Here’s a tip: Don’t come to Ayurveda when you are at your wits’ end. In fact, don’t pick up any new health habits at that point, because they are bound to fail you.

We all need a friend who cracks us up when we are anxious. I called mine last night and confessed that I’ve been constipated.

“How long has it been?” she asked. “A week?”

“About 20 hours. Maybe more,” I told her.

As soon as I heard her cackle roll into a guffaw i realized what I was doing.

Ayurveda is often a nesting place for women who have struggled with body issues or controlling relationships around food. This is primarily because it is often taught in the West by women who have also struggled with relationships around food. Thus, it is presented as a set of principles that can be neatly tucked into clear rules about what to eat and what not to eat.