How Can Peaches Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

Ripe peaches herald the arrival of summer's joys : picnics at the beach, playing in the sun, and endless summer days. A juicy peach can bring a smile to every child. They are ideal for your summer diet.

Peaches belong to the class of subsour fruits. Their sourness improves digestion while gently cleansing the liver. Peaches are so easy to digest they are often given pureed to babies. As the sourness in a peach makes the mouth juicy, it also makes the digestive tract juicy, encouraging smoother, softer stools and easy elimination. Peaches are also high in fiber.

In general fruits are sugary and may provoke Kapha dosha. Peaches are also slightly heating, increasing Pitta. That sticky, sweaty feeling after eating too many peaches is your cue that too many peaches under a hot sun may overstimulate your metabolism on a hot day.

Peach kernels are a common ingredient used in traditional Chinese medicine to dispel blood stasis, counter inflammation and reduce allergies. Like many orange colored foods, peaches are high in vitamin A and good for the eyes.

ABOUT PEACHES

Originating from South Asia and China, today's peaches tempt weary travellers on summer highways in the South. The sight of a rough, hand-written "Peaches" sign along a hot, dusty roadside is enough to induce salivation for the soft, juicy sweet taste of summer.

Peaches seem to strike a perfect blend between sweetness and juiciness. They are luscious to look at, touch, and taste. The phrase peachy keen is a playful way to say, "Everything's perfect, just right, like a peach."

"Peaches were known as 'Persian apples' to the ancient Romans. To the ancient Chinese, peach was slang for a young bride." A pretty girl has been called 'a peach' since the Civil War, from a peaches and cream complexion'.

BUYING & PREPARATION

Peach season lasts from May into August depending upon location. Look for perfection when choosing a ripe peach. Overripe peaches may be too soft, delicate and easily bruised. Underripe peaches are very hard and crunchy. Due to their high perish-ability, peaches are best stored at 0C (32F) and high-humidity.

Yellow-fleshed peaches are more acidic & tangy than white fleshed varieties, which are often sweeter. Peaches are further categorized into clingstones and freestones, depending on whether the flesh sticks to the seed or not. Peaches are closely related to prunes, almonds, apples and cherries. Peaches and necatrines come from the same species, but nectarines have a smooth instead of a fuzzy surface. Peaches melt quickly when cooked. Lemon juice and sugar helps bring out the flavor of a fruit. Browse Recipes

COOKING PEACHES

The sweet flavor of peaches is incredibly versatile and used in a variety of desserts from peach cobbler to a garnish for vanilla ice-cream. Whether in peach sorbet or smoothie it's hard to imagine a meal that can't be improved with peaches. They are a favorite in marmalades, chutneys and salsa. Although they store well canned or frozen, their velvety texture is best experienced canned. They can be baked, pureed, or sliced into a salad.

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.

LEARN MORE

Are Peaches Good for Me?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether Peaches 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 states (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which states are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every state has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite state. Learn More	HOT ABOUT HOT GUNA Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation. LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT EASY ABOUT EASY GUNA Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly. LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY CLEAR ABOUT CLEAR GUNA Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR
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 SOUR ABOUT SOUR GUNA Sour refers to anything fermented or acidic. LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUR
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 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 , 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. LEARN MORE ABOUT SATTVIC , 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 Fruits ELEMENT Water WATER Resembles water (ap) in quality - fluid, sticky, soft, heavy, stable, cool. LEARN MORE ABOUT WATER COLOR Orange

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.

Digestion	Quenches thirst QUENCHES-THIRST An herb or substance that relieves thirst. LEARN MORE ABOUT QUENCHES-THIRST , Sialogogue SIALOGOGUE A sialogogue increases saliva. Sour foods are often great sialogogues, and increase output of all exocrine glands. Salty taste is very moistening as well. Bitter, pungent and sweettastes also increase salivary output but to a lesser degree. Astringents LEARN MORE ABOUT SIALOGOGUE , Digestive DIGESTIVE Herbs that encourage healthy digestive. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIGESTIVE , Spleen Tonic SPLEEN-TONIC An herb that strengthens spleen function by improving strength of the blood. Spleen tonics Builds agni, brighten the person's appearances & firms up tissues. LEARN MORE ABOUT SPLEEN-TONIC
Energy Vitality Strength	Nutritive NUTRITIVE An herb that is strengthening and nourishing. LEARN MORE ABOUT NUTRITIVE
Bowel-Poop-Elimination	General Laxative GENERAL-LAXATIVE Promotes a bowel movement. General laxative is an umbrella term that refers to several different types of laxatives... LEARN MORE ABOUT GENERAL-LAXATIVE , 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. LEARN MORE ABOUT HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE , 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. LEARN MORE ABOUT STOOL-SOFTENER