Ancestors of the wild carrot came from Iran and Afghanistan, the center of genetic diversity for carrot. Carrots were bred from a species of wild carrot, called Queen Anne's Lace. Originally they were grown for their aromatic leaves and seeds. Since...
Like all roots cooked onion brings a grounding feel. Yellow onions are the standard onion in American grocery store shelves. White onions tend to be sweeter and crunchier. Red...
Regarded as both a force for good and evil, folklore and superstition abound when it comes to this little but poignant member of the onion family. A garland of garlic kept evil spirits and vampires away in the west. In an eastern Islamic myth, garlic...
Small but potent, mustard seed's penetrating warmth enlivens agni, supports circulation, and clears heaviness from the system. Its hot, sharp, aromatic qualities dispel stagnation and are Ideal for cold, damp, or congested states.
Trying to cut down on butter at the movies? Try popcorn with ghee and cinnamon. Ghee is golden and delicious. Children love it. It is also great as a garnish drizzled over food. For details on how to make ghee yourself search for "ghee" in the recipe...
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...
Lassis are a popular yogurt drink in India. A lassi is simply equal parts yogurt and water blended together, often with digestive spices like cumin and salt. Lassis aid digestion after a meal. Fruits and mangoes in lassis are a bad food combination.
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
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...
Rich and creamy, milk is a soothing balm to both body and mind. As a schoolboy, I LOVED coming home to a cool, refreshing glass of milk. Milk's mild sweetness goes down easy. On hot days it refreshed me. On cold days, a warm glass of milk with hot...
Raw olive oil is pungent & bitter. It's oily and bitter qualities act as a cholagogue, flushing the liver and gall bladder. In the United States, most olive oil is pasteurized. When cooked, olive oil loses its cleansing properties and sadly, its taste.
Introduction You'll feel warmed to the bone and relaxed after eating molasses. The gooey and thick nature of this sweetener gave rise to the famous phrase "as slow as molasses." Molasses is not your average sweetener. Its...
Star anise is a small evergreen tree native to China that closely resembles anise in flavor. Its licorice-flavored start shaped fruit is also grown in Japan and Vietnam. It has a dark brown color and contains six to eight seeded petal-like segments. ...
Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree in the Lauraceae family native to Sri Lanka. Other members of this family include sassafras, avocado, camphor, and spicebush. Trees of the laurel family, including cinnamon, predominate in the world's laurel forests....
Winter squashes, including butternut, are eaten in the autumn after they have absorbed the sun's energy over the summer. This stored energy gives squashes a warm ojas building heartiness that can comfort you through colder weather. Where most tonic...
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...
The origin of lemons are a mystery. Do they come from southern india? burma? or china? Speculation abounds. Genetic study reveals lemons are a hybrid of a sour orange and a citron.
Butter increases cholesterol, which is Kapha in nature. Eat organic butter only because the toxins are concentrated as the milk is concentrated. Ayurveda recommends ghee over butter because it is lighter for digestion. Every get thirsty after eating...
Smooth, hearty tahini is the creamy butter of blended sesame seeds. This savory and sensual spread invites a Middle Eastern richness to your...
The mere taste of Maple Syrup's rich aroma transports you back to nature, to the calm and cool serenity of the forest. The full bodied taste let's you know this is a whole food. It's earthy impurities add a rustic component that is likely to be rich in...
Native to the dry hills of the Middle East and Central Asia, these little gems are among the world's oldest harvested nut trees, cultivated for over 9,000 years. Ancient Persians called them the "green gold," prized by kings and travelers alike for...
Fronds of a coconut palm sway in a tropical breeze,...
As the most widely cultivated nut tree in the world, almonds (Prunus dulcis) have been revered across ancient cultures for their unique ability to build strength, sharpen intelligence, and nourish the body deeply. Originally native to the Levant region...
Grapes are considered a superior fruit to all others in Ayurvedic. They are an important tonic (rasayana) for late summer. Grapes have been a sign of abundance since Greek times. The Greek God or agriculture, Dionysus, is often portrayed with a crown...
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...
Egg whites are a great source of protein. The egg yolks are a hearty and nourishing tonic pacifying Vata but aggravating Kapha. Egg yolks are high in cholesterol. Egg yolks are heating, and mildly aggravating to Pitta. Some people are allergic to the...
Acorns are high in tannins, a bitter and astringent acid that irritates the digestive tract and causes constipation. However, tannins are water soluble.
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...
Thyme tea has been used to stop gastric fermentation. It may be mixed with honey for sore throats. It's diaphoretic properties make it useful to sweat out a fever.
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.
"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...
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...
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,...
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....
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...
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Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’
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