College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

 

AYURVEDIC RECIPES

Broccoli With Garlic & Black Olive


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"So delicious I can't keep my spoon out of it. I'm kapha-ing till I reach my best weight. As long as the grocer keeps..."
- mary hollenstein Bonham, TX

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How to Make Broccoli with Garlic & Black Olive

INGREDIENTS


SKILL LEVEL: EASY
2 tbsp
1/4 c
4 c
2 clove
2 tbsp
1/2 whole
2 pinch
2 pinch
1 pinch

PREPARATION OF THIS HEALTHY RECIPE

1. Boil, strain and mash broccoli.

2. Lightly sautee garlic in the oil.

3. Mix sauteed garlic and oil into broccoli along with remaining ingredients.

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Fresh, light and with just the right amount of spice, this recipe shows how versatile a simple head of broccoli can be. Serve 'Broccoli and Black Olive' on a laid-back afternoon in the garden and enjoy the Mediterranean inspired tastes. You'll feel energized and cleansed after this dish.

Stay Balanced in Spring

The hot and light qualities of this meal means it digests with ease, even if your digestive system moves slowly. It is particularly balancing for those experiencing symptoms such as weight gain, congestion or lethargy which are typical of a Kapha imbalance and more common in spring. Boiling and mashing the broccoli and combining with digestion enhancing ingredients such as lemon, black pepper and cayenne make it even easier still and will help reduce any excess spring mucus.

Cleanse and Renew

The pungent taste stimulates the secretion of digestive enzymes while the bitter taste is cleansing as it encourages the release of bile from the gallbladder. This cleansing action is a welcome relief in spring as it's the time of year your body needs the most assistance removing digestive toxins. Your body and mind will feel clear, light and cleansed.

Strengthen Digestion

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that can often provoke Vata dosha and lead to gas and bloating. However, when prepared with digestive aids, the gas forming properties are reduced. It supports efficient digestion due to its high fibre content and anti-inflammatory properties. Olives are hot, liquid and easy to digest. They also have a high fibre content promoting regular digestion and leaving you feeling full and satisfied.

WHAT IS BROCCOLI WITH GARLIC & BLACK OLIVE?

Mashed broccoli has a softer feel. Olives and lemon bring the taste and sours alive.

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 Broccoli with Garlic & Black Olive Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Broccoli with Garlic & Black Olive' 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.

Metabolic Nature of Broccoli with Garlic & Black Olive

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

METABOLIC NATURE

Metabolic Nature

Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). 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

LIQUEFIED

ABOUT LIQUEFIED BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Substances that thin fluids (lower viscosity of blood plasma). These may include blood thinners or mucolytic herbs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIQUEFIED

HOT

ABOUT HOT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT

LIGHT

ABOUT LIGHT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Lightness is identified by reduced weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHT

CLEAR

ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

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

LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR

TASTES

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

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BITTER

ABOUT BITTER BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Bitter taste has cholagogue action - it is cold, clear, light, and stimulating. It increases digestive enzymes and is laxative, and drying.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BITTER

PUNGENT

ABOUT PUNGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Pungency is characterized by irritation, or sharp, spicy foods that irritate the mouth such as black pepper.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PUNGENT

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.

Find Out More

PACIFIES
Kapha pacifying Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Pitta 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.

Find Out More

PACIFIES
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

PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Wet & cold. When out of balance becomes congested, stagnant, and overweight. Loving, trusting, and patient.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

AGGRAVATES
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

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot and oily with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body. Vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Broccoli with Garlic & Black Olive
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)
Appetite Suppressant

APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT

Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain.

SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS

Internal Detoxicant

INTERNAL-DETOXICANT

Liquefies, dissolves, decongests or dislodges internal stagnant toxins. Decongests the lymphatic system.

SEE ALL 'INTERNAL-DETOXICANT' FOODS / HERBS

Makes You Tired

MAKES-YOU-TIRED

Induces drowsiness and promotes sound sleep.

SEE ALL 'MAKES-YOU-TIRED' FOODS / HERBS

Satisfies Stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS

Diaphoretic

DIAPHORETIC

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

SEE ALL 'DIAPHORETIC' FOODS / HERBS

Flushes Sinuses

FLUSHES-SINUSES

An herb that relieves sinus congestion by flushing out mucus.

SEE ALL 'FLUSHES-SINUSES' FOODS / HERBS

,
Irritates Throat

IRRITATES-THROAT

Creates abrasive feeling in the back of the mouth. May stimulate coughing.

SEE ALL 'IRRITATES-THROAT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Expectorant

EXPECTORANT

Expectorants help you eliminate mucus from the lungs. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus. Expectorants are indicated when phlegm congests the lower respiratory tract.

SEE ALL 'EXPECTORANT' 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

,
Alterative

ALTERATIVE

Restores the proper function of the body by cleansing the blood and balancing blood chemistry. In Ayurveda terms, they pacify Pitta in rakta. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter.

SEE ALL 'ALTERATIVE' 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

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

Lowers Thyroid

LOWERS-THYROID

Reduces thyroid function. Useful for people with hyperthyroid.

SEE ALL 'LOWERS-THYROID' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
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

,
Aromatase Inhibitor

AROMATASE-INHIBITOR

Blocks estrogen synthesis by inhibiting conversion of progesterone and testosterone into estrogen.

SEE ALL 'AROMATASE-INHIBITOR' FOODS / HERBS

,
Flavonoids

FLAVONOIDS

Flavonoids are a colorful type of polyphenol. As all polyphenols, they have a strong antioxidant effect. Many flavonoids have an anti-inflammatory, and/or antiallergen effect.

SEE ALL 'FLAVONOIDS' FOODS / HERBS

,
Polyphenols

POLYPHENOLS

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants seen in many fruits and vegetables. There are more than 8,000 types.

SEE ALL 'POLYPHENOLS' FOODS / HERBS

, Quercitin,
Salicylates

SALICYLATES

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

SEE ALL 'SALICYLATES' FOODS / HERBS

, Soluble Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate,
Calcium

CALCIUM

Calcium nourishes bones and muscles. A muscle cell is activated when calcium enters the cell. It relaxes when the calcium is secreted.

SEE ALL 'CALCIUM' FOODS / HERBS

,
Saponins

SAPONINS

Can be used to make soap. Saponins stimulate mucus membrane secretion, liquefying mucus for easy removal (expectorant).

SEE ALL 'SAPONINS' FOODS / HERBS

, Polysaccharides, Sulfated Polysaccharides, Sulphur, Tannins,
Rutin

RUTIN

Rutin is a flavonoid with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Commonly used to treat conditions such as varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and high blood pressure.

SEE ALL 'RUTIN' FOODS / HERBS

, Phosphorous

Foods with a Similar Nature to Broccoli with Garlic & Black Olive

  • Spanish Black Radish

    Spanish Black Radish has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant, Cholagogue, Expectorant, Lowers-thyroid, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses

    LEARN MORE

  • Wasabi

    Wasabi has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Irritates-throat, Cholagogue, Expectorant, Lowers-thyroid, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses

    LEARN MORE

  • Horseradish

    Horseradish has these Actions in Common

    Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Irritates-throat, Cholagogue, Expectorant, Lowers-thyroid

    LEARN MORE

  • Garlic

    Garlic has these Actions in Common

    Internal-detoxicant, Alterative, Diuretic, Irritates-throat, Cholagogue, Expectorant, Makes-you-tired, Diaphoretic

    LEARN MORE

  • Radish (raw)

    Radish (raw) has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant, Cholagogue, Expectorant, Lowers-thyroid, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses

    LEARN MORE

  • Garlic (raw)

    Garlic (raw) has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant, Cholagogue, Expectorant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard Seed

    Mustard Seed has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant, Cardiac-stimulant, Expectorant, Irritates-throat, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard Powder

    Mustard Powder has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant, Cardiac-stimulant, Expectorant, Irritates-throat, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard

    Mustard has these Actions in Common

    Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant, Cardiac-stimulant, Expectorant, Irritates-throat

    LEARN MORE

  • Red Wine Vinegar

    Red Wine Vinegar has these Actions in Common

    Appetite-suppressant, Expectorant, Cholagogue, Internal-detoxicant, Alterative, Diaphoretic

    LEARN MORE

  • Apple Cider Vinegar

    Apple Cider Vinegar has these Actions in Common

    Alterative, Diaphoretic, Appetite-suppressant, Expectorant, Cholagogue, Internal-detoxicant

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Broccoli with Garlic & Black Olive

  • Epsom Salt Bath

    Epsom Salt Bath has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Expectorant, Flushes-sinuses, Internal-detoxicant

    LEARN MORE

  • Hyssop Powder

    Hyssop Powder has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Expectorant, Internal-detoxicant

    LEARN MORE

  • Pennyroyal

    Pennyroyal has these Actions in Common

    Cholagogue, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Expectorant, Cardiac-stimulant

    LEARN MORE

  • Elecampane

    Elecampane has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Expectorant, Alterative, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic

    LEARN MORE

  • Yarrow

    Yarrow has these Actions in Common

    Internal-detoxicant, Alterative, Cholagogue, Diaphoretic, Diuretic

    LEARN MORE

  • Punarnava

    Punarnava has these Actions in Common

    Alterative, Cardiac-stimulant, Cholagogue, Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant

    LEARN MORE

  • Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

    Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Expectorant, Internal-detoxicant

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard Poultice

    Mustard Poultice has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Expectorant, Flushes-sinuses

    LEARN MORE

  • Blue Vervain

    Blue Vervain has these Actions in Common

    Alterative, Cholagogue, Diaphoretic, Diuretic

    LEARN MORE

  • Guduchi

    Guduchi has these Actions in Common

    Alterative, Cholagogue, Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant

    LEARN MORE

  • Goldenrod

    Goldenrod has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Expectorant, Irritates-throat

    LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

View Other Healthy Recipes for Spring

This recipe is recommended for Spring. Check out these other Spring recipes here.
VIEW ALL SPRING RECIPES MORE VATA / KAPHA RECIPES
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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. His wife and family of 7 kids live in Asheville, NC.

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Comments & Impressions of 'Broccoli With Garlic & Black Olive'

Do you like 'broccoli with garlic & black olive'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'broccoli with garlic & black olive'?

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 ratings, 821 likes
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carolien hoded Utrecht
2012-07-15
“Suitable for Pitta: replace garlic by pinch of asafoetida. Leave out chili and black pepper and raw onion. Cook with red onion with the broccoli for a tasteful accent. Replace lemon by fresh apple juice. Adjust freshly cooked crispy corn for sunny color. "
“Dear Caroline, It my experience asafoetida aggravates Pitta more than garlic..."
mary hollenstein Bonham, TX
2014-10-02
“So delicious I can't keep my spoon out of it. I'm kapha-ing till I reach my best weight. As long as the grocer keeps the broccoli really fresh this my mainstay, go-to meal every week. Inspired!"
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