College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

 

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What Do Exclamation Points Mean?

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"Great explanation - so glad I found it! I was thinking I wouldn't be able to eat anything until I read about the..."
- Rebecca Dumais New york, AL

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'' Exclamations in General

Generally, exclamation points mean that a recipe or ingredient is contraindicated for a diet. Hold your mouse pointer over the exclamation icon to find out why. Contraindicated is just a fancy word for 'unhealthy' used in medical texts.

'' Fixing Recipes with Exclamation Points

Sometimes the recipe fits your diet but many of the ingredients have exclamation points next to them. In this case, the synergy of the whole recipe overcomes the qualities of individual ingredients. Some ingredients balance each other out cancelling the bad effects. For example, the hot quality of black pepper in a vinaigrette can balance the cold quality of iceberg lettuce.

The result is that Ayurveda offers you greater freedom. You can safely enjoy forbidden ingredients as long as you create a balanced formula, the recipe. Most recipes, even healthy ones, have one or two ingredients with exclamations. For example, salt is kapha aggravating, but every Kapha person needs some salt in their diet. Check to make sure the recipe itself doesn't have an exclamation point on top.

If a recipe you like has an exclamation next to the title, you may be able to substitute contra-indicated ingredients and create a similar recipe that is balanced for your dosha. Simply look for an ingredient in the recipe with an exclamation point and click on the '' button.

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About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy, & botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. John, his wife Natalie and their 7 kids live in Asheville, NC

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Questions, Comments & Impressions of 'what do exclamation points mean?'?

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(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 ratings, 13 likes
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“Check to see if the recipe itself has an exclamation point. If it doesn't, let me know. Since all the ingredients have an exclamation point, it is probably not good for you. But that is unusual for this recipe. What have you checked off from your diet page?"
Dottie Arnold Buckeye, AZ
2013-06-12
“This is a great recipe to relieve sore throats with congestion. I recommend it highly. Question - does it matter what type of honey or where you get it? I have heard rumors that local honey even from grocery stores can be boiled first. Is this true?"
Rebecca Dumais New york, AL
2013-11-21
“Great explanation - so glad I found it! I was thinking I wouldn't be able to eat anything until I read about the balancing of foods in a recipe. YAY!!! Happy cooking :)"
Lindsay Jameson Bacup
2015-01-27
“I have a mix of all three Dosha's, with the strongest being Kapha - it seems the majority of foods on my permitted list all have an exclamation mark next to them apart from Kale, Neem and Nettles! How on earth do I construct a healthy diet? Help! "
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* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.