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AYURVEDIC FOODS

BASMATI RICE

Health Benefits & Uses

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Ayurvedic Perspective on Basmati Rice
Similars: Foods and herbs similar to Basmati Rice
Indications: Basmati Rice may benefit these symptoms
Research: Effects on tongue, nervous system, temperature, elimination, etc.
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How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Rice builds ojas. Ojas is said to have the smell of burnt rice. Of rices, Basmati is the most sattvic and aromatic.

Rice is nourishing and easy to digest giving more 'bang for the buck'. Rice offers more calories with less effort from digestive organs. Plain rice is a good late night snack that won't disturb agni. Strained water from cooked rice can be made into a gruel. It is a valuable food for those recovering from an illness and a cornerstone of samsarjana karma.
Brown rice, although nutritionally superior, is harder to digest than white rice. A person with a compromised digestive tract may not be able to absorb these nutrients. Poorly digested food becomes a poison in the digestive tract. Ayurveda recommends white rice for anyone gas, bloating, or indigestion.

Rice that is cooked 'al dente', without enough water, can cause gas, bloating and constipation for Vata people. If rice gives you gas, add extra water and cook the rice until soft and puffy.

COOKING BASMATI RICE

Browse Recipes Cooking rice is quick and easy. with slight additional effort, it can also be an art form. To make grains tasty I always add salt, oil and spices. A few roasted cumin seeds add a pleasant aroma. You may add other spices as well. Here is a basic recipe for rice. For every one cup of rice add:

1.5c water for 'al dente' rice, 2 cups of water for soft rice. An easy rule of thumb for al dente rice is to add water to 2x the height of the rice.
1/4 tsp of your favorite spice (examples are cumin, fennel, ginger, cardamom, oregano, thyme)
2 tsp of oil or ghee
1/4 tsp of salt

First, sautee the spices in the oil for 10 seconds. Then add the rice and water. Bring the rice and water to a boil. Then reduce heat to simmer and cover. You may need to stir the rice to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Avoid stirring rice once it is soft. Stirring breaks the rice grains making it less light and fluffy. White rice will be ready to serve within twenty minutes. Brown rice takes up to an hour.

Other Rice Options

Rice flour is heavy and sticky. Breads made with rice flour are too drying for Vata. To make rice milk, blend rice with water. Rice cakes are a great snack for Kapha. Glutinous rice is a variety of rice that is especially sticky and used to make mochi in Japan.

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WHY EAT AN AYURVEDIC DIET?

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. Ayurveda shows you your specific body type’s needs and what should be favored in your Ayurvedic 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.

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When I Eat Basmati Rice:

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I FEEL BETTER I FEEL WORSE I FEEL THE SAME

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Is Basmati Rice Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

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

SERVING SIZE: 1/4 c

SPECIES: Oryza sativa

FAMILY: Poaceae

EAT IN: SUMMER

AYURVEDIC MEDICINAL BIOCHARACTERISTICS

What is the biocharacteristic theory of medicine?

INCREASES

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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COLD

ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow.

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EASY

ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY

HEAVY

ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

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

LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY

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?

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SWEET

ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

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DOSHAS

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. 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.

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PACIFIES	AGGRAVATES

HAS THE FOLLOWING

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

Family:
Poaceae

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

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.

Here are the herbal actions of Basmati Rice:

Energy Vitality:

Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Skin Care & Beauty:

Demulcent

MILD DEMULCENT

Herbs that coat or form a soothing film over a mucous membrane, relieving minor pain and inflammation of the membrane.

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Constituents:

Carbohydrate

Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.

Demulcent, Nutritive

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Nutritive, Demulcent

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Licorice Ghee (9oz)

Licorice Ghee (9oz) has these Actions in Common

Demulcent, Nutritive

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Basmati Rice Research & Clinical Trials

In each clinical research trial below, students from the Joyful Belly School of Ayurveda ate the selected food for 3 days and reported the pharmacological effects. See other clinical research trials for diet & herbs at Joyful Belly.