How to Make Fennel Bulb Pesto

SERVINGS: 4

PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 0 MINUTES

MEAL: LUNCH-DINNER

STYLE: WESTERN

PREPARATION: RAW, SAUCES

EAT IN: SPRING

FOR OCCASION: GAME-NIGHT, DINNER-PARTY, CLEANSE

How Can Fennel Bulb Pesto Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

Capture spring freshness with this perfect & easy to prepare pesto. A lightness distinguishes this pesto from others. The crispy, vivacious texture of fennel bulb is tempered by a cool quality the calms the mind and increases clarity. Pumpkin seeds impart a nutty flavor, without the heaviness of pine nuts. Vinegar adds the zing instead of cheese.

Revitalizing

Spring offers tender young greens that revitalize your energy, called prana in Ayurveda. From asparagus, to fennel bulb, cilantro, parsley, and spirulina, tender spring greens are packed with chlorophyll, the substance that makes plants green, waking you up out of winter hibernation. The bright green color and fresh taste of fennel bulb is your cue to its revitalizating properties.

Reduce Spring Puffiness

Your body purges fats and toxins in spring which can cause blood congestion and water retention. On warm spring days, you might even feel that your face and hands are puffy with the extra water weight, which can also cause problems with blood pressure. Pumpkin seeds, fennel, and cilantro are all diuretics which help to purge excess spring water weight. As a diuretic fennel purges excess spring water weight and detoxifies the blood. Fennel has been shown to protect the liver of experimental animals from chemical toxicity. Their mild bitter taste directly decongests blood.

Cool & Refreshing

Although temperatures mid-spring may still be mild to cool, you might notice a warmth in your chest, even on cold days. Somehow, cool weather in mid spring does not chill you to the bone. That's because your body is prepared for cold after the long winter. It is unprepared for heat. Warm spring days make your core too hot. Fortunately, fennel and cilantro are naturally cooling (pitta reducing). You'll feel these cooling properties not only on the tongue, but directly as a freshness in the skin & eyes. Your mind will also feel more relaxed.

WHY SHOULD YOU EAT AYURVEDICALLY?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. An Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body type and the specific imbalances you are working with at any given time. Foods that supplement your specific body type’s needs and digest easily create your menu. Watch as you eat less but feel more satisfied because what you are eating truly nourishes you. Since Ayurveda believes all disease begins in the digestive tract, food is your first medicine. By eating a healthy diet that’s ideal for your body, you experience optimal health.

LEARN MORE

Is Fennel Bulb Pesto Good for Me?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether Fennel Bulb Pesto is a good fit for you. Time to complete: approximately 1 minute.

MEDICINAL QUALITIES

INCREASES Increases These Qualities (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main states (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which states are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every state has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite state. Learn More	LIGHT ABOUT LIGHT GUNA Lightness is identified by reduced weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHT EASY ABOUT EASY GUNA Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly. LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY CLEAR ABOUT CLEAR GUNA Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR
TASTES The 6 Tastes Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below? Learn More	BITTER ABOUT BITTER GUNA Bitter is disagreeable and stimulating rejection, and a strong taste often associated with black coffee, dark chocolate, and most salad greens. LEARN MORE ABOUT BITTER PUNGENT ABOUT PUNGENT GUNA Pungency is characterized by irritation, or sharp, spicy foods that irritate the mouth such as black pepper. LEARN MORE ABOUT PUNGENT
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types People tend to get sick, over and over again, due to similar causes and habitual imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history. The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. Catabolic people tend to be easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic people tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic people are heavy, stable and grounded, but if they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Learn More	PACIFIES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	EFFECT Alkalizing ALKALIZING An herb or food that makes the urine more alkaline (higher pH). This herbal action can be helpful for a number of inflammatory conditions. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALKALIZING , Prana PRANA Prana is the Sanskrit word for vital life energy, similar to Qi in Chinese Medicine. Many herbs stimulate your energy, or improve the flow of prana through your body. Generally, prana needs to be increased in spring after a sleepy winter. LEARN MORE ABOUT PRANA , Rajasic RAJASIC Rajasic foods stimulate desire or nervous energy. Red meat, high protein food, garlic and onions stimulate desire. Rajasic foods include chili peppers, coffee, and anything that stimulates movement. LEARN MORE ABOUT RAJASIC TYPE Vegetables COLOR Green

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Experiences are Personal

Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Digestion	Digestive DIGESTIVE Herbs that encourage healthy digestive. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIGESTIVE , Appetizer APPETIZER Herbs that cleanse the palate & stimulate hunger or desire to eat. LEARN MORE ABOUT APPETIZER
Cleanse and Detox	Burns Toxins BURNS-TOXINS An herb that detoxifies by helping your body metabolize toxins, as opposed to eliminating them. LEARN MORE ABOUT BURNS-TOXINS , Detoxicant DETOXICANT An herb that eliminates or metabolizes toxins from the body. LEARN MORE ABOUT DETOXICANT
Heart & Circulation	Alterative ALTERATIVE Literally, an herb that restores the proper function of the body. In practice, alteratives are usually blood cleansers and blood chemistry balancers. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALTERATIVE
Immune System	Anthelminthic ANTHELMINTHIC Kills worms LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTHELMINTHIC , Anti Inflammatory ANTI-INFLAMMATORY Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems. LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTI-INFLAMMATORY , Antihistamine ANTIHISTAMINE Herbs that interrupt an allergic reaction or calm the immune system. LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTIHISTAMINE , Antipyretic ANTIPYRETIC Reduces a fever / febrifuge. LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTIPYRETIC
Kidney & Urinary	Diuretic DIURETIC Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIURETIC
Liver & Gall Bladder	Cholagogue CHOLAGOGUE Cholagogues stimulate the release of bile from the gall bladder for improved digestion. LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOLAGOGUE