Alcohol is a hot depressant. Initially, the heat combined with the relaxing qualties of alcohol dilate blood vessels, an aid to circulation. The heart, which is a naturally affectionate and social organ, predisposes one to fun and perhaps risky social...
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...
Vinegar heats up digestion, but aids fat metabolism. Balsamic vinegar is made with red wine, which is hotter than other vinegars.
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...
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...
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...
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...
IntroductionA steaming hot mug of ginger tea on a damp day warms up your bones and burns away thick, heavy congestion. When the weather is soggy, you feel tired and groggy. You naturally crave sunlight and heat. Pungent and light,...
Kefir is a thin yogurt drink that cools and soothes as it refreshes. Its sour taste, like yogurt, improves its digestibility when compared with other dairy products. As it is less thick than yogurt, it also digests more easily than yogurt. Kefir can...
Like a salty bean cheese, tangy and sour with a funk. Used mainly in soups as a flavorful stock.
Small but potent, mustard seed's penetrating warmth enlivens agni, supports circulation, and clears heaviness from the system. Its hot, sharp, aromatic qualities dispel stagnation and are Ideal for cold, damp, or congested states.
Wine stimulates agni & taste. It penetrates deeply into tissues. It is warming and brings mental satisfaction. Wine softens stools. Wine contains tannins which are astringent. It is hot, sweet and sour. Certain wines may be sharp or bitter as...
Vinegar heats up digestion, but aids fat metabolism. Balsamic vinegar is made with red wine, which is hotter than other vinegars.
Sauerkraut is the perfect remedy for a hot dog. Often you can find wisdom in the food combinations of cultural cuisine. The ballpark, as it turns out, is no exception. Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage. Its name literally means 'sour-cabbage'. It...
Tempeh is fermented soybeans.
Tobacco, a member of the nightshade family, aggravates all three doshas. Kapha in the lungs, Pitta in the liver vitiating the blood, and Vata due to the mobile quality. People crave tobacco because it temporarily stimulates the lungs and...
Tofu is heavy, cold, estrogenic, and moderately difficult to digest. It is made by curdling soy milk and pressing the curds into blocks. It was invented in China over 2000 years ago.
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. Lassis aid digestion after a meal. Fruits and mangoes in lassis are a bad food combination.
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Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’
