Sometimes I like to recreate popular recipes into their Ayurvedic or vegan versions.

This time, it was mac and cheese, which has been one of those foods I’ve had to continuously avoid for a few reasons:

The bloating, the heaviness, and the acne.

Well, finally, I did this yummy dish utilizing Ayurvedic principles, and believe it or not, it tastes even better than the original recipe!

Maybe, it’s because it’s completely guilt free…

Yet, you’ll agree with me, it’s still as creamy, rich, and filling as the traditional macaroni with cheese sauce.

The best vegan mac and cheese recipe — *Cheese is highly congestive, heavy, and oily.*

Cheese according to Ayurveda

Some of you might be lucky enough to enjoy cheese with no side effects.

Others, can notice its impact almost immediately on our digestion and skin.

Cheese has a sour rasa (taste), a heating virya (energy), and a sour vipaka (post-digestive effect). These qualities render it aggravating for Pitta and Kapha doshas in particular.

Although cheese can pacify Vata, chances are it is still not well digested by this body type.

My advice is to eat intuitively by making sure your agni (digestive fire) is optimal before you add cheese — especially the dry varieties that are more congestive — to your diet.

This means you are not experiencing any bloating, gas, heartburn, abdominal cramps, or diarrhea.

Moreover, consider the weather and season.

For instance, in warm subtropical climates, such as Florida or India, eating cheese, a fermented — and often times considered putrid — food, is not ideal.

This is already a Pitta environment (hot) with some Kapha notes (humid and swampy); therefore, cheese will likely aggravate these constitutions.

Cheese can also be good

Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana Ch. 26, verse 12, mentions that all substances in this world can be medicinal.

Hence, to turn poisonous food into healing, or at least neutral nourishment, we can always combine it appropriately, eat it at the right time (season and time of the day) and cook it or prepare it using basic Ayurvedic principles.

In cold climates like Northern Europe, during Autumn — the Vata time of year —, or if you are Vata aggravated, cheese might be suitable for your body.

It can be used as an effective way to keep you warm.

Now, heat is best obtained from the sour rasa (fermented food) rather than simply from hot spices.

How to eat cheese

I don’t agree with restrictive dieting, so if you like cheese and know you can digest it, follow these principles to enhance its assimilation:

Avoid it if you have any signs of congestion, mucus build up, stuffy or runny nose, or heaviness.
Avoid it if you are experiencing inflammation, acid reflux, excessive sweat, or bad breath.
Choose fresh over dry, unless your Agni is on fire 😉 which would indicate you can digest both types.
Have it sparingly and in small quantities.
Eat it during the day, ideally at lunchtime, when digestion is strongest.
Add some warming spices like dry ginger, black pepper, or pink pepper.