According to legend, it was in the context of the stress and turmoil of the German revolution in 1848 that the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach used his famous phrase, “We are what we eat”. Divya Alter understands this notion intuitively. “Healthy food promotes healthy thoughts, conversations, and relationships that ripple into sustaining healthy families, communities, and societies,” writes the nutritional consultant and educator.
Alter practices what she preaches. Sticking to the Ayurvedic diet, a form of traditional medicine dating back thousands of years, her diet involves eating or restricting certain foods based on body type, which is claimed to boost weight loss and support mindfulness. The diet as a whole encourages eating whole foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.
“When people ask me to describe Ayurvedic food, my answer is whatever your definition of healthy food is fresh, pure, seasonal, local, predominantly plant based, nutrient rich, easy to digest, satisfying, energizing, healing, balancing selected and prepared according to your individual needs,” says Alter (an ideal answer if you ask us).
The cofounder of Bhagavat Life (the only Ayurvedic culinary school in New York), Alter also runs Divya’s Kitchen, an award-winning, authentic Ayurvedic restaurant in Manhattan.
Growing up in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Alter explains that her conscious relationship with food began when she was only 18, while interning at the kitchen of an underground yoga ashram. Having studied the teachings of Ayurveda in India, her cooking evolved from a pastime to a passion-turned full-time job.
“I’ve been a lacto-vegetarian for the past 30 years,” Alter shared in an interview with Golubka Kitchen. “Thanks to my occupation, I have the luxury to prepare fresh seasonal meals and I rarely eat leftovers. The ingredients vary with the seasons, but here are a just a few things I enjoy. My life is fast-paced, and I need a lot of grounding and Vata balancing.”
“I’ve always been drawn to Ayurveda, food, and healing in general, but I dedicated my life to the study and practice when I faced some serious health challenges years ago,” she went on to explain. “Vaidya Mishra and Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda answered the questions no one else could and equipped me with personalized self-care practice that made a big difference in my life. There is no way I can keep this precious knowledge to myself—I must share it with others!”
