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 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...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
Golden, sun-kissed, and rich with vitality, flower bee pollen is often called "nature's multivitamin." Collected by honeybees from flowering plants, each granule is a potent blend of nectar, enzymes, pollen, and bee secretions—alive with prana and...
IntroductionEarthy, 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...
Lamb fat is heavy. Muscle fats are widely used in ayurveda for convalescing (recovering from illness). However, muscle (mamsa) and muscle fats (vasa) are heavy for digestion. Downstream, they cause 'sroto-rodha' or blockage of blood. After several days...
Chances are, Popeye never ate spinach, he ate lamb's quarters instead. Next time you take a stroll in your neighborhood, look for this nutritious weed that boasts a meaty, hearty flavor. A northern relative of quinoa, lamb's quarters is packed with...
Oatmeal is warm, soft, and gently nourishing. The expression "Feeling your oats" testifies to the use of oats as a tonic for increased vigor. Oatmeal provides steady, long-lasting energy without overstimulating the system, making oatmeal a perfect...
Pecan is from the Algonquin word meaning 'a nut needing a stone to crack.' Pecan is a species of hickory native to south central north america.
When I think of pine nuts, I remember New Mexico, which celebrates their arrival every year!
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...
Poppy seeds are taken from the same plant as opium. While the culinary seeds themselves contain little to no of the opium alkaloid used in narcotics; small residues of the pod's latex are typically found on the seed's surface, giving them the...
Pork refers to the meat of the domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus), prized for its tenderness and rich umami flavor. Depending on the cut and preparation, pork can range from delicate and mild (as in tenderloin or loin chops) to deeply savory and...
This extremely nutritious pseudo-grain was originally cultivated on the high plains of the South American Andes Mountains. Although the wide variety of health benefits is just beginning to be studied and appreciated by modern western countries, the...
Sesame oil is derived from nutty sweet sesame seeds. As the seed matures, it bursts out of its pod. Think back to the children's story about "open sesame," a secret password in the medieval Arabic adventure tale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. As the...
"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...
Shrimp are small, decapod crustaceans found in both salt and fresh water, loved for their sweet, delicate meat and quick cooking time. Sold in many forms, with the shell-on or peeled, raw or pre-cooked, head-on, frozen or fresh, shrimp also vary widely...
Spinach is heating in the digestive tract and drying. It is unusual because very few foods are both astringent and hot. It contains oxalic acid which provokes Pitta and is especially contraindicated for kidney stones. Cooking destroys the oxalic acid.
Sprinkle dried nettles into any soup or stir-fry, and they will impart a rustic, hearty earthiness. This is a rough, tough plant that brings its strength and stamina as a gift for your body. It's deep green color is a sign of its stellar nutritional...
Smooth, hearty tahini is the creamy butter of blended sesame seeds. This savory and sensual spread invites a Middle Eastern richness to your...
The country of Georgia is famous for its walnut sauces. Walnuts also exude a golden yellow oil when pressed that is used as a garnish in Georgian dishes. Discover more about walnuts from one of my favorite authors, Paula Wolfert, in "The Cooking of the...
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...
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Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’