How Can Tomato Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

Nightshades or No?
Ever since the Spaniards brought tomatoes to Europe, they have been subject of controversial debate. Southern Europe said yes, embracing the tomato, which would fundamentally change Mediterranean and especially Italian cuisine. Northern Europe said no, calling the tomato 'wolf peach' instead because they belong to the often poisonous nightshade family. In the East, the controversy continues - Chinese medicine says yes, they clear summer heat. Ayurveda says no, they stimulate heat and desire, and cause toxic build-up. Whatever your personal philosophy on tomatoes, they are a near ubiquitous addition to world cuisine. So what is the secret behind the explosion in tomato's popularity?

Tomatoes & Desire
Any Italian chef will testify to the passion and warmth of tomato. Cooked tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes are downright zesty and pungent. They have a meaty, hearty feel that warms the belly.

I'll never forget my walks through the New Mexico desert as an Ayurveda student. Wild relatives of the tomato were growing everywhere, quite comfortable in the hot, dry high-altitude deserts. The red color of tomatoes seemed to echo the warmth of the southwestern climate. This climate is best approximated by August in other landscapes, which is exactly when tomatoes ripen. Astringent taste and dryness dominate the body and emotions in late summer, just like in the New Mexico desert.

Tomatoes are plump, juicy with a hint of sweetness and ripe just in time to restore your virility and juiciness in the dry season. The sourness rehydrates your salivary glands, moistens your mouth and stimulates your taste buds which tend towards blandness in early autumn.

Heat Up Your Digestion
Tomatoes are strongly acidic, making them both stimulating and sour, and even irritating to some. Sourness not only hydrates salivary glands, but the entire digestive tract as well. Tomato's acidity heats up your digestion and makes your digestive glands juicy. Tomato's high acidity may also irritate the GI tract, and should be avoided by those with GI inflammation. The more tomatoes are cooked, as in tomato sauces and sun-dried tomatoes, the more these irritating qualities become concentrated, pungent and hot.

For die-hard tomato fanatics, such as my Italian-American family, a pinch of baking soda in the sauce will neutralize some of these irritating acids, but also much of the flavor. Note: The flesh of tomato is easy to digest, while the skins and seeds may be more irritating and too difficult for some. In that case, tomatoes are easily skinned and seeded. Cherry tomatoes are generally less irritating.

Cool Your Blood
Raw tomatoes cool the blood on hot summer days. Their high vitamin A content clears Liver Heat and supports detoxification. So go ahead, pick a juicy tomato off the vine and bite in.

A Funky Fruit
As a member of the nightshade family, tomatoes also have a funkiness - a residue that ultimate irritates the body, especially the joints. Crush a tomato leaf and sniff; you will experience the funkiness of nightshades first-hand. The leaves and stems contain tomatine and solanine, both poisonous substances. Use caution with tomatoes if you have arthritis, are easily irritated, or have an aggressive, hot-blooded temperament.

On the other hand, tomatoes are high in lycopene a potent antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic. They are high in vitamin A, a Pitta pacifying substance that benefits the liver, blood and eyes. They are also high in vitamins C and E.

ABOUT TOMATO

Today, tomatoes are famous for their high amount of the anti-oxidant lycopene. They are also a popularized as a nonlethal fruit to throw rotten tomatoes at bad performers on a stage. Ayurvedically, tomatoes are sweet and sour. They aggravate Pitta in the digestive tract, but cool the blood.

BUYING & PREPARATION

Tomatoes are a fruit but they are used as vegetable. They come in many varieties of sizes, shapes, and textures. Tomatoes keep best unwashed at room temperature and out of the sunlight. Refrigeration may destroy flavor. Store stem down for best results.
Remove the seeds and skin for delicate constitutions. Cooked tomatoes are easier to digest and more stimulating.

COOKING TOMATO

Browse Recipes Tomato's stimulating zing makes it a popular addition in salsas and condiments such as ketchup. Cooked into a sauce, tomatoes have become the very icon of Italian American cuisine. Tomatoes are universally loved in soups where they impart a flavorful heartiness. They may be served cold in salads, chopped on bruschetta, or pureed in gazpacho. Fried green tomatoes and salsa verde features green, unripe tomatoes. Garlic and cumin are a substitute for tomatoes because they bring a hearty feel.

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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Is Tomato Good for Me?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether Tomato 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	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	SOUR ABOUT SOUR GUNA Sour refers to anything fermented or acidic. LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUR SWEET ABOUT SWEET GUNA Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET PUNGENT ABOUT PUNGENT GUNA Pungency is characterized by irritation, or sharp, spicy foods that irritate the mouth such as black pepper. LEARN MORE ABOUT PUNGENT
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: Rajasic RAJASIC Rajasic foods stimulate desire or nervous energy. Red meat, high protein food, garlic and onions stimulate desire. Rajasic foods include chili peppers, coffee, and anything that stimulates movement. LEARN MORE ABOUT RAJASIC , 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: Vegetables CONTAINS: Nightshade NIGHTSHADE A member of the plant family Solanaceae. Members of this family have a tendency to irritate the liver and arthritic conditions. Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and bell peppers. LEARN MORE ABOUT NIGHTSHADE ELEMENT: Fire FIRE Resembles fire (tejas) in quality - hot, sharp, penetrating, light, dry. LEARN MORE ABOUT FIRE , Water WATER Resembles water (ap) in quality - fluid, sticky, soft, heavy, stable, cool. LEARN MORE ABOUT WATER NUTRIENT: Potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Antioxidant COLOR: Red

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.

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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

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Heart & Circulation:

Hypotensive

HYPOTENSIVE

An herb that lowers blood pressure.

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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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Reproductive Health:

Aphrodisiac

APHRODISIAC

Herbs that increase sexual arousal through various actions including increased circulation, relaxation, stimulation, or tonics that strengthen glandular health.

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Skin Care & Beauty:

Rubefacient

RUBEFACIENT

An herb used topically that causes dilation of the capillaries and an increase in blood circulation. The skin will appear red or flushed.

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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...

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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.

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