How Can This Ayurvedic Food Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

Stay Grounded

Mushrooms have an earthy taste like the dark, rich loamy soil itself. This earthiness is a sign of mushrooms' ability to keep you grounded and calm your nervous system. They are considered tamasic in Ayurveda meaning they make your consciousness sleepy.

Remedy for Late Summer Insomnia

In late summer, as the temperature starts to drop at night, your mind wakes up and sleep feels like a far away wish. You might notice bouts of insomnia this time of year. The remedy is, as always, in nature. Mushrooms suddenly become abundant as the thunderstorms of August dump heavy rains. If you have noticed insomnia with increased frequency, try including some sauteed mushrooms in your favorite dish for a rustic and satisfying meal.

Always cook mushrooms

Raw mushrooms are a popular salad item. However, raw mushrooms are nearly indigestible. We suggest you always cook mushrooms to avoid these digestive difficulties.

Mineral Rich

Mushrooms are highly absorbant of minerals in the soil, often containing a rich utritional profile, as their earthy taste suggests. As much as mushrooms absorb minerals, they also absorb whatever toxins they are grown in, and have even been used to clean up toxis waste sites. For that reason, always eat organic mushrooms.

Wild Mushroom Hunting

From wooded trails to the front lawn, Mushrooms seem to pop up as if by magic in late summer. Just the other day I was hunting herbs in the woods and stumbled upon mushroom after mushroom, brilliantly colored, wildly shaped, exotically enticing, and a touch scary. I was reminded of a quote my herb teacher taught me:

"There are old mushroom hunters, and there are bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old bold mushroom hunters."
Source: unknown

Mushrooms have a wide spectrum of effects on the body. They can be delicious, medicinal, hallucinogenic, and deadly poisonous. If you go wild mushroom hunting, be sure to positively identify any species before eating, or you may lose your chance to become an old mushroom hunter. Boldness in this particular field is not an advantage. The range of wild edible, rich, meaty, earthy mushrooms to serve over risotto or wild rice include chanterelles, boletes, honey mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, shitakes, chicken of the woods and many more. Destroying angel mushrooms are an example of the deadly.

The part of the mushroom you pick and eat is the fruit. The living part of the plant, which looks like roots embedded in the soil or a tree, is called the mycelium. When you pick a mushroom you are not killing it. On the contrary, by picking them you are actually helping the fungus to spread its spores. But be sure not to disturb the root system beneath the mushroom when picking. The mushroom thanks you!

Many mushrooms are used in herbalism for their medicinal properties, such as the famous reishi mushroom of Chinese medicine, a strong immune tonic. Other mushrooms have been used to improve vitality and fight cancer. We suggest you allow herbalists to select medicinal mushrooms, and old mushroom hunters to divide the deadly from delicious.

Are Mushrooms from Planet Earth?

Many western herbalists entertain the notion that mushrooms come from another planet. While this opinion has no basis scientifically, it definitely captures the pure strangeness of the mushroom. Something about a mushroom feels distinctly alien to the human world. One mushroom I passed was bright red, with slime oozing out beneath it. Whether fluorescent orange, eerie opaque white, spotted, striped, tiny and delicate, or enormous and sprawling, mushrooms look like a dream-scape under the sea or in outer space. The largest organism in the world is a single mushroom whose mycelium extends over several mountaintops. Often the inspiration for creatures and features of fantasy and science fiction novels, mushrooms allow your imagination to run wild.

Another fact we haven't proven scientifically is that many mushroom experts we've crossed take on a gnome-like appearance. Mushroom hunters tend to be somewhat short and stocky with a slightly mad hatter personality- an effect we believe comes from eating too many odd, tamasic mushrooms. In order to avoid this mad tendency, we suggest you stick to familiar mushrooms - portobello, crimini, the occasional truffle, and familiar edibles & medicinals. These tried and true mushrooms, when cooked, give your meals a hearty, grounding feel, with no threat of turning you into a gnome.

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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Are Crimini & Button Mushrooms Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

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

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. Learn More	HEAVY ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY DIFFICULT ABOUT DIFFICULT BIOCHARACTERISTIC Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT
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. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	EFFECT: Tamasic TAMASIC Tamasic foods promote rest, sleepiness and stillness. Examples include wheat, mushrooms. LEARN MORE ABOUT TAMASIC , Alkalizing ALKALIZING An herb or food that makes the urine more alkaline (higher pH). This herbal action can be helpful for a number of inflammatory conditions. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALKALIZING TYPE: Mushrooms ELEMENT: Earth EARTH Resembles earth (prithvi) in quality - heavy, dense, solid, stable, hard. LEARN MORE ABOUT EARTH SUBTASTE: Musky MUSKY Have an earthy smell to them, such as mushrooms. LEARN MORE ABOUT MUSKY NUTRIENT: Protein COLOR: Brown, White NOURISHES: Bone BONE Bone tissue (Asthi Dhatu) includes the bones, hair, and nails. LEARN MORE ABOUT BONE MOVES ENERGY: Downward DOWNWARD Downward-moving (Adho Gati Marga) substances move food downward in the GI tract, settle the nervous system, and relax muscles. LEARN MORE ABOUT DOWNWARD , Inward INWARD Inward moving substances promote introspection, self reflection, stillness, or slow the system down. LEARN MORE ABOUT INWARD

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 Crimini & Button Mushrooms:

Bone & Joint:

Bone Tonic

BONE-TONIC

An herb that strengthens the bones and joints.

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Cleanse and Detox:

Detoxicant

DETOXICANT

An herb that eliminates or metabolizes toxins from the body.

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Energy Vitality Strength:

Satisfies stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

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Immune System:

Anticarcinogenic

ANTICARCINOGENIC

Herbs that inhibit or prevent the activity of a carcinogen or the development of cancer.

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Immune Stimulant

IMMUNE-STIMULANT

Stimulates and strengthens the immune system. Helpful when fighting off a cold or flu.

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Mind, Stress & Sleep:

Grounding

GROUNDING

Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth.

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Anxiolytic

ANXIOLYTIC

Herbs that help people suffering from anxiety or panic. They promote a state of calm and often improve sleep. Most anxiolytic herbs are also nervines.

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