How Can Pears Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

Pears are a soothing, cooling, and Kapha friendly fruit that calms the heart and relieves restlessness. Western naturopaths consider pears to be hypoallergenic, a safe choice for those with food sensitivities.

Their cold and expectorant qualities are used in Chinese medicine when heat conditions dry up fluids in the lungs. Their lubricating action also relieves cough, especially when the juice is combined with rock candy. Although pears quench thirst they are also a diuretic.

In ancient Greece, pears were used to treat nausea. They are laxative and a good source of fiber. Too many pears, however, will have an excess cooling effect on digestion, aggravating Vata and Kapha. Avoid eating pears late at night, or if you have acid reflux.

Pears are also high in vitamin C and copper

ABOUT PEARS

Pears are an ancient fruit eaten since pre-historic times. Older varieties had a hardened flesh that required hours of cooking to soften. Impossible to eat raw, the Romans stewed pears with honey and spices. Around the 18th century pears were bred to have a softer, sweeter flesh more common in produce stores today. Despite breeding, pear flesh contains stone cells, which are grittier than the flesh of their related cousin, the apple.

BUYING & PREPARATION

Pears are generally cultivated in cold, temperate climates. They are hardy, even growing as far north as Scandinavia. Although pears have become wild in Europe and form part of the natural vegetation of the forest, the genus originated in western China in the foothills of the Tian Shan. Pears ripen from the inside out; the best way to judge ripeness is to "check the neck." Since pears perish soon after ripening, they are generally sold unripe in the grocery store. When left at room temperature they will usually ripen within a few days after purchase. Storing them in the fridge will slow the ripening process. If you buy them in bulk and want to stretch your pear-eating time, try putting a third in the fridge, a third in a bowl, and a third next next to bananas that will help them ripen sooner. Ripe pears for days!

COOKING PEARS

Browse Recipes Pears are eaten raw, stewed, canned, as juice, or dried. They are often paired with raisins, nuts, sugar, and spices when cooked. Raw or cooked, pears are a frequent ingredient in gourmet salads, where they are often drizzled in balsamic vinegar. Cooking pears are generally harder than varieties eaten raw, and have a snappy crunch. Fermented pear juice is called perry or pear cider.

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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Are Pears Good for Me?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether Pears 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	COLD ABOUT COLD GUNA Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow. LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD DRY ABOUT DRY GUNA Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis. LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY DIFFICULT ABOUT DIFFICULT GUNA Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT
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 ASTRINGENT ABOUT ASTRINGENT GUNA Astringency is characterized by constriction, drawing together, or drying. LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTRINGENT
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: 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: Air AIR Resembles air (vayu) in quality - highly mobile, drying, light, cold, subtle, rough. LEARN MORE ABOUT AIR COLOR: Green

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.

Heart & Circulation:

Refrigerant

REFRIGERANT

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

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Immune System:

Anti Inflammatory

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems.

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Bowel-Poop-Elimination:

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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