AMARANTH

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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 review, 561 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...

APRICOT (DRIED)

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See also fresh apricots

APRICOT (FRESH)

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Frank Cook and I happened to visit our friend Aaron Wilson during apricot season in Jerome, Arizona. The Turks have a saying, 'the only thing better than this is an apricot from Damascus.' We should rewrite that phrase to include wild apricots from...

BANANA

(4.00 out of 5 stars) 5 reviews, 372 likes

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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...

BLUEBERRY

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 265 likes

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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...

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.

DATES (DRIED)

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 122 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.

DATES (SOAKED)

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Date sugar is a complex cabrohydrate that takes longer to digest, thus releasing it's energy more slowly over time into the body. Dates contain phyto-hormones for women that tonify reproductive organs.

GOJI BERRY

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 reviews, 174 likes

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Goji berry is called wolfberry in Chinese medicine because it is a member of the nightshade family.

GRAPEFRUIT

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 145 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 PAPAYA

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Green papaya is rich in papain, a protease, which means that green papaya helps with protein digestion.

GREEN PLANTAIN

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Plantains have a neutral flavor. They are cooked like potatoes and are a food staple in much of the tropical world.

OATS / OATMEAL

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 4 reviews, 257 likes

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Oats have a slimy quality helping expectoration in Kapha when combined with spices. The slimy quality also helps soften the GI tract in Vata. Be careful with granola bars! Dry oats in any form absorbs moisture from the GI tract, aggravating Vata if...

PLUM

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Plums are the second most cultivated fruit in the world, second to apples. Varieties of plums have been traced back to Eastern Europe, the Caucasian mountains, and China. Plums along with olives, grapes and figs are among the earliest cultivated foods....

POPPED AMARANTH

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Any dry grain will aggravate Vata.

QUINOA

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 6 reviews, 329 likes

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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...

WATERMELON

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 179 likes

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Watermelon is a special kind of fruit known as a pepo. It has a thick rind (exocarp) and fleshy center (mesocarp or endocarp). The sweet fleshy center is usually pink, orange, or yellow. Originally from South Africa, watermelon is a member of the gourd...