AJWAIN

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 430 likes

SAVE FOOD

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

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 3 ratings, 191 likes

SAVE FOOD

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...

ALLSPICE

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 ratings, 373 likes

SAVE FOOD

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...

ALMOND MILK

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 5 ratings, 802 likes

SAVE FOOD

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...

ANISE

SAVE FOOD

Anise is sweet and very aromatic.

APPLE (COOKED)

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 975 likes

SAVE FOOD

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...

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 7 ratings, 552 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 ratings, 473 likes

SAVE FOOD

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.

AVOCADO

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 3 ratings, 746 likes

SAVE FOOD

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,...

BALSAMIC VINEGAR

SAVE FOOD

Vinegar heats up digestion, but aids fat metabolism. Balsamic vinegar is made with red wine, which is hotter than other vinegars.

BANANA

(4.00 out of 5 stars) 5 ratings, 697 likes

SAVE FOOD

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...

BARLEY

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 353 likes

SAVE FOOD

Barley has an ancient history, and was first cultivated in the Near East.

BARLEY MALT

SAVE FOOD

Half as sweet as sugar, with a distinct 'malty' taste. Dark brown, thick and sticky. Produced from sprouted barley. When seeds sprout, some of the carbohydrates get converted to simple sugars.

BASIL

SAVE FOOD

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...

BASMATI RICE

(4.00 out of 5 stars) 2 ratings, 631 likes

SAVE FOOD

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...

BLACK PEPPER

SAVE FOOD

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...

BLUEBERRY

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 3 ratings, 508 likes

SAVE FOOD

Pop a few blueberries in your mouth and you'll notice reduced agitation, a relaxing sensation in the eyes, and cool feeling in your skin. These visceral signs are your personal cue indicating blueberries' beneficial effect on your liver, and their...

BONE BROTH

(4.00 out of 5 stars) 3 ratings, 473 likes

SAVE FOOD

Bone broth is made from bones, water and vinegar. The vinegar helps leach important minerals from the bones.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH

SAVE FOOD

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...

CARAWAY SEEDS

SAVE FOOD

In the Middle Ages, caraway seeds were served with a bit of sugar as a digestive after a big meal, much the way sugar coated fennel is eaten after a meal in India.

CARROT

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 ratings, 603 likes

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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...

CAYENNE PEPPER

SAVE FOOD

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 rating, 92 likes

SAVE FOOD

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 SEED

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 80 likes

SAVE FOOD

Celery seeds are actually a very small fruit, these "seeds" yield a valuable volatile oil.

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

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 337 likes

SAVE FOOD

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...

CHIPOTLE CHILI

SAVE FOOD

Smokey and sharp, tastes like a campfire.

CILANTRO

SAVE FOOD

Cilantro is the leaf of the coriander seed. Both the leaves and the seeds have citrus overtones. Cilantro, as a cooling herb, pairs well with hot spicy dishes.

CINNAMON

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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....

CLOVES

SAVE FOOD

Cloves are native to India and Indonesia. They are the aromatic dried flower bud of a tree in the same family as Eucalyptus and Guava (Myrtaceae family). Cloves resemble a nail in shape. The English name 'clove' derives from the latin 'clavus'...

COCONUT WATER

SAVE FOOD

Replenish ElectrolytesAt any corner market in sweltering India, Thailand or Bali, you can drink fresh coconut water out of the nut with a straw, and dig out the sweet meat with a spoon. Coconut water quenches even the strongest...

CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

SAVE FOOD

Hot, pungent, antiemetic, appetizer, digestive, spleen tonic; stimulates saliva.

CUMIN

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 4 ratings, 374 likes

SAVE FOOD

Appreciated since ancient times, cumin's aroma has wafted through kitchens since at least the second millennium BC, even flavoring breads and soups mentioned in the Bible. The highly valued spice was a currency to pay tithes to priests. The ancient...

EGG WHITES

(2.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 216 likes

SAVE FOOD

Egg whites are pure protein - ojas. Without the cholesterol egg whites are better than yolks for Kapha. The gel like nature of egg white may be whipped to trap air bubbles as in a meringue. These air bubbles act as a leavening agent in many batters...

ENDIVE

SAVE FOOD

Endives are more bitter and cooling than other greens.

SAVE FOOD

Epazote is a popular cooking herb in Mexican cuisine. Avoid in pregnancy as epazote is listed as an emmenagogue. Anti-Parasites The essential oil was officially listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia as a vermifuge and was...