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Recipes with Pomegranate: Pomegranate with Lime Juice & Aloe Vera
A sip of pomegranate on a hot day slices through muggy heat like jumping into a cool mountain stream. A bright combination of sweet, sour and astringent, pomegranate juice bursts with flavor. Its light yet rich sweetness simmers down the most heated temper, while a layer of astringency leaves you feeling refreshed, new, bright, and clean. Pomegranate stimulates the salivary glands relieving thirst on a hot summer's night. This sophisticated fruit juice makes a perfect addition to cocktails at parties, as it's liver nourishing qualities reduce hangovers and neutralizes alcohol's toxicity. Make pomegranate a nice addition to your barbeque, picnic, or even happy hours.
Cleanse the Stickiness out of Summer
Humidity can leave you feeling sticky, sweaty, and just plain down-and-out. Pomegranate's astringency can help dispel this stickiness and restore your elegance and equanimity. It's sour taste increases the flow of bile which removes sticky oils from the blood, making you feel refreshingly light. After a glass of this sour spritzer, you'll find immediate relief and begin to feel restored, clean, energetic, and bright.
Soothe Burning & Irritation
When heartburn, gas, & bloating leave irritation and burning in its wake, pomegranate juice is a tried-and-true remedy. The sour taste in both pomegranate reduces production of irritating stomach acids, while astringency cools down inflammation.
Pomegranate is excellent for all heat conditions of the digestive tract, including nausea. If you get nausea on an empty stomach or even morning sickness, it may be due to hyperacidity in the stomach.
Blood Tonic Beverage
If you are anemic or just feeling a little run-down and depleted, you may have a mild case of blood deficiency. Pull down your bottom eyelid and look in the mirror. If you see that the capillary bed looks pale, this is a great drink for you. The red color of pomegranate is an indicator that it has blood tonifying properties. Pomegranate helps in the production of red blood cells as it rebuilds fluids. It's sweetness, anti-oxidants and sour taste nourish the liver and restore blood chemistry. Together, these qualities make Pomegranate a great blood tonic. It builds the blood without building heat, which is why Pomegranate is an ideal fix for problems of the blood.
Alkaline Pomegranate
There is a lot of talk about alkaline foods. In Ayurveda, we translate that to mean foods that cool the blood. The next time you feel overheated, sip some pomegranate and check in to how your body feels about ten minutes later. Chances are, you feel relaxation around the eyes where you once felt tension. Your mind softens and your emotions cool down. You have just been "alkalized!!"
Recipes with Pomegranate: Pomegranate Coconut Punch
Glowing Skin Tonic
Skin disorders start in the liver. When the liver is taxed and overheated in summer, the skin comes to rescue by helping the liver detoxify the blood. The result is ruddy, acne ridden complexion as blood toxins come to the surface and irritate your skin. When this happens your skin will look inflamed, hot, and puffy. The liver cleansing & nourishing qualities of pomegranate restores strength to the liver and thus beauty to the skin. You'll feel your skin relax after drinking Pomegranate.
Digestive Aid
Pomegranate is strongly sour, thus encouraging secretions in the digestive tract and salivary glands. These secretions improve taste, digestion, and regular elimination (functioning as a mild laxative and reducing gas). Their watery nature alleviates dryness, hydrating both the skin and internal membranes such as the colon.
Although many sours are irritating topically, pomegranate is a rare gem because it is a soothing exception to the rule. This makes pomegranate a very useful digestive aid to those suffering from high Pitta in the digestive tract. If a pomegranate mocktail is too cold for you, and suppresses your natural appetite, add pinch of ginger powder to warm it up a touch and pacify frazzled Vata. To counteract dryness in Vata pushing Pitta type digestive tract, add lime and a pinch of salt. Pomegranate is also used as a rejuvenator. Our friend and Ayurvedic practitioner, Aubrey Bamdad, suggests adding the bitterness of aloe vera to this recipe. We agree and love this delicious, cooling variation!
Muscle strength
Pomegranate was used in ancient times for heart and muscle strenth, perhaps due to pomegranates sourness which dilates blood vessels and improves circulation. In modern times, pomegranate is used to improve muscle strength and reduce soreness after exercising.
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Pomegranates cooling, pitta pacifying qualities, ability to improve blood vessel function, and its ability to calm pitta in the mind make it useful for high blood pressure.
About Pomegranate
Pomegranate comes from the latin words for apple (pomum) and seed (granatum), altogether meaning 'seeded-apple'. The seeds of the pomegranate are embedded in a white membrane that is also used for its medicinal qualities in Ayurveda. The french word for pomegranate, grenade, gave rise to the military term grenade. The city of Grenada in Spain was also named after the pomegranate.
Recipes with Pomegranate: Persian Pomegranate Walnut Stew (Fesenjan)
Buying & Preparation
Select pomegranates that are heavy for their size, as these are the juiciest. A deeper darker pomegranate will have a sweeter less tart aste. They are best stores in the refrigerator, where they will last 3-4 weeks. To easily harvest the seeds from the peel and membrane, cut in half and score the skin of each half 4-6 times. Tap the back with a spoon. Any additional separation should be done in a bowl full of water as the seeds sink and the pulp floats. Pomegranates red color stains anything it touches, so be careful when opening.
Cooking Pomegranate
Pomegranates are a great snack on their own, or as a garnish for salads or desserts. Throughout the Middle East pomegranates were popularly used in sauces, especially over poultry and fish. Pomegranates can be made into jams, syrups and wines.
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AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT
Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances.
With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you.
Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature.
By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health.
See How it Works.
Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics
(gunas).
Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance.
By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick.
Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold).
You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.
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?
Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.
Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.
Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.
Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.
The 3 metabolic body types
(doshas),
are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).
Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.
Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.
Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia.
They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature.
Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.
Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.
Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Pomegranate
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.
An herb that strengthens spleen function by improving strength of the blood. Spleen tonics Builds agni, brighten the person's appearances & firms up tissues.
An herb that increases appetite or settles a nauseas or nervous stomach. These generally increase the digestive fire, therefore relieving symptoms of sluggish or difficult digestion.
STRONG ALTERATIVE
Restores the proper function of the body by cleansing the blood and balancing blood chemistry. In Ayurveda terms, they pacify Pitta in rakta. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter.
An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals that lead to a chain reaction causing damage or death to cells. Antioxidants terminate these oxidation reactions.
An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.
A herb that contracts tissue or blood vessels. Generally styptics are astringent. They are often used topically as a hemostatic to stop bleeding, or to reduce secretions.
Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.
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 contain beta-carotene.
STRONG FLAVONOIDS
Flavonoids are a colorful type of polyphenol. As all polyphenols, they have a strong antioxidant effect. Many flavonoids have an anti-inflammatory, and/or antiallergen effect.
In each clinical research trial below, students from the
Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda ate the selected food for 3 days and reported the pharmacological effects.
See other clinical research trials for diet & herbs at Joyful Belly.
TEMPERATURE/CIRCULATION
How did Pomegranate affect your temperature?
20
16
12
8
4
0
3
16
3
4
0
Much colder
Slightly colder
Same
Slightly warmer
Much warmer
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your sweat quantity?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
10
15
1
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the color of your tongue body?
15
12
9
6
3
0
4
10
0
12
Paler
Redder
Bluer
No Change
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the swelling of your tongue body?
16
13
10
7
4
1
2
11
13
More Swelling
Less Swelling
No Change
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your appetite/hunger?
15
12
9
6
3
0
0
9
5
11
1
Much less hungry
Slightly less hungry
Same
Slightly hungrier
Much hungrier
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your digestion speed?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
14
8
3
0
Much faster
Slightly faster
Same
Slightly slower
Much slower
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
TOXINS
How did Pomegranate affect the amount of gas & bloating?
10
8
6
4
2
0
3
8
9
6
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your stool smell?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
7
15
4
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
Tongue: How did Pomegranate affect the thickness & size of your tongue coating?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
15
9
1
0
Much smaller
Slightly less
Same
Slightly larger coating
Much larger
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the color of your tongue coating?
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
1
2
20
Yellower
Browner
Grayer
Whiter
No Change
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your urine smell?
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
3
20
2
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the amount of bubbles in your urine?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
1
22
3
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Many more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your sweat smell?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
7
19
0
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
HYDRATION
How did Pomegranate affect your urine frequency/quantity?
15
12
9
6
3
0
0
7
11
8
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the cracks on your tongue?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
7
15
2
1
Larger/longer/more cracks
Slightly more
Same
Slightly less/smaller/shorter
Much less
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
NERVOUS-SYSTEM
How did Pomegranate affect your energy levels?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
3
5
17
1
Much less energy
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more energy
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your muscle tension?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
14
6
5
0
Much less tension
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more tension
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your anxiety?
15
12
9
6
3
0
3
11
8
4
0
Much less anxiety
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more anxiety
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the stillness of your tongue?
23
19
15
11
7
3
5
17
4
More still
No Change
More Trembling / Jittery
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
DIGESTION
How did Pomegranate affect your appetite/hunger?
15
12
9
6
3
0
0
9
5
11
1
Much less hungry
Slightly less hungry
Same
Slightly hungrier
Much hungrier
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your digestion speed?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
14
8
3
0
Much faster
Slightly faster
Same
Slightly slower
Much slower
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the amount of gas & bloating?
10
8
6
4
2
0
3
8
9
6
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
TONGUE
Tongue: How did Pomegranate affect the thickness & size of your tongue coating?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
15
9
1
0
Much smaller
Slightly less
Same
Slightly larger coating
Much larger
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the swelling of your tongue body?
16
13
10
7
4
1
2
11
13
More Swelling
Less Swelling
No Change
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the color of your tongue body?
15
12
9
6
3
0
4
10
0
12
Paler
Redder
Bluer
No Change
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the stillness of your tongue?
23
19
15
11
7
3
5
17
4
More still
No Change
More Trembling / Jittery
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the color of your tongue coating?
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
1
2
20
Yellower
Browner
Grayer
Whiter
No Change
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the cracks on your tongue?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
7
15
2
1
Larger/longer/more cracks
Slightly more
Same
Slightly less/smaller/shorter
Much less
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
STOOL
How did Pomegranate affect your stool frequency/quantity?
15
12
9
6
3
0
0
2
10
13
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your stool color?
20
16
12
8
4
0
4
0
2
5
15
More yellow
More gray
More green
More orange
Same
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your stool lightness?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
5
14
5
1
Much lighter
Slightly lighter
Same
Slightly darker
Much darker
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your stool smell?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
7
15
4
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your stool consistency?
15
12
9
6
3
0
2
10
7
6
1
Much softer
Slightly softer
Same
Slightly harder
Much harder
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
URINE
How did Pomegranate affect your urine clarity?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
17
8
More cloudy
Same
More clear
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your urine smell?
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
3
20
2
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your urine lightness?
20
16
12
8
4
0
2
4
17
3
0
Much lighter
Slightly lighter
Same
Slightly Darker
Much Darker
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your urine frequency/quantity?
15
12
9
6
3
0
0
7
11
8
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect the amount of bubbles in your urine?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
1
22
3
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Many more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
SWEAT
How did Pomegranate affect your sweat quantity?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
10
15
1
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your sweat smell?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
7
19
0
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
SYSTEMIC
How did Pomegranate affect your energy levels?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
3
5
17
1
Much less energy
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more energy
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your muscle tension?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
14
6
5
0
Much less tension
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more tension
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your anxiety?
15
12
9
6
3
0
3
11
8
4
0
Much less anxiety
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more anxiety
Much more
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
How did Pomegranate affect your temperature?
20
16
12
8
4
0
3
16
3
4
0
Much colder
Slightly colder
Same
Slightly warmer
Much warmer
Total Responses: 26 Study ID:30 (2021-03-07 - 2021-04-01)
Pomegranate may be beneficial for these symptoms.
The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual.
Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.
Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when
right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in
Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire
reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once
you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a
healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda.
His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful.
John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda,
offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.
John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy,
& botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
His wife and family of 7 kids live in Asheville, NC.
Want our top Ayurvedic recipes and health tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter!
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.
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