NIGELLA (BLACK CUMIN)

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 142 likes

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Found in Tutankhamun's tomb, black cumin is a famous as an Old World spice and medicine. The 'Tibb-e-Nabavi" or "Medicine of the Prophet (Muhammed)", reports the only disease it cannot cure is death. It's many uses have earned it the nickname "seed of...

FENNEL SEEDS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 3 reviews, 355 likes

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Cool and soothing, verdant and fragrant, fennel is a member of the carrot family that includes other popular spices such as cumin, coriander, dill and celery. Fennel is used as a flavoring in some natural toothpastes and mouth fresheners. Fennel seeds...

ALMOND MILK

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 3 reviews, 569 likes

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Almond milk is a wonderful soothing drink that builds strength, immunity, and grounded energy. Its cool, heavy sweetness creates a sensation of stability and calm in the body, while offering easily accessible energy. For those suffering from lactose...

FISH

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Fish is lighter than poultry or meat. Although all meat is considered heavy and tamasic, we are labeling fish as sattvic relative to poultry and red meat.

CABBAGE (COOKED)

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Cabbage juice is an anti-inflammatory. It was used by the Greeks and Romans to relieve eye inflammation. Fresh cabbage juice promotes rapid healing of ulcers. Raw cabbage is very difficult to digest and strongly provokes Vata. Cooked cabbage is...

CARDAMOM

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 8 reviews, 527 likes

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Love for cardamom resonates through history - for instance, ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom to whiten their teeth and sweeten their breath. Cardamom helps take the edge off of caffeine in the famous drink Turkish coffee. Cardamom is a member of the...

TOBACCO / NICOTINE

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 26 likes

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Tobacco, a member of the nightshade family, aggravates all three doshas. Kapha in the lungs, Pitta in the liver vitiating the blood, and Vata due to the mobile quality. People crave tobacco because it temporarily stimulates the lungs and...

KEFIR

(4.00 out of 5 stars) 3 reviews, 67 likes

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Kefir is a thin yogurt drink that cools and soothes as it refreshes. Its sour taste, like yogurt, improves its digestibility when compared with other dairy products. As it is less thick than yogurt, it also digests more easily than yogurt. Kefir can...

BUCKWHEAT

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 147 likes

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Buckwheat's hearty warmth hits the spot on any damp cloudy day in November. Enjoy as you snuggle up with your loved ones, or while listening to crackling logs in a wood burning stove. Smoky, nutty and earthy, buckwheat is slightly demulcent like...

HING (ASAFOETIDA)

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Also known as devil's dung, stinking gum, food of the gods, and giant fennel, hing has a varied and suprising diversity of uses. Along the Tex-Mex border hing was used for wolf bait. The odor attracts wolves. In Jamaica, hing is used to protect the...

SUNFLOWER OIL

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Sunflower oil is a relatively safe, neutral oil for all three doshas. However, deep fried food aggravates all three doshas. Fried food aggravates Vata due to dryness, Pitta due to excess bile production, and Kapha due to heaviness.

FLAX SEED

(3.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 244 likes

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If you are constipated, try soaking a teaspoon of flax seeds in warm water for 2 hours. Soaking releases the soluble fiber in flax, which forms a slimy gel that bulks up stools for easy elimination. Its high oil content can lubricate a dry intestinal...

MILLET

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Millet is drier than other grains. It's astringency can help bind diarrhea. It is warmer than other grains, stimulating good digestion and agni. Due to astringency, millet may feel like sandpaper if the tissues of the digestive tract are irritated or...

CAULIFLOWER

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 276 likes

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Cauliflower causes gas in Vata types.

AJWAIN

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 327 likes

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Ajwain is native to the Middle East and is still common in Egypt as well as Indian cooking. Like turmeric, ajwain is a spice used to enhance digestibility rather than flavor.

APPLE (COOKED)

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 671 likes

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In Norse mythology, apples are said to provide eternal youthfulness. Apples appear in many religious traditions, including the bible, often as a forbidden fruit. Apples originated in Western Asia, where its wild ancestor still grows today. There are...

CORIANDER SEED

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Coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant. Its pleasantly fragrant aroma lifts the spirits and has a rustic feel.

MUNG BEAN

(4.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 321 likes

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Looking for a new way to keep your body refreshed and cleansed this summer? Mung beans can help you keep your cool when the days are hot. These nourishing legumes are also famous for their cleansing abilities in Ayurveda.

BALSAMIC VINEGAR

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Vinegar heats up digestion, but aids fat metabolism. Balsamic vinegar is made with red wine, which is hotter than other vinegars.

ROSEMARY

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Rosmarinus, is from the latin "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), and means "dew of the sea". Rosemary grows in arid Mediterranean conditions and, as its name implies, can survive on the humidity carried by the sea breeze.

SESAME SEEDS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 169 likes

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"Open sesame" was the secret password in the medieval Arabic adventure tale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. These magic words revealed a cave rich with treasures secreted by thieves. Sesame seeds and oil are a food treasure rich with myriad health...

OKRA

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Okra is ojas building like most plants in the mallow family. It is also slimy and astringent, a seemingly unusual combination. Since okra is also cool, it is tri-doshic. Okra is especially helpful for relieving dryness in the joints.

PEANUTS

(4.20 out of 5 stars) 5 reviews, 41 likes

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Why do we love nuts? Humans have a long history of eating nuts. Nuts were the primary source of fats and proteins prior to the agricultural revolution. Unfortunately, peanuts aren't nuts; they're beans.

GINGER (DRIED)

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Ever reach for dried ginger as a quick replacement for the fresh root and assume its an apt substitute? Ginger is ginger is ginger, right? Actually, not at all. Dried ginger...

ACORN SQUASH

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Acorn Squash is a nourishing, grounding vegetable whose sweetness can be the centerpiece of a hearty meal. As sweet taste is almost always cold, be sure to warm your acorn squash with mild spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, or more savory options like...

CHIA SEEDS

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The word chia is a native american word meaning 'oily' Chia seeds were an important food crop in central America. Chia seeds are one of the few seeds of the mint family consumed as a food. It is closely related to culinary sage.

CELERY STALK

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The word for celery comes from the Greek word selinon which translates to 'parsley,' a close relative of celery. Celery's powers have been known since antiquity. Leaves of it were found in the garlands surrounding King Tut's tomb, and Homer makes...

CUMIN

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 4 reviews, 282 likes

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Appreciated since ancient times, cumin's aroma has wafted through kitchens since at least the second millennium BC, even flavoring breads and soups mentioned in the Bible. The highly valued spice was a currency to pay tithes to priests. The ancient...

TURMERIC

(4.58 out of 5 stars) 12 reviews, 937 likes

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Turmeric is a warm, yellow, earthy, slightly bitter spice used in ritual, medicine, and cooking. Turmeric paste is applied to bride and groom before marriage in some places of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Although a deep yellow color, turmeric...

BASMATI RICE

(4.00 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 385 likes

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Rice builds ojas. Ojas is said to have the smell of burnt rice. Of rices, Basmati is the most sattvic and aromatic. Rice is nourishing and easy to digest giving more 'bang for the buck'. Rice offers more calories with less effort from digestive...

SALT (MINERAL SALT)

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 125 likes

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Salt brings out the flavor in food and brings enthusiasm for life. While contraindicated for Kapha and high blood pressure, salt is also one of the most important medicines for Vata

FENUGREEK

(4.50 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 178 likes

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Fenugreek s one of the oldest medicinal plants. It has been used since 4000BC. It's name means "ram's horn clover". It was found in the tomb of Tutankhamen.

BARLEY

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 270 likes

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Barley has an ancient history, and was first cultivated in the Near East.