How to Make Barley Salad with Mint, Dill, Cucumber, Raisins

SERVINGS: 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES

MEAL: LUNCH-DINNER

STYLE: WESTERN

PREPARATION: SALAD

EAT IN: SUMMER

How Can Barley Salad with Mint, Dill, Cucumber, Raisins Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

A softer salad with barley, dill, mint, and cucumber. Feel this light and cooling combination refresh the body and calm the mind on a hot summer day. Sweet raisins and perhaps a dab of honey mustard or a sliced radish will add a touch of contrasting pungency to the dish and just enough warmth to ease digestion so you feel light and energized after eating.

Treat yourself to this cooling, cleansing and beautifying salad this summer - your skin, in particular, will thank you! These long, hot days can overheat the blood, leading to inflammation, breakouts, increased stress and irritability. Counter these heat conditions and add a summer glow to your skin with 'Barley Salad with Mint, Dill, Cucumber and Raisins'.

Cooling & Cleansing

Barley, cucumber and mint compliment each other's cooling and cleansing properties. Barley and cucumber are diuretics, meaning this salad supports the body to flush toxins through the urinary system and allows you to shed excess water weight. They both soothe and protect irritated and inflamed bowels due to their demulcent properties. Barley also increases the release of bile from the liver and gall bladder aiding fat metabolism, decongesting the liver and purifying the blood.

Balance Body & Mind

Cleaner blood means clearer skin. Cucumber also adds a hydrating and moisturizing element to this meal. This juicy salad staple cools the liver and refreshes the eyes due to its cool, liquid and sweet properties. But as temperatures spike, it's not only our body and blood that needs cooling, but also our mind. Aromatic mint clears and decongests the body and the mind, reducing stagnation in the liver, blood and lymph as well as stagnated emotions. It will help you combat summer stress and allow you to relax and feel cool and calm.

Beat Humid Heat

The cooling nature and diuretic properties means this salad is a great choice for Pitta and Kapha in the humid heat. It may be too difficult for a Vata type to digest so try blanching the salad greens by briefly submerging in boiling water followed by ice cold water. This will soften them just enough without losing nutrient value. Adding some honey and mustard will also provide the missing heat and ease digestion.

WHY SHOULD YOU EAT AYURVEDICALLY?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. An Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body type and the specific imbalances you are working with at any given time. Foods that supplement your specific body type’s needs and digest easily create your menu. Watch as you eat less but feel more satisfied because what you are eating truly nourishes you. Since Ayurveda believes all disease begins in the digestive tract, food is your first medicine. By eating a healthy diet that’s ideal for your body, you experience optimal health.

LEARN MORE

Is Barley Salad with Mint, Dill, Cucumber, Raisins Good for Me?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether Barley Salad with Mint, Dill, Cucumber, Raisins is a good fit for you. Time to complete: approximately 1 minute.

MEDICINAL QUALITIES

INCREASES Increases These Qualities (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main states (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which states are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every state has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite state. Learn More	CLEAR ABOUT CLEAR GUNA Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR EASY ABOUT EASY GUNA Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly. LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY COLD ABOUT COLD GUNA Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow. LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD LIGHT ABOUT LIGHT GUNA Lightness is identified by reduced weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHT DRY ABOUT DRY GUNA Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis. LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types People tend to get sick, over and over again, due to similar causes and habitual imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history. The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. Catabolic people tend to be easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic people tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic people are heavy, stable and grounded, but if they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	EFFECT Prana PRANA Prana is the Sanskrit word for vital life energy, similar to Qi in Chinese Medicine. Many herbs stimulate your energy, or improve the flow of prana through your body. Generally, prana needs to be increased in spring after a sleepy winter. LEARN MORE ABOUT PRANA , Alkalizing ALKALIZING An herb or food that makes the urine more alkaline (higher pH). This herbal action can be helpful for a number of inflammatory conditions. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALKALIZING , Sattvic SATTVIC Sattvic foods promote awareness and a refreshed mind by nourishing the body without taxing digestion. Sattvic foods do not stimulate desire or nervous energy. They create clarity instead of drowsiness or heaviness. LEARN MORE ABOUT SATTVIC TYPE Grains CONTAINS Allergens, Gluten GLUTEN A constituent of wheat, barley and rye that is sticky, heavy, and cold. Many people are allergic to gluten. LEARN MORE ABOUT GLUTEN SUBTASTE Aromatic AROMATIC Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues. LEARN MORE ABOUT AROMATIC

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Experiences are Personal

Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Digestion	Stomachic STOMACHIC An herb that increases appetite or settles a nauseas or nervous stomach. These generally increase the digestive fire, therefore relieving symptoms of sluggish or difficult digestion. LEARN MORE ABOUT STOMACHIC
Energy Vitality Strength	Stimulates energy STIMULATES-ENERGY This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs LEARN MORE ABOUT STIMULATES-ENERGY , Nutritive NUTRITIVE An herb that is strengthening and nourishing. LEARN MORE ABOUT NUTRITIVE
Heart & Circulation	Alterative ALTERATIVE Literally, an herb that restores the proper function of the body. In practice, alteratives are usually blood cleansers and blood chemistry balancers. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALTERATIVE , Vasodilator VASODILATOR A vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area. LEARN MORE ABOUT VASODILATOR
Immune System	Anti Inflammatory ANTI-INFLAMMATORY Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems. LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Kidney & Urinary	Diuretic DIURETIC Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIURETIC
Liver & Gall Bladder	Cholagogue CHOLAGOGUE Cholagogues stimulate the release of bile from the gall bladder for improved digestion. LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOLAGOGUE , Livotonic LIVOTONIC An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias. LEARN MORE ABOUT LIVOTONIC
Weight Loss	Hypolipidemic HYPOLIPIDEMIC Scrapes fats / cleanses blood vessels LEARN MORE ABOUT HYPOLIPIDEMIC
Other	Hypoglycemic