
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...
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....
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...
Asparagus has a delicate flavor and texture making it an ideal vegetable for gourmet cuisine!
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...
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.
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...
Cassava is a starchy root with a soft, mild nature. Its mildness grounds the nervous system and calms the mind. Not too heavy, not too light, you'll feel satisfied and soothed after eating cassava. Although it isn't sugary tasting, its inherent...
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...
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...
The short answer is yes, chickpeas are good for you. Here are some of the ways: The fiber in chickpeas is nearly 75% insoluble and remains undigested as it reaches the colon. This significantly bulks up stools for a satisfying morning...
Romance may be sealed with a box of chocolates, but passion for chocolate is as eternal as true love. Long before John Cadbury invented the chocolate bar, native meso-american peoples brewed chocolate with medicinal herbs. Chocolate has been used as...
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.
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.
Oft considered a vegetable, these elongated cylindrical delicacies are actually a fruit. They join watermelon and honey dew as succulent members of the summer friendly melon family. Originally from the Indian subcontinent, cucumbers are now grown...
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.
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.
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...
Goji berry is called wolfberry in Chinese medicine because it is a member of the nightshade family.
Grapes are considered a superior fruit to all others in Ayurvedic. They are an important tonic (rasayana) for late summer. Grapes have been a sign of abundance since Greek times. The Greek God or agriculture, Dionysus, is often portrayed with a crown...
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...
A green mango is an unripe mango. Green mangoes are more sour than ripe ones. In Bangladesh, green mangoes are served sliced with mustard and lime. Green mangoes are also used in mango pickle.
Green papaya is rich in papain, a protease, which means that green papaya helps with protein digestion.
Lassis are a popular yogurt drink in India. A lassi is simply equal parts yogurt and water blended together, often with digestive spices like cumin and salt.
Honeydew, when fresh and ripe, is a succulent treasure. Floral accents perfume its lush green flesh. It's juicy sweetness seems to capture all the wholesome abundance of a teeming garden into a delightful green bowling ball. As a melon, honey dew is...
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...
The origin of lemons are a mystery. Do they come from southern india? burma? or china? Speculation abounds. Genetic study reveals lemons are a hybrid of a sour orange and a citron.
Limes are strongly sour, thus encouraging secretions in the digestive tract and salivary glands. These secretions improve taste, digestion, and regular elimination (functioning as a mild laxative) Limes and Cleansing Lime's sour...
Mango's happy flamboyance will brighten your day with its healthy, festive atmosphere. Its sweetness invites happiness and a smile while nourishing qualities authentically replenish your body after summer heat leaves you feeling depleted. When its time...
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Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’