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It depends.

You will hear the phrase “it depends” often in Ayurveda. And it does.

We’re all the same, yet vastly different. We are composed of nature and her elements—space/ether, air, fire, water, and earth. However, in different amounts.

I was some form of vegetarian for decades but in 2014, I went vegan and enjoyed it. Eating out became difficult so I learned to enjoy cooking at home, and it was incredible.

When I started to seriously study Ayurveda I learned the six tastes. My culinary world opened and my gut flourished.

In September 2021, I started at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and on day one, those of us who are vegan were told we did not need to consume or make ghee. Good, I thought.

For those who don’t know, ghee is clarified butter. The fat solids, lactose, and casein are removed, making it easier to digest. It is best cultured and should only be made with milk from happy, ethically treated cows. Most Ayurvedic companies are a good source when purchasing.

When I started at Yoga International, our instructor, Kathryn, said she could not force us to make or eat ghee but reminded us frequently of the benefits we were missing. So in July 2022, I bought my first ghee.

I used Farmtrue, one of several Ayurvedic companies that only use dairy farmers who ethically treat their cows and calves. I will spare you the gruesome details of the horrors of factory farming.

I do not consume ghee daily but use it in my kitchari and red lentil dahls; both of which I consume a few times a month, and the kitchari for three to 10 days during Ayurvedic cleanses. I also use it in making mashed sweet potatoes, open-faced vegan grilled cheese, and stewed apples with dates, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. So, my use is slowly increasing and I believe it is changing my gut for the better.

Ghee is a rasayana, a magical potion for adding vitality, building your immunity and increasing your ojas. Honey is also magical. But again, only honey from ethically treated bees.

Back to my original question of whether a “ghee-gan” can actually be vegan.

I was in a forum last month with writers, an editor, and the founder of Elephant Journal, Waylon Lewis, when I presented this question. I was not surprised by Waylon’s negative answer, as he is vegan, but was a little taken aback by his response when I said sometimes we need to just trust when a company says they treat cows ethically, never keep them lactating, and never tear their calves away at birth and send them to immediate slaughter.

So I decided to do more research and went back to Banyan Botanicals, a Certified B company which means the company is for the planet, people, and profits. According to their website, no harm is ever done to the animals or soil. I also checked Farmtrue, which was founded by two Ayurvedic practitioners who attended the California College of Ayurveda. The CCA also sells ethical ghee, and I have purchased their medicinal one for a panchakarma treatment.

So, do I still believe that a “ghee-gan” can be vegan. It depends—but as long as we do our research and ask questions, I say yes we can.

How about you?

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