ACORN

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Acorns are high in tannins, a bitter and astringent acid that irritates the digestive tract and causes constipation. However, tannins are water soluble.

APPLE (RAW)

(1.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 298 likes

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Apples are crunchy and leave a rough feeling on the roof of the mouth, both signs of astringency. Astringency is drying. Thus raw apples provoke Vata and constipation. Cooked apples and apple sauce are more Vata friendly. They are not astringent....

APRICOT (DRIED)

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See also fresh apricots

BRAZIL NUT

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Brazil nuts have received recent popularity for their ability to stimulate the thyroid. This warm, rich nut won't fail to please you either. It's buttery, oily tastes is universally appreciated.

BUCKWHEAT

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 154 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...

CHOCOLATE (CACAO)

(4.00 out of 5 stars) 7 reviews, 231 likes

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Romance may be sealed with a box of chocolates, but passion for chocolate is as eternal as true love. Long before John Cadbury invented the chocolate bar, native meso-american peoples brewed chocolate with medicinal herbs. Chocolate has been used as...

COFFEE

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 194 likes

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Coffee as a SacramentWhat are your rituals around coffee? Coffee has become a sacrament in our culture. A client reports, "The only time my husband and I relax together is over coffee." My response, "If your marriage is dependent...

CRANBERRY

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Cranberries grow in acidic bogs. Early settlers in North American thought cranberry flowers looked like a crane, and named them 'craneberry'. They are a major commercial crop in North America.

CRIMINI & BUTTON MUSHROOMS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 109 likes

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Stay GroundedMushrooms have an earthy taste like the dark, rich loamy soil itself. This earthiness is a sign of mushrooms' ability to keep you grounded and calm your nervous system. They are considered tamasic in Ayurveda meaning...

DATES (DRIED)

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 163 likes

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Dates have been a staple food and cultivated in the Middle East for thousands of years. Their cultivation has been documented in Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt and as far back as 6000BC in Arabia.

DOSA MIX

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 47 likes

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Our palates just aren't used to sour food unless it's a pickle. But dosa's are more full bodied than plain rice and lentils, just like beer compared to bread.

PARSNIP

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 88 likes

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Parsnip is native to the Mediterranean, where it is cultivated like carrots.

PEANUTS

(4.33 out of 5 stars) 6 reviews, 47 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.

PEARS

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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...

PECANS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 110 likes

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Pecan is from the Algonquin word meaning 'a nut needing a stone to crack.' Pecan is a species of hickory native to south central north america.

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM

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Mushrooms are considered to be tamasic and a bit dark in Ayurveda. They are earthy and soulful. Chinese medicine uses many mushrooms as immune tonics. Many western herbalists entertain the notion that mushrooms come from an alien planet. While this...

POTATO

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 205 likes

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Causes Weight Gain The abundance of starch in potato and their high glycemic index cause weight gain.This heaviness puts you to sleep and can slow digestion. Cools Inflammation Potatoes, un-remedied by spices...

PRUNES (DRIED)

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 131 likes

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High fiber (pectin) and phenolic compounds have made prunes famous as laxative. While prunes are a great choice of laxative for Kapha's with lazy colon constipation, Vata should take caution due to the diuretic nature of prunes. High potassium makes...

PUMPKIN

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 106 likes

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Soft, sweet, and buttery, pumpkin pie has been my favorite Thanksgiving treat since childhood. I've baked over 8 pumpkin pies this season alone.

SAFFLOWER

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Safflower is one of humanity's oldest crops.

SPLIT PEAS

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Beans are the 'musical fruit' because they contain saponins to protect themselves against insects. Saponins form the sudsy foam on the surface of a cooking pot of beans. They prevent protein digestion resulting in stagnation and gas of the bowels.

TOFU

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 149 likes

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Tofu was invented in China over 2000 years ago.

WALNUTS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 3 reviews, 134 likes

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The country of Georgia is famous for its walnut sauces. Walnuts also exude a golden yellow oil when pressed that is used as a garnish in Georgian dishes. Discover more about walnuts from one of my favorite authors, Paula Wolfert, in "The Cooking of the...

WHITE FLOUR (WHEAT)

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 5 reviews, 82 likes

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There is a popular saying, "Wheat increases brawn, but rice increases brain." Wheat is dense nutrition, but it is difficult to digest. It pulls too much blood out of circulation and into the digestive tract. The loss of blood dulls the mind, and voila...