ACAI

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 ratings, 77 likes

SAVE FOOD

Acai means fruit that cries. Acai is a sweet & juicy fruit with a satisfying purple pulp. It provides rich nutrition, high antioxidant value, and fiber.

ACORN

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

ADZUKI BEANS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 382 likes

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Adzuki beans are known to have originated in China where they are used extensively in traditional medicine. They are a staple in the macrobiotic diet and very popular in Japan, second only to the soybean in terms of consumption and popularity.

ALLSPICE

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

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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 BUTTER

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 ratings, 654 likes

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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...

ALMONDS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 ratings, 562 likes

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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...

ALOE VERA GEL

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 516 likes

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Aloe includes more than 250 species of flowering succulents and is native to Africa, Madagascar and Jordan. It is closely related to cactus, yucca and onion. For thousands of years and across many cultures, aloe has been used to heal a variety of...

ALOE VERA JUICE

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 351 likes

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Aloe includes more than 250 species of flowering succulents and is native to Africa, Madagascar and Jordan. It is closely related to cactus, yucca and onion. For thousands of years and across many cultures, aloe has been used to heal a variety of...

AMARANTH

(4.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 425 likes

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Amaranth represented up to 80% of the caloric intake of the Aztecs before the Spanish conquest. Amaranth tastes somewhat like corn, but is somewhat less sweet. Others have described the taste as nutty, like bacon or wood, or slightly bitter. It is...

APPLE (COOKED)

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

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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 (RAW)

(3.67 out of 5 stars) 3 ratings, 362 likes

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Apples are crunchy and leave a rough feeling on the roof of the mouth, both signs of astringency. Astringency is drying. Thus raw apples provoke Vata and constipation. Cooked apples and apple sauce are more Vata friendly. They are not astringent....

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...

APRICOT (DRIED)

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See also fresh apricots

ARTICHOKE

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Artichokes are a traditional liver remedy. As a member of the thistle family, they are

ARTICHOKE HEARTS

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See the Ayurvedic Analysis of Artichokes page.

AVOCADO

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

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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,...

BARLEY

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

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

BEETS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 566 likes

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"A tale that begins with a beet will end with the devil", wrote Tom Robbins in Jitterbug Perfume. For good reason too - cooking with red beets leaves the hands looking blood-stained. A chef who slaughters beets cannot hide - only run from the scene of...

BLACK BEANS

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Black beans are a rich source of vegetable protein, easing any meat cravings for those seeking satiation. The shiny obsidian quality of the beans are a beautiful addition to any meal, providing an earthy depth and dark contrast. Black beans appear...

BLACK TEA

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 297 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...

BLACK-EYED PEAS

SAVE FOOD

Popular in southern soul food. Apparently, eating black eyed peas on New Years Day brings prosperity.

BROWN LENTIL

SAVE FOOD

Beans are the 'musical fruit' because they contain saponins to protect themselves against insects. Saponins form the sudsy foam on the surface of a cooking pot of beans. They prevent protein digestion resulting in stagnation and gas of the bowels.

BUTTER BEAN

SAVE FOOD

Beans are the 'musical fruit' because they contain saponins to protect themselves against insects. Saponins form the sudsy foam on the surface of a cooking pot of beans. They prevent protein digestion resulting in stagnation and gas of the bowels.

CABBAGE (COOKED)

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Cabbage juice is an anti-inflammatory. It was used by the Greeks and Romans to relieve eye inflammation. Fresh cabbage juice promotes rapid healing of ulcers. Raw cabbage is very difficult to digest and strongly provokes Vata. Cooked cabbage is...

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...

CHERRY

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

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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...

CHIA SEEDS

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The word chia is a native american word meaning 'oily'. Chia seeds were an important food crop in central America. Chia seeds are one of the few seeds of the mint family consumed as a food. It is closely related to culinary sage.

CHICK PEA (GARBANZO)

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 318 likes

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The fiber in chickpeas is nearly 75% insoluble which remains undigested as it reaches the colon. This significantly bulks up stools for a satisfying morning elimination. As with many high fiber foods, beans have been shown to reduce cholesterol,...

COFFEE

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 217 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...

CRANBERRY

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Cranberries grow in acidic bogs. Early settlers in North American thought cranberry flowers looked like a crane, and named them 'craneberry'. They are a major commercial crop in North America.

DAIKON RADISH

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 112 likes

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Daikon is native to southeast and east Asia. From white to purple to green to pink, Daikon comes in several varieties. It's also known as white radish, winter radish, long white radish, oriental radish, and mooli. In Japan, many types of pickles are...

DANDELION LEAVES

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 300 likes

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When most people think of dandelion, they think of pulling this pesky weed out of their manicured lawn. It's the poster child for weeds. This is especially ironic because colonists brought the dandelion to the Americas as an important medicinal plant....

DATES (DRIED)

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

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Dates have been a staple food and cultivated in the Middle East for thousands of years. Their cultivation has been documented in Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt and as far back as 6000BC in Arabia.

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...

FIGS

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 318 likes

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Figs are a heavenly and blessed fruit. Buddha achieved enlightenment under the bodhi tree, a large and old sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa). In Genesis, Adam and Eve hid their nakedness with fig leaves. The prophet Muhammad exclaimed, "If I had to...

FLAX SEED

(4.00 out of 5 stars) 2 ratings, 385 likes

SAVE FOOD

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...

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...