
Strength & Energy Building TonicLong before the agricultural revolution, humans feasted off nuts. This ancestral food is still one of the best ways to strengthen your body. Warm and creamy almonds contain more protein per serving...
As the most widely grown tree nut in the world, these crunchy little nuggets are highly revered for building strength and intelligence across many ancient cultures. Originally native to the levant and in Northern Africa as far west as Morocco, almonds...
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,...
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...
Tangy and moldy, like gym socks but glorious all the same.
Bone broth is made from bones, water and vinegar. The vinegar helps leach important minerals from the bones.
Bone Marrow and bone marrow fat are the heaviest and densest of all fats. It is a strong tonic and blood builder used for debilitated clients and those who over-exert their bodies, such as athletes. It is rich in minerals.
Brazil nuts have received recent popularity for their ability to stimulate the thyroid. This warm, rich nut won't fail to please you either. It's buttery, oily tastes is universally appreciated.
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...
The richness of cheese promises nourishment, comfort and contentment. However, as it mixens and thickens mucus in the digestive tract with a thick, creamy layer of dairy, it bogs down digestion, and encourages candida growth. Once the richness enters...
The dark meat of chicken is oily and has a rich fat content, making it a grounding, nourishing meat for Vata and Pitta. Chicken is an excellent choice to balance conditions of dryness and debility by giving the body strong protein with a heavy dose...
Muscle fats ad juices are used for debilitated and convalescing patients in ayurveda. They are harder to digest than vegetable oils, heavier, and produce faster oleation in the body. Useful for dry Vata types.
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...
Fronds of a coconut palm sway in a tropical breeze,...
Fronds of a coconut palm sway in a tropical breeze,...
Fronds of a coconut palm sway in a tropical breeze,...
Fronds of a coconut palm sway in a tropical breeze,...
Cottage cheese is easier to digest and lighter than most other dairy products. Ysha Oakes recommends mixing Cottage Cheese with flax seed oil and spices like black pepper and turmeric.
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...
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...
Fish is lighter than poultry or meat. Although all meat is considered heavy and tamasic, we are labeling fish as sattvic relative to poultry and red meat.
If you are constipated, try soaking a teaspoon of flax seeds in warm water for 2 hours. Soaking releases the soluble fiber in flax, which forms a slimy gel that bulks up stools for easy elimination. Its high oil content can lubricate a dry intestinal...
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...
Fresh goat cheese, only a few days old, is much less Pitta provoking than other cheeses. Fresh cheese builds ojas. Use black pepper, other pungents, or cardamom to antidote the mucous forming properties of cheese.
Introduction Heavy, oily and slightly sweet, hemp seeds are a hearty addition to your winter diet. These dense seeds nourish and build tissue, leaving you feeling strong, stable and sustained, even during the harshest months of...
Jackfruit is grown in subtropical lowlands. They have the largest fruit of any tree. Like fig trees, jackfruit are in the moraceae family. Footnote: The information for this article was in part gathered from a 2019 study and survey of 28 students of...
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Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’