. Once I stopped fearing whole grains I started feeling satisfied from my meals. I also stopped craving nutrient-void carbs.

Another shift that happened when I started eating this way is that I stopped feeling like I needed to snack. I have a strong pitta constitution and get irritable if I'm hungry. Through following Ayurveda I have found that I don't really need to eat between meals. The more I eat nutrient dense food for my main meals, the less I crave junk between them.

Don’t beans cause gas?

Ayurveda teaches that beans and other legumes are extractive in nature and help release gas that is caused from undigested or partially digested food fermenting in the digestive tract.

There are a few cooking guidelines to ensure the beans and rice are digestable.

• Measure you rice or legume. Rinse in a colander or fine mesh strainer until the water no longer looks cloudy. Transfer to a bowl and cover with room temperature water for 4+ hours. Overnight is great.

• Rinse in the colander. Use fresh water to cook. Add a spoonful of ghee, sesame, or coconut oil to the cooking water. For legumes, add your spices. You can also add a piece of kombu seaweed to help further reduce wind from legumes.

There are endless combinations. My two and five year old are happy because everything can be separated on the plate. My hungry hubby dumps ranch dressing all over his. It's not Ayurvedic, but I'm happy he's willing to eat the base of good stuff in the bowl.

What's your favorite rice bowl combination?

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