Shrikhand is a delectable indulgence and, like ice cream, is kapha provoking and artery clogging. Yet, shrikhand has several important edges over ice cream:

First, yogurt is fermented and more easily digestible than heavy cream. Second, ice cream usually contains dairy mixed with eggs, a bad food combination. Third, shrikhand contains spices like saffron, cardamom and nutmeg that break up the mucous forming tendencies of dairy. Nevertheless, kapha beware! Not every dish in an Indian restaurant is Ayurvedic.

A good complement to raw greens, ensuring all six tastes. Slightly provoking to pitta on its own but not when mixed in a salad. Raw garlic is an aphrodisiac and laxative.

Churnas and chutneys are blends of spices, herbs and/or fruits that include all six Ayurvedic tastes: sweet, pungent, salty, astringent, sour & bitter. Incorporating all six tastes balances the body and satisfies the palette. Each taste has its own physiological and emotional effect.When all six tastes aren't present, we tend to feel unsatisfied after a meal. Quite literally, there is something missing. This often leads to overeating, instinctively knowing a part of us is still unsatisfied.