ABOUT HONEY DEW

Honeydew, when fresh and ripe, is a succulent treasure. Floral accents perfume its lush green flesh. It's juicy sweetness seems to capture all the wholesome abundance of a teeming garden into a delightful green bowling ball. As a melon, honey dew is related to cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, watermelon and other members of the vine-growing Cucurbitaceae or Gourd family. Underripe, honey dew is crispy and bland. Overripe, it is soft and sweet.

BUYING & PREPARATION

The honeydew should have a completely white, yellow or cream colored skin. The presence of a little brown freckling is a plus that indicates enhanced sweetness. Avoid honeydew with any hint of green skin, as these are underripe. The skin should be slightly soft and springy on the blossom end, giving a little to mild pressure. A mature melon may have a slight wrinkling to the skin that can be felt by touch. If the skin is tacky, it is likely to be sweeter. Feel the skin for slight, nearly undetectable wrinkling that can only be discerned by touch. Though you won't be able to see it, a perfectly mature melon may feature this mild corrugation. If the skin feels slightly tacky, this melon might be a keeper. A deliciously ripe honeydew may develop stickiness on the rind as its sweetness continues to mellow and deepen.

The honeydew should have a symmetrical slightly ovate shape, with the weight of a bowling bowl. A honeydew of 5-6 pounds is optimal. It should feel heavy for its size. Avoid honeydews that feel light for their size, these are less likely to be juicy.

Sniff the blossom end of the honeydew melon, which should smell fresh and clean. Honeydew melons continue to ripen after picking. Let it sit on the counter for a few days before eating.

COOKING HONEY DEW

Browse Recipes Refresh your body with honeydew cucumber smoothies. Use as a filler in fruit platters alongside blueberries and strawberries.
Serve as a sorbet with mint. For a savory option, sprinkle cilantro, cayenne and salt atop honeydew.

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 Honey Dew:

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I FEEL BETTER I FEEL WORSE I FEEL THE SAME

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Is Honey Dew Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

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

SERVING SIZE: 1 c

MEAL: SNACK-DESSERT

EAT IN: SUMMER

FOR OCCASION: KID-FRIENDLY

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	COLD ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow. LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD EASY ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly. LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY
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 BIOCHARACTERISTIC Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET SOUR ABOUT SOUR BIOCHARACTERISTIC Sour refers to anything fermented or acidic. LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUR
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: 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. SEE ALL 'OJAS' FOODS / HERBS , Sattvic SATTVIC Sattvic foods promote awareness and a refreshed mind by nourishing the body without taxing digestion. Sattvic foods do not stimulate desire or nervous energy. They create clarity instead of drowsiness or heaviness. SEE ALL 'SATTVIC' FOODS / HERBS Type: Fruits Element: Earth EARTH Resembles earth (prithvi) in quality - heavy, dense, solid, stable, hard. SEE ALL 'EARTH' FOODS / HERBS , Water WATER Resembles water (ap) in quality - fluid, sticky, soft, heavy, stable, cool. SEE ALL 'WATER' FOODS / HERBS 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 Nutrient: Potassium Color: Green Moves Energy: Downward DOWNWARD Downward-moving (Adho Gati Marga) substances move food downward in the GI tract, settle the nervous system, and relax muscles. SEE ALL 'DOWNWARD' FOODS / HERBS , Inward INWARD Inward moving substances promote introspection, self reflection, stillness, or slow the system down. SEE ALL 'INWARD' FOODS / HERBS Family: Cucurbitaceae

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 Honey Dew:

Digestion:

Appetite suppressant

APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT

Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain.

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Quenches thirst

QUENCHES-THIRST

An herb or substance that relieves thirst.

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Bowel Health:

Relieves burning

RELIEVES-BURNING

Herbs that soothe a burn or reduce an internal burning sensation, such as aloe vera.

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High Fiber Laxative

HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE

A class of laxative that adds bulk and water to stools. The size of a stool stimulates peristalsis and the stool passes more easily through the colon. It is important to drink plenty of water when using high fiber laxatives, as they can be dehydrating.

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Stool Softener

STOOL-SOFTENER

An herb that softens stool that is hard and difficult to pass. They are the safest and most gentle type of laxative. Some foods are even stool softeners, such as warm milk with ghee.

SEE ALL 'STOOL-SOFTENER' FOODS / HERBS

Mind, Stress & Sleep:

Relaxes eyes

RELAXES-EYES

Eases tension in eye muscles, so the eyes feel less strained, often by supporting the liver.

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Improves Focus

IMPROVES-FOCUS

Reduces scattered thoughts. Creates a steady mind.

SEE ALL 'IMPROVES-FOCUS' FOODS / HERBS

Energy Vitality:

Refreshing

REFRESHING

Stimulates and wakes up the body, leaving it feeling cool, fresh, and energized.

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Satisfies stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

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Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

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Tonic

TONIC

A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.

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Heart & Circulation:

Hypotensive

HYPOTENSIVE

An herb that lowers blood pressure.

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Opthalmic

OPTHALMIC

Benefits the eyes, vision tonic.

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Rebuilds Fluids

REBUILDS-FLUIDS

Herbs or substances that create moisture in the body and increase fluids.

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Refrigerant

REFRIGERANT

An herb or substance that strongly cools the body. Can be helpful in cases of heat conditions.

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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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Liver & Gallbladder:

Livotonic

LIVOTONIC

An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias. Generally, liver tonics are oily, cool, sweet, mildly sour, or has beta-carotene.

SEE ALL 'LIVOTONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.

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