How Can Corn Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

Reduce Water Retention & Blood Pressure

Adding corn to your diet may be an ideal way to reduce water retention and blood pressure. Corn contains a sizeable amount of potassium. A high potassium diet just may be the ideal low sodium diet. As a diuretic, potassium actually reduces water retention and thus counteracts the action of sodium in the body. Corn is thus a boon for those with high blood pressure, especially in spring when water congestion in the body reaches a peak. The best form of corn for Kapha is popcorn because popcorn's dryness absorbs excess Kapha fluids in the stomach.

The Dark Side of Corn

As the poster child for the modern industrial food complex, corn cultivation also has a dark side. Traditionally, native central Americans grew many varieties of corn side by side with vegetables from other plant families. Today, most corn fields are grown as a mono-crop, depleting soils and requiring heavy use of pesticides. The inability of cultivated plants to survive without pesticide and fertilizer use is a testimony to their lack of vitality. Edible weeds, on the other hand, bring their revitalizing life force to the table.

Corn is also a victim on GMO. Ayurveda recommends you avoid all genetically modified life forms.

Corn Syrup & the Obesity Epidemic

The conversion of corn into corn syrup may be responsible for the obesity epidemic in American. The FDA, infiltrated by corporations such as Monsanto, gave its rubber stamp approval to genetically modified (GMO) corn. As of 2009 GMO corn comprised up to 85% of corn sown in the United States, despite ongoing controversy over potential health and environmental hazards.

ABOUT CORN

Meso-Americans domesticated corn (also known as maize) in pre-historic times, spreading through much of the Americas between 1700 and 1250 BCE. While most corn stands at 8.2ft, at least one variety of corn grows to 39 feet in length.

BUYING & PREPARATION

Considering the heavy use of pesticides and GMO corn product, Ayurveda recommends you eat organic corn only. Fortunately, frozen organic corn is generally inexpensive.

COOKING CORN

Browse Recipes Corn may be eaten on or off the cob, cooked into a thick porridge, as grits, polenta or stuffed into tamales. It may be served dry as in tortillas, chips, and popcorn. It may be baked into cornbread or fermented into an alcoholic beverages. Traditionally corn, beans and squash formed the three sisters, widely cultivated by native American peoples. The three sisters, when planted together, help build fertile soil while providing a diverse nutritional profile.

WHY SHOULD YOU EAT AYURVEDICALLY?

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. Foods that supplement your specific body type’s needs and digest easily create your 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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Is Corn Good for Me?

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

MEDICINAL QUALITIES

INCREASES Increases These Qualities (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main characteristics (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. Learn More	DIFFICULT ABOUT DIFFICULT GUNA Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT DRY ABOUT DRY GUNA Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis. LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY HOT ABOUT HOT GUNA 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? Learn More	SWEET ABOUT SWEET GUNA Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types People tend to get sick, over and over again, due to similar causes and habitual 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. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	EFFECT: Acidifying ACIDIFYING An herb that creates an acidic pH in the blood chemistry. LEARN MORE ABOUT ACIDIFYING , Ojas OJAS Ojas is the essence of healthy tissue, immunity, stable energy and happiness. Substances that improve ojas are recommended after long-term illness, debility, emotional and physical trauma, and even sadness. LEARN MORE ABOUT OJAS , Rajasic RAJASIC Rajasic foods stimulate desire or nervous energy. Red meat, high protein food, garlic and onions stimulate desire. Rajasic foods include chili peppers, coffee, and anything that stimulates movement. LEARN MORE ABOUT RAJASIC TYPE: Grains CONTAINS: Allergens, Corn ELEMENT: Earth EARTH Resembles earth (prithvi) in quality - heavy, dense, solid, stable, hard. LEARN MORE ABOUT EARTH , Fire FIRE Resembles fire (tejas) in quality - hot, sharp, penetrating, light, dry. LEARN MORE ABOUT FIRE NUTRIENT: Carbohydrate NOURISHES: Plasma PLASMA Plasma (Rasa Dhatu) includes plasma, white blood cells, and lymph. LEARN MORE ABOUT PLASMA

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Experiences are Personal

Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Energy Vitality Strength:

Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

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Kidney & Urinary:

Diuretic

DIURETIC

Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.

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