
Acai means fruit that cries. Acai is a sweet & juicy fruit with a satisfying purple pulp. It provides rich nutrition, high antioxidant value, and fiber.
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...
Adzuki beans are known to have originated in China where they are used extensively in traditional medicine. They are a staple in the macrobiotic diet and very popular in Japan, second only to the soybean in terms of consumption and popularity.
Agave, the main ingredient in Tequila, has resurfaced as a health fad in recent years. Sticky and delicious agave nectar, produced from the agave plant, has been touted as a healthier sweetener because it has a slightly lower glycemic index than sugar....
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.
Alcohol is a hot depressant. Initially, the heat combined with the relaxing qualties of alcohol dilate blood vessels, an aid to circulation. The heart, which is a naturally affectionate and social organ, predisposes one to fun and perhaps risky social...
Promotes strength and solidity. Anabolic, but without creating stagnation. Regulates estrogen (phytoestrogens can increase or decrease estrogen as needed). Liver, Spleen Yin Tonic. Alfalfa is a urinary & GI membrane restorative. (Source: Holmes)
Highly aromatic & spicy, Allspice is an ideal appetizer that refreshes the mouth. It is a delicious addition to meats and desserts, where it doubles as a digestive aid. It's taste and astringency closely resembles cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and it...
Aloe includes more than 250 species of flowering succulents and is native to Africa, Madagascar and Jordan. It is closely related to cactus, yucca and onion. For thousands of years and across many cultures, aloe has been used to heal a variety of...
Amaranth represented up to 80% of the caloric intake of the Aztecs before the Spanish conquest. Amaranth tastes somewhat like corn, but is somewhat less sweet. Others have described the taste as nutty, like bacon or wood, or slightly bitter. It is...
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...
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....
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...
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...
Artichokes are a traditional liver remedy. As a member of the thistle family, they are
Studies have shown use of artificial sweeteners has no effect on weight loss, baffling scientists. Perhaps the brain does not like to be deceived, or that use of artificial sweeteners doesn't address the underlying addiction to sugars.
Its sharp peppery flavor is a sign that arugula is light and easy to digest for those with slow, cold digestion, or to help take a heavy meal and "lighten" it, so your body can assimilate the nutrients of the entire dish.
Asparagus has a delicate flavor and texture making it an ideal vegetable for gourmet cuisine!
The avocado fruit grows on trees, but does not ripen until after it has been picked. It has a pear shape, and a rough, dark green to black skin with tiny bumps, which earned it the name "alligator pear". Unlike other fruits, avocado isn't sweet at all,...
Baking powder is a compound of both baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and an acid salt. When the mixture comes into contact with water or heat, the chemicals in baking powder react and form carbon dioxide, causing dough to rise.
Vinegar heats up digestion, but aids fat metabolism. Balsamic vinegar is made with red wine, which is hotter than other vinegars.
Replenish Electrolytes and RehydrateYou have spent a long hot afternoon tending your garden or chasing the kids and you're feeling parched. But sometimes, no matter how much water you drink, your body still feels thirsty. Simple...
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...
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...
Red meat strongly rebuilds deficient blood. It is especially useful in late summer and early fall. Red meat increases Pitta and Kapha. Too much red meat clogs the lymphatic system (Kapha blocking Vata in rasa dhatu), and causes blood stangation...
The astringency of the beet can cause a fuzzy feeling on the teeth.
"A tale that begins with a beet will end with the devil", wrote Tom Robbins in Jitterbug Perfume. For good reason too - cooking with red beets leaves the hands looking blood-stained. A chef who slaughters beets cannot hide - only run from the scene of...
The bitterest member of the gourd family, bitter melon is a popular vegetable in south asia from India northward to China.
Black beans are a rich source of vegetable protein, easing any meat cravings for those seeking satiation. The shiny obsidian quality of the beans are a beautiful addition to any meal, providing an earthy depth and dark contrast. Black beans appear...
The word 'pepper' is dervied from the South Asian word 'pippali'. Pippali (long pepper) is a famous herb in Ayurveda for lung and heart conditions, and is a close relative of black pepper. The word pepper gradually came to include the unrelated New...
Black salt is a popular condiment in India. It consists of salt infused with sulfurous herbs and spices. It is a brownish pink color due to sulfides that also give it its unique pungent flavor.
Caffeine shifts awareness from the heart chakra to the third eye. New trades routes brought caffeinated beverages to Europe creating an 'Age of Enlightenment' and ending the middle ages. Ayurveda comes from an older time where the mind was not separate...
Popular in southern soul food. Apparently, eating black eyed peas on New Years Day brings prosperity.
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Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’