College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

 

AYURVEDIC FOODS

Chestnuts Benefits (According to Ayurveda)


How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Recipes with Chestnuts: Pumpkin & Kale with Roasted Chestnut, Mushrooms & Chipotle
Recipes with Chestnuts: Pumpkin & Kale with Roasted Chestnut, Mushrooms & Chipotle
Chestnuts are warm, sweet and nourishing. Their building nature is perfect for winter. Winter is a perfect time of year to strengthen your body, since your body responds better to building tonics throughout October, November, and December. Chestnuts ripen just in time.

Chestnuts nourish the kidneys and build agni. Like most nuts, they are warming in nature. Chestnuts are also astringent, which can help tone the bowels, but in excess can also aggravate Vata constipation.

Cooking Chestnuts

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire conjure up the warmth and delight that Chestnuts bring to our lives in late fall, early winter. Chestnuts are also delicious in soups and stews, and as a spread.

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Are Chestnuts Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Chestnuts' 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.

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.

Metabolic Nature of Chestnuts

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

METABOLIC NATURE

Metabolic Nature

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

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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

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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ASTRINGENT

ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

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

LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTRINGENT

SWEET

ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC

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

LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET

DOSHAS

The Three Doshas / Body Types

Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.

Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.

Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.

The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).

Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.

Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.

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PACIFIES
Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Kapha aggravating Pitta aggravating

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors

Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.

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PACIFIES
MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MELANCHOLIC

AGGRAVATES
CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOLERIC

PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Wet & cold. When out of balance becomes congested, stagnant, and overweight. Loving, trusting, and patient.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot & moist. Full-blooded, vigorous. Vivacious, social, and epicurean. Bullish.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

Other

Crunchy

CRUNCHY

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

SEE ALL 'CRUNCHY' FOODS / HERBS

Blood Plasma Lymph

BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH

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

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

Energy Vitality

ENERGY-VITALITY

Includes vitality improving foods, herbs, and exercises by dosha.

SEE ALL 'ENERGY-VITALITY' FOODS / HERBS

, Kidney Bladder Urinary

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Chestnuts
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.

(see all)
Builds Stamina

BUILDS-STAMINA

Promotes strength, endurance and resistance in the body. Rebuilds weak tissues after a time of depletion.

SEE ALL 'BUILDS-STAMINA' FOODS / HERBS

,
Satisfies Stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS

,
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
Fats,
Phytates

PHYTATES

Phytates prevent absorption of nutrients. They are commonly found in all seeds, including nuts, grains, and beans. Sprouting greatly reduces phytate content, as well as long, slow cooking with vinegar.

SEE ALL 'PHYTATES' FOODS / HERBS

, Protein

Foods with a Similar Nature to Chestnuts

  • Cashews

    Cashews has these Actions in Common

    Satisfies-stomach, Builds-stamina, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Pine Nuts

    Pine Nuts has these Actions in Common

    Satisfies-stomach, Builds-stamina, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Pecans

    Pecans has these Actions in Common

    Satisfies-stomach, Builds-stamina, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Chicken Liver

    Chicken Liver has these Actions in Common

    Satisfies-stomach, Builds-stamina, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Brazil Nut

    Brazil Nut has these Actions in Common

    Builds-stamina, Nutritive, Satisfies-stomach

    LEARN MORE

  • Oat Flour

    Oat Flour has these Actions in Common

    Satisfies-stomach, Builds-stamina, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Walnuts

    Walnuts has these Actions in Common

    Satisfies-stomach, Builds-stamina, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Lamb's Quarters

    Lamb's Quarters has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Satisfies-stomach, Builds-stamina

    LEARN MORE

  • Almond Butter

    Almond Butter has these Actions in Common

    Satisfies-stomach, Builds-stamina, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Quinoa

    Quinoa has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Satisfies-stomach, Builds-stamina

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Chestnuts

  • Maca

    Maca has these Actions in Common

    Builds-stamina, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Bala

    Bala has these Actions in Common

    Builds-stamina, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Ginseng, Chinese

    Ginseng, Chinese has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Builds-stamina

    LEARN MORE

  • Ashwagandha

    Ashwagandha has these Actions in Common

    Builds-stamina, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Cordyceps

    Cordyceps has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • CoQ10

    CoQ10 has these Actions in Common

    Builds-stamina

    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

  • Sukumaram Ghrita

    Sukumaram Ghrita has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Slippery Elm

    Slippery Elm has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Guarana

    Guarana has these Actions in Common

    Builds-stamina

    LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR
THESE SYMPTOMS

Chestnuts may be beneficial for these symptoms. The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual. Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.

View other ingredients
for Autumn-Winter

Chestnuts is recommended for Autumn-Winter. Check out these other Autumn-Winter foods here.
VIEW ALL AUTUMN-WINTER FOODS MORE FOODS FOR VATA MAIN INGREDIENT PAGE

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.
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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. His wife and family of 7 kids live in Asheville, NC.

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