School of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

School of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

AYURVEDIC FOODS

Acorn Benefits (According to Ayurveda)

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Recipes with Acorn: Acorn Crusted Corn Bread Dipped in Honey
Recipes with Acorn: Acorn Crusted Corn Bread Dipped in Honey
Acorns are high in tannins, a bitter and astringent acid that irritates the digestive tract and causes constipation. However, tannins are water soluble.

Cooking Acorn

Wild-crafted acorns should be hulled then soaked for three days, changing the water as often as possible. If the acorns are bitter they need to be soaked longer. Then chop the acorns and roast them for one hour, or until the house fills with the aroma of acorn. Finally, grind them in the coffee grinder to a fine powder. Sprinkle over your favorite pies, cornbread, and muffins.

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Is Acorn Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Acorn' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

Take the Quiz

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.
SERVING SIZE: 2 tbsp

Metabolic Nature of Acorn

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.
INCREASES
Guna Help

Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas)

Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic.

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HEAVY

ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY

HOT

ABOUT HOT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT

DIFFICULT

ABOUT DIFFICULT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT

TASTES
Taste Help

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?

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ASTRINGENT

ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Astringency is characterized by constriction, drawing together, or drying.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTRINGENT

BITTER

ABOUT BITTER BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Bitter taste has cholagogue action - it is cold, clear, light, and stimulating. It increases digestive enzymes, laxative, and drying.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BITTER

DOSHAS
Dosha Help

The Three Doshas / Body Types

According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and 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. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded.

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AGGRAVATES
Kapha aggravating Pitta aggravating Vata aggravating
HAS THE FOLLOWING
Subtaste:
Bland

BLAND

Bland means doesn't have much taste. In Chinese medicine, bland taste refers to afood without little macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy.

SEE ALL 'BLAND' FOODS / HERBS

,
Crunchy

CRUNCHY

Makes an audible noise when you eat them. Can provide fun texture variation.

SEE ALL 'CRUNCHY' FOODS / HERBS


Tissue (dhatu):
Blood Plasma Lymph

BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH

Plasma (Rasa Dhatu) includes plasma, white blood cells, and lymph.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH' FOODS / HERBS

,
Bone

BONE

Bone tissue (Asthi Dhatu) includes the bones, hair, and nails.

SEE ALL 'BONE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Fat

FAT

Fat tissue (Meda Dhatu) includes adipose tissue and sebum (skin oil).

SEE ALL 'FAT' FOODS / HERBS


Affinity: Bowel Poop Elimination
HERBAL ACTIONS
(see all)

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Acorn
Help
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Constipative

CONSTIPATIVE

An herb that binds stools / stops diarrhea. When used in excess, these herbs and foods can cause constipation.

SEE ALL 'CONSTIPATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Styptic

STYPTIC

A herb that contracts tissue or blood vessels. Generally styptics are astringent. They are often used topically as a hemostatic to stop bleeding, or to reduce secretions.

SEE ALL 'STYPTIC' FOODS / HERBS

Dries Mouth

DRIES-MOUTH

Makes the mouth feel dry, or pasty.

SEE ALL 'DRIES-MOUTH' FOODS / HERBS

Foods with a Similar Nature to Acorn

Millet

Millet has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Styptic, Dries-mouth, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Adzuki Beans

Adzuki Beans has these Actions in Common

Dries-mouth, Nutritive, Constipative, Styptic

LEARN MORE

Urad Dal

Urad Dal has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, Styptic, Constipative

LEARN MORE

Walnuts

Walnuts has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Nutritive, Styptic

LEARN MORE

Brown Lentil

Brown Lentil has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Nutritive, Styptic

LEARN MORE

Yellow Lentil (Toor Dal)

Yellow Lentil (Toor Dal) has these Actions in Common

Styptic, Constipative, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Red Lentils (Masoor Dal)

Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Nutritive, Styptic

LEARN MORE

Chickpea (Garbanzo)

Chickpea (Garbanzo) has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Nutritive, Styptic

LEARN MORE

Egg Yolk

Egg Yolk has these Actions in Common

Dries-mouth, Nutritive, Constipative

LEARN MORE

Kidney Beans

Kidney Beans has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, Styptic, Constipative

LEARN MORE

Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Acorn

Raspberry Leaf Tea

Raspberry Leaf Tea has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Styptic

LEARN MORE

Black Walnut

Black Walnut has these Actions in Common

Dries-mouth, Styptic

LEARN MORE

Agrimony

Agrimony has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Styptic

LEARN MORE

Ashoka

Ashoka has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Styptic

LEARN MORE

Arjuna

Arjuna has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Styptic

LEARN MORE

Vidari

Vidari has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Amalaki

Amalaki has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, Styptic

LEARN MORE

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Dries-mouth

LEARN MORE

Cordyceps

Cordyceps has these Actions in Common

Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Asparagus root

Asparagus root has these Actions in Common

Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Sea buckthorn

Sea buckthorn has these Actions in Common

Nutritive

LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.

HOW DOES EATING AYURVEDICALLY MAKE YOU FEEL?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.

Clinical Tools & Resources

Give smart recommendations to your clients and improve efficiency in your clinic with these tools.
About John Joseph Immel

About the Author

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

John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, as well as public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.

John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 7 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.

Read more

Comments & Impressions of 'Acorn'

Do you like 'acorn'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'acorn'?

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Though few realize it these days, acorns formed a nutritious and sustaining staple for native peoples across pre-colonial America. The average native family ate 500lbs a year. There are dozens of acorn-bearing oak species, and the size and quality of their acorns varies dramatically: from pea to pingpong ball in size, and bitter to sweet in flavor. Most acorns do contain at least some degree of unpalatable bitterness due to tannins. Tannins are bitter, astringent, and acidic. They give acorns, wood, and autumn leaves the characteristic brown color of Vata. As with red wine, the tannins in acorns can cause constipation. Native peoples employed various techniques to leach out the offensive-tasting tannins. Grinding the acorns into a meal, tying them up in a sack, and placing it in a stream is one way. After a few days the bitter-astringent tannins are removed and the sweet, nourishing acorn meal remains for use on its own or in breads, pancakes, porridges, soups, etc. Acorn flour, acorn corn bread (say it out loud), and acorn crusted Thanksgiving pies are delicious! As with so many foods, the key is knowing how to prepare them!
- Jonathan Hadas Edwards, Danville, VT , 12-02-09 (Reply)
I collected acorns this past autumn and made some muffins and a flat bread after properly preparing them. These were possibly the tastiest baked products I've made! Acorn flour is really something special. Just make sure to keep hydrated the day you consume them.
- Jess, Allen park, MI , 04-05-14 (Reply)

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