AJWAIN

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 344 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 CIDER VINEGAR

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 6 reviews, 441 likes

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Often used for weight loss, vinegar strongly increases the flow of bile. Bile is a fatty, oily substance made by the liver, and stored in the gall bladder. It helps you digest fats. Since bile is also a fatty oily substance, draining bile from the...

APRICOT (FRESH)

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Frank Cook and I happened to visit our friend Aaron Wilson during apricot season in Jerome, Arizona. The Turks have a saying, 'the only thing better than this is an apricot from Damascus.' We should rewrite that phrase to include wild apricots from...

ARTICHOKE HEARTS

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See the Ayurvedic Analysis of Artichokes page.

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.

BASIL

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Basil's warm and spicy aroma adds a passionate flare to any dish, bringing the heat of the Mediterranean sun to your table. Its bright green color and vigorous flavor is unmistakable in pesto. It adds verve to a home-made tomato sauce, and is a perky...

BEET GREENS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 144 likes

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The astringency of the beet can cause a fuzzy feeling on the teeth.

CELERY ROOT

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 75 likes

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This bright food is one of the lightest of root vegetables. It's the only root vegetable with as much flavor and freshness as leafy greens - something you can't get from a turnip or carrot. Imagine a root vegetable that's perfect for spring, and that...

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...

CHERRY

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Berries arrive just in time for late spring, early summer. Berries are lymphatic movers that complete the spring process of cleansing your liver. They are also liver tonics to protect your liver during summer. Berries are rich in anti-oxidants that...

CORN

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 102 likes

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Meso-Americans domesticated corn (also known as maize) in pre-historic times, spreading through much of the Americas between 1700 and 1250 BCE. While most corn stands at 8.2ft, at least one variety of corn grows to 39 feet in length.

CUMIN

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 4 reviews, 290 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...

DAIKON RADISH

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 89 likes

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Daikon is native to southeast and east Asia. From white to purple to green to pink, Daikon comes in several varieties. It's also known as white radish, winter radish, long white radish, oriental radish, and mooli. In Japan, many types of pickles are...

DILL

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Dill seems to lighten the palate. As one client reports, "Dill embodies the taste of freshness with a little kick." It is called shatapushpa in Ayurveda. Dill is a member of the carrot family (apiaceae) along with parsley, celery, cumin,...

FENUGREEK

(4.50 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 182 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.

GRAPEFRUIT

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 183 likes

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Grapefruit is a relatively new addition to the citrus family. It is a hybrid first discovered in the 18th century. Described as tart, tangy, or sweet, the grapefruit is said to be one of the "Seven Wonders of Barbados, because legend says the fruit was...

GREEN CHILIS

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The entire nightshade family (solanaceae) aggravates Vata and Pitta, due to the weak liver of these two body types. All peppers aggravate Pitta due to heat. Note that black pepper...

GRITS

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Most likely named after the texture of road grit, grits are simply a course grinding of corn. Corn flour is finely ground and corn meal somewhere in between.

HONEY

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 201 likes

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Honey - The Nectar of the Gods This pure and natural heavenly gift from nature was the first sweetener known to man. Honey's sweet goodness has been an icon of abundance for centuries. It's golden syrup seems to capture the...

HORSERADISH

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Horseradish is a sharp, acrid spice that kindles agni. It is even used in steakhouses to help digest a heavy meal.

KOMBUCHA

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Akin to vinegar, kombucha is highly acidic and increases Pitta. As a medicine, kombucha should be consumed in small quantities only, such as a tsp before meals.

LEMON ZEST

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Citrus zest is highly aromatic bitter, making it ideal for stimulating appetite and reducing upper GI food stagnation. Ysha Oakes reports, "The gentle pungency is digestive, and carries limonene which is well researched for anti cancer properties."

MANGO

(3.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 127 likes

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Mango's happy flamboyance will brighten your day with its healthy, festive atmosphere. Its sweetness invites happiness and a smile while nourishing qualities authentically replenish your body after summer heat leaves you feeling depleted. When its time...

MASA

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 44 likes

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Masa is spanish for dough, although masa usually refers to 'masa de maize', meaning corn dough. Masa is a dried flour prepared from processed hominy and wood ash. The wood ash contains slaked lime, which makes the nutrients in the corn more bio...

MUSTARD GREENS

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Raw brassicas contain chemicals that can block thyroid function called goitrogens. These chemicals are easily inactivated by steaming or cooking.

PARSLEY (FRESH)

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 165 likes

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Parsley was revered for is medicinal potency long before it was eaten as a food. Native to the central Mediterranean region, the herb was sacred to the ancient Greeks. They used it to adorn victorious athletes and decorate the tombs of the dead.

POPCORN

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Anything you eat must be completely rehydrated in order to digest it. That means dry foods like corn could absorb too much fluids for deficiency, dehydrated Vata typs. Corn is also drying in the colon as it continues to absorb moisture, leading to...

RADISH (RAW)

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The word radish derives from the latin word for root, "radix." Domesticated in Europe in pre-Roman times, radishes are an edible root of the Brassicaceae family. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. They are inexpensive, grow quickly...