
The expression "Feeling your oats" testifies to the use of oats as a tonic for increased vigor. Oats calms the nervous system by nourishing and strengthening. It is useful for insomnia and anxiety. Oats have a slimy quality (they are demulcent)...
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.
All hard, dense foods are difficult to digest and hard cheeses are no exception. In addition, parmesan cheese is salty, aged, and fermented provoking both Pitta and Kapha.
Glossy orange-red American Persimmons (Diospyros virginiana) grow wild from the east coast through to the Midwest. Akin to dates, Persimmons are very sweet & gooey. They are too sweet to ferment or rot, and thus perfect for drying. American persimmons...
This substantial meat builds blood and strength (balya). It's strengthening qualities (bruhana) are ideal for weak, or deficient clients. A pork stew with kale, garlic, ginger, and molasses is a tasty postpartum dish that will rebuild blood...
Sugar has been produced in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times. Sugar refinement in India dates back to at least 500 B.C. Although there are many types of sugars (glucose, fructose, maltose), sucrose is the one most commonly used. Before sugar...
Seaweed must by hydrated before serving to pacify Vata, otherwise it is too dry. The fire quality of salt aggravates Pitta and the liquid quality Kapha. Seaweed supplies iodine and has a rich nutrient profile. Examples include: Wakame...
Seitan is made from the gluten of wheat washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch dissolves. The insoluble gluten remains behind. Seitan is an alternative to soybean-based meat substitutes.
Sour cream is an easier to digest fat for Vata's with dryness. Sour cream helps a deficient liver to produce bile, so the fats can be easily digested.
Sucanat is a variety or raw, unrefined evaporated cane sugar.
Tapioca is actually made from tree resin. Like most resins tapioca is sticky.
Most white sugar comes from either beets or sugar cane. Honey was the main sweetener before refined sugar became available. There are many sugar substitutes including artificial sweeteners, fructose, sucrose, xylitol, stevia, corn syrup, agave syrup,...
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...
Xanthum gum comes from the resin of a tree. Like most resins it is sticky. According to Merriam Webster, xantham gum is "a polysaccharide that is produced by fermentation of carbohydrates by a bacterium (Xanthomonas campestris) and is a thickening and...
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.
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Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’