College of Natural Diet & Digestion

College of Natural Diet & Digestion

 

AYURVEDIC RECIPES

Barley With Basil & Avocado


4.67 out of 5 stars 3 ratings, 310 likes

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4.67 out of 5 stars
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"I love this recipe for several reasons: an intriguing variety of flavors, great texture, easy to prepare, and seasonal..."
- Larissa Demalteris Golden, CO

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How to Make Barley with Basil & Avocado

INGREDIENTS

3 c
1 c
1 tbsp
1/4 c
2 pinch
2 pinch

PREPARATION OF THIS HEALTHY RECIPE

Begin with boiling the barley with a teaspoon of pepper and salt. As the water comes to a boil, reduce heat and stir accordingly. Peel, dice, and mush the avocado until the green color has become consistent, blended and soft. Once the barley has also softened, remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, coarsely chop the barley (in half or quarters). Gently begin to mix the avocado and basil blend in with the grains, being careful and patient not to smush the barley. Perhaps envisioning the avocado filling the spaces between the oats, creating a dish that is both dense and grounding. Garnish with more barley if you so desire, sit and enjoy.

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

One of the few Vata pacifying green foods, avocados build ojas. Sharp basil aids digestion but barley is heavy and smooth, making this dish Kapha provoking.

WHAT IS BARLEY WITH BASIL & AVOCADO?

Like eating jade marbles, yellow green, smooth and comforting but basil makes it bright and slightly sharp.

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

Is Barley with Basil & Avocado Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Barley with Basil & Avocado' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

Health Virtues of Barley with Basil & Avocado

Personalized medicine systems use biocharacteristics to classify the metabolic nature of food, hebs, lifestyle choices, indivdual constitutions, and disease.

METABOLIC NATURE / BIOCHARACTERISTICS

Metabolic Nature / Biocharacteristics

Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (vital qualtiies). Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick. Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.

Find Out More

EASY

ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY

CLEAR

ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR

HEAVY

ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY

OILY

ABOUT OILY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OILY

AYURVEDA BODY TYPES (DOSHAS)

The Three Doshas / Body Types

Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.

Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.

Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.

The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).

Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.

Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.

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PACIFIES
Pitta pacifying Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Kapha aggravating

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors

Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.

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PACIFIES
CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOLERIC

MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MELANCHOLIC

AGGRAVATES
PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A Phlegmatic has a cold and wet metabolic nature. The coldness implies a slow metabolism, the moisture that you are well-nourished. Phlegmatics tend towards sluggishness and thickened fluids, including mucus.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A hot and oily nature with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body makes Sanguine individuals vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

Other Health Virtues

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.

SEE ALL 'AROMATIC' FOODS / HERBS

, Bland Negative Calorie

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Barley with Basil & Avocado
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

(see all)
Quenches Thirst

QUENCHES-THIRST

An herb or substance that relieves thirst.

SEE ALL 'QUENCHES-THIRST' FOODS / HERBS

,
Appetite Suppressant

APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT

Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain.

SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS

Relieves Burning

RELIEVES-BURNING

Herbs that soothe a burn or reduce an internal burning sensation, such as aloe vera.

SEE ALL 'RELIEVES-BURNING' FOODS / HERBS

Nerve Relaxant Grounding

NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING

Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth. Reduces agitation, irritation, stress and racing thoughts.

SEE ALL 'NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING' FOODS / HERBS

,
Strengthens Resolve

STRENGTHENS-RESOLVE

Increases determination and courage by reducing stress and building strength.

SEE ALL 'STRENGTHENS-RESOLVE' FOODS / HERBS

Satisfies Stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS

,
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Refreshes Skin

REFRESHES-SKIN

Flushes the lymphatic system to cool, awaken, and revive the skin.

SEE ALL 'REFRESHES-SKIN' FOODS / HERBS

,
Diaphoretic

DIAPHORETIC

An herb that induces sweating, often by dilating blood vessels close to the skin.

SEE ALL 'DIAPHORETIC' FOODS / HERBS

,
Demulcent

DEMULCENT

Herbs that coat or form a soothing film over a mucous membrane, relieving minor pain and inflammation of the membrane.

SEE ALL 'DEMULCENT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Skin Tonic

SKIN-TONIC

An herb that strengthens and nourishes skin, improving tone, color, moisture and complexion.

SEE ALL 'SKIN-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Flushes Sinuses

FLUSHES-SINUSES

An herb that relieves sinus congestion by flushing out mucus.

SEE ALL 'FLUSHES-SINUSES' FOODS / HERBS

,
Soothes Throat

SOOTHES-THROAT

Soothes throat discomfort, including from a sore or ticklish throat.

SEE ALL 'SOOTHES-THROAT' FOODS / HERBS

Cardiac Stimulant

CARDIAC-STIMULANT

Herbs that increase the heart rate. Useful in cardiovascular health, blood stagnation, and subjective feeling of heaviness in the chest area.

SEE ALL 'CARDIAC-STIMULANT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Warms Head

WARMS-HEAD

An herb that increases sensations of heat and warmth in the head.

SEE ALL 'WARMS-HEAD' FOODS / HERBS

,
Warms Ears

WARMS-EARS

Stimulates peripheral circulation to warm extremities, including the ears.

SEE ALL 'WARMS-EARS' FOODS / HERBS

,
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.

SEE ALL 'VASODILATOR' FOODS / HERBS

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.

SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS

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. Generally, liver tonics are oily, cool, sweet, mildly sour, or contain beta-carotene.

SEE ALL 'LIVOTONIC' FOODS / HERBS

,
Cholagogue

CHOLAGOGUE

Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.

SEE ALL 'CHOLAGOGUE' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
Alpha Linolenic Acid, Fats, Potassium, Essential Fatty Acids,
Salicylates

SALICYLATES

Salicylates relieve inflammation, are anti-cancer, and antidiabetic, but some are allergic to it.

SEE ALL 'SALICYLATES' FOODS / HERBS

, Folate, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Vitamin E,
Nitric Oxide

NITRIC-OXIDE

Improves circulation by dilating blood vessels. Protects blood vessels from damage. Improves athletic performance, libido, immunity, and brain health.

SEE ALL 'NITRIC-OXIDE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Rosmarinic Acid

ROSMARINIC-ACID

Inhibits autoantibodies from binding to TSH receptors in the thyroid.

SEE ALL 'ROSMARINIC-ACID' FOODS / HERBS

, Carbohydrate, Beta Carotene, Sodium, Melatonin,
Inositol

INOSITOL

Inositol is an alcohol sugar made naturally in the human body from glucose. It is lipotropic (aiding fat metabilism in the liver). It affects a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, steroid, growth factors and water.

SEE ALL 'INOSITOL' FOODS / HERBS

,
Phytates

PHYTATES

Phytates prevent absorption of nutrients. They are commonly found in all seeds, including nuts, grains, and beans. Sprouting greatly reduces phytate content, as well as long, slow cooking with vinegar.

SEE ALL 'PHYTATES' FOODS / HERBS

Foods with a Similar Nature to Barley with Basil & Avocado

  • Avocado

    Avocado has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Satisfies-stomach, Diuretic, Nutritive, Skin-tonic, Livotonic, Refreshes-skin

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard

    Mustard has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Vasodilator, Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses, Warms-ears, Diaphoretic, Strengthens-resolve, Warms-head

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard Powder

    Mustard Powder has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses, Warms-ears, Diaphoretic, Strengthens-resolve, Warms-head, Diuretic, Vasodilator

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard Seed

    Mustard Seed has these Actions in Common

    Diaphoretic, Strengthens-resolve, Warms-head, Diuretic, Vasodilator, Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses, Warms-ears

    LEARN MORE

  • Beets

    Beets has these Actions in Common

    Livotonic, Satisfies-stomach, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Skin-tonic, Cholagogue, Nutritive, Vasodilator

    LEARN MORE

  • Barley

    Barley has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Cholagogue, Nutritive, Demulcent, Satisfies-stomach, Appetite-suppressant

    LEARN MORE

  • Milk

    Milk has these Actions in Common

    Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Satisfies-stomach, Nutritive, Soothes-throat, Demulcent, Quenches-thirst

    LEARN MORE

  • Buffalo Milk

    Buffalo Milk has these Actions in Common

    Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Satisfies-stomach, Nutritive, Soothes-throat, Demulcent, Quenches-thirst

    LEARN MORE

  • Pumpkin

    Pumpkin has these Actions in Common

    Livotonic, Relieves-burning, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Satisfies-stomach, Appetite-suppressant, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Banana

    Banana has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Skin-tonic, Demulcent, Quenches-thirst, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Satisfies-stomach

    LEARN MORE

  • Honey Dew

    Honey Dew has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Quenches-thirst, Livotonic, Relieves-burning, Appetite-suppressant, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Barley with Basil & Avocado

  • Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

    Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common

    Warms-ears, Warms-head, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Vasodilator

    LEARN MORE

  • Inhale Steam

    Inhale Steam has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Soothes-throat, Vasodilator, Warms-head

    LEARN MORE

  • Vidari

    Vidari has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Diuretic, Livotonic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Nutritive, Soothes-throat

    LEARN MORE

  • Vata Shirodhara Oil

    Vata Shirodhara Oil has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Nutritive, Skin-tonic, Strengthens-resolve

    LEARN MORE

  • Hot Shower

    Hot Shower has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Vasodilator, Warms-head

    LEARN MORE

  • Encourage a Sweat / Sweat Therapy

    Encourage a Sweat / Sweat Therapy has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Skin-tonic, Vasodilator

    LEARN MORE

  • Hot Bath

    Hot Bath has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Vasodilator, Warms-head

    LEARN MORE

  • Sit in the Sauna

    Sit in the Sauna has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Skin-tonic, Vasodilator

    LEARN MORE

  • Epsom Salt Bath

    Epsom Salt Bath has these Actions in Common

    Vasodilator, Warms-head, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses

    LEARN MORE

  • Red Clover

    Red Clover has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Diuretic, Nutritive, Relieves-burning, Skin-tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Pennyroyal

    Pennyroyal has these Actions in Common

    Vasodilator, Cardiac-stimulant, Cholagogue, Diaphoretic, Diuretic

    LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

View Other Healthy Recipes for Summer

This recipe is recommended for Summer. Check out these other Summer recipes here.
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About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy, & botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. John, his wife Natalie and their 7 kids live in Asheville, NC

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Comments & Impressions of 'Barley With Basil & Avocado'

Do you like 'barley with basil & avocado'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'barley with basil & avocado'?

(4.67 out of 5 stars) 3 ratings, 310 likes
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Ysha Oakes Albuquerque, NM
2010-06-15
“Mamas after birth can use this in later weeks if they aren't toooooo Vata, with extra olive or other oil added. Barley being a somewhat astringent, drying, and cleansing food."
Larissa Demalteris Golden, CO
2013-09-17
“I love this recipe for several reasons: an intriguing variety of flavors, great texture, easy to prepare, and seasonal aligned with my body's needs. I could see this dish influencing a health food skeptic."
Larissa Demalteris Golden, CO
2021-05-24
“I prepared this for a diabetic (type 1) child I was caring for. We had to chart the carbs in this recipe to make sure she would be able to eat it without endangering her health. It was safe for her and we both loved it! It was a great recipe for her and it's delicious for all!"
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