ACORN

SAVE FOOD

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

ALCOHOL

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 3 reviews, 164 likes

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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...

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 6 reviews, 482 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...

ARUGULA

(4.50 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 389 likes

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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.

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.

BEEF

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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...

BEET GREENS

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

SAVE FOOD

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

BEETS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 422 likes

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Beets come from the south of Europe. They are a member of the amaranth family. The beet has a long history of cultivation stretching back to the second millennium BC.

BLACK PEPPER

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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 TEA

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 251 likes

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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...

BLUE CHEESE

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Tangy and moldy, like gym socks but glorious all the same.

BROCCOLI

(4.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 370 likes

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Broccoli is packed with nutrients, high in fiber, and keeps the stomach satisfied for a long time. An entire bag of broccoli has about 100 calories, or the equivalent of two french fries at a fast food restaurant. Raw brassicas contain chemicals...

CASHEWS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 3 reviews, 238 likes

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Sweet and heavy, cashews calm the nerves and satisfy your belly. The crescent shaped cashew is dense and warm, building strength and leaving you feeling sustained, particularly in cooler months. Initially crunchy, these nuts become creamy and smooth...

CAYENNE PEPPER

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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...

CELERY ROOT

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 81 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...

CHESTNUTS

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Chestnuts are warm, sweet and nourishing. Their building nature is perfect for winter. Winter is a perfect time of year to strengthen your body, since your body responds better to building tonics throughout October, November, and December. Chestnuts...

CHICKEN LIVERS

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Pitta has liquid element. But when Pitta symptoms appear with dryness, Vata is to blame. Deficient liver or depletion of ojas leads to dryness and inflammation. Use chicken liver to pacify Vata in the liver, moistening it, building rasa and rakta...

CHIPOTLE CHILI

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Smokey and sharp, tastes like a campfire.

CHOCOLATE (CACAO)

(4.00 out of 5 stars) 7 reviews, 241 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, 198 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...

CORN

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

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,...

DULSE

SAVE FOOD

Dulse is a red ribbon seaweed. It has a leathery texture.

EGG YOLK

SAVE FOOD

Egg yolks are satisfying, creamy and soft. They have a high fat and nutrient content, containing everything necessary to nourish a baby chicken. This makes egg a strengthening tonic. Egg yolks are creamy when raw, and have a dry, pasty...

EGGS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 202 likes

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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...

FENUGREEK

(4.50 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 200 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.

GARLIC

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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...

GARLIC MUSTARD

SAVE FOOD

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

GINGER (DRIED)

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Ever reach for dried ginger as a quick replacement for the fresh root and assume its an apt substitute? Ginger is ginger is ginger, right? Actually, not at all. Dried ginger...

GRAPEFRUIT

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 190 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...