How to Make Summer Squash Arugula Salad

SERVINGS: 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES

SKILL LEVEL: EASY

MEAL: LUNCH-DINNER

STYLE: WESTERN

PREPARATION: RAW

EAT IN: SUMMER

FOR OCCASION: DINNER-PARTY, BACKYARD-PICNIC-BBQ

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Get Energized

The rainbow of colors in this fresh summer salad is a bright way to energize your day. Got the blahs? You'll perk up with one bite of crisp, peppery arugula, juicy tomatoes, and snappy summer squash. In the hot dog days of summer, crunchy greens and veggies seem to wake you while tomato's juiciness revive you. The bitter orange zest in this light dressing adds a vivacious flare to the mix.

Something Missing in Your Life?

When you feel like something's missing in your life and you don't know what - it's probably vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy. Without them, you feel your vitality wane. To satisfy this health-itch with a broad spectrum of nutrients, Ayurveda says to eat a variety of colors, textures, and tastes. This dynamic salad has got it all - and can lift your spirits when you're feeling dull, down, or lethargic. Its freshness leaves you feeling clean and ready to 'digest' whatever life sends your way.

Does Your Stomach Feel Like a Bottomless Pit?

Have you ever felt like you couldn't eat enough food to feel satisfied? That even though your stomach is full, you want to keep on eating till you're uncomfortably stuffed? Often, your body stays hungry until it gets all the vitamins and minerals it needs. If you're eating pizza or empty carbs, your body will never get the nutrients it needs because it isn't there. The solution, when you feel like a bottomless pit, is to invest in nutritionally dense food. This salad is a great way to "fill the void" so to speak.

Note: If you ever eat wild foods such as dandelions, lamb's quarters, or other "weeds" growing in your yard, you'll find that you can satisfy your hunger with less than half of your normal portions. These foods are among the most nutrient-dense in the world, and thus quickly satiate your body. Wow!

Soothing, Cooling Squash

The vivid colors of summer squash appeal to the eyes, while its soothing and cooling qualities assuage late-summer exhaustion due to heat. A taste of these sweet, watery vegetables rehydrates and cools your off after a long day under the sun. Its gentleness and easy digestibility make it a perfect remedy for hot, sluggish August days. When sauteed lightly in ghee, summer squash takes on a rich, oily quality which it makes more satisfying and even easier to digest.

A Summer Cornucopia

Summer squash, tomatoes, and arugula create a perfect compilation of summer vegetables. If you have a garden, it might very well be bursting with tomatoes, arugula, and summer squash this time of year. Tomatoes start growing heavy on the vine, announcing the arrival of late summer, and almost beg to be picked, while a whole host of colorful squashes begin to flourish. If you are lucky enough to find squash blossoms, try putting one on the top of this lovely salad for a touch of gourmet refinement!

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.

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

INCREASES Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic. Learn More	CLEAR ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR MOBILE ABOUT MOBILE BIOCHARACTERISTIC Mobile refers to anything that stimulates the nervous system, muscles, or activity. LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE 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 DIFFICULT ABOUT DIFFICULT BIOCHARACTERISTIC Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT
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? Learn More	SOUR ABOUT SOUR BIOCHARACTERISTIC Sour refers to anything fermented or acidic. LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUR
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and 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. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	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. SEE ALL 'AROMATIC' FOODS / HERBS , Crunchy CRUNCHY Makes an audible noise when you eat them. Can provide fun texture variation. SEE ALL 'CRUNCHY' FOODS / HERBS , Bland MILD BLAND Bland means doesn't have much taste. In Chinese medicine, bland taste refers to afood without little macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy. SEE ALL 'BLAND' FOODS / HERBS Moves Energy: Outward OUTWARD Outward-moving substances stimulate circulation, push heat towards the skin, or are stimulating. SEE ALL 'OUTWARD' FOODS / HERBS , Downward DOWNWARD Downward-moving (Adho Gati Marga) substances move food downward in the GI tract, settle the nervous system, and relax muscles. SEE ALL 'DOWNWARD' FOODS / HERBS
HERBAL ACTIONS (see all)	Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Summer Squash Arugula Salad 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. Digestion: Quenches Thirst QUENCHES-THIRST An herb or substance that relieves thirst. SEE ALL 'QUENCHES-THIRST' FOODS / HERBS Bowel Health: 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 Energy Vitality: Satisfies Stomach SATISFIES-STOMACH Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach. SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS , Builds Stamina BUILDS-STAMINA Promotes strength, endurance and resistance in the body. Rebuilds weak tissues after a time of depletion. SEE ALL 'BUILDS-STAMINA' FOODS / HERBS Skin Care & Beauty: Diaphoretic DIAPHORETIC An herb that induces sweating, often by dilating blood vessels close to the skin. SEE ALL 'DIAPHORETIC' FOODS / HERBS Respiratory-Health: Flushes Sinuses FLUSHES-SINUSES An herb that relieves sinus congestion by flushing out mucus. SEE ALL 'FLUSHES-SINUSES' FOODS / HERBS Heart & Circulation: 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 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. SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS Constituents: Melatonin, Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin K, 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 , Fats, 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 , Protein, Aromatase Inhibitor AROMATASE-INHIBITOR Blocks estrogen synthesis by inhibiting conversion of progesterone and testosterone into estrogen. SEE ALL 'AROMATASE-INHIBITOR' FOODS / HERBS , Alpha Linolenic Acid, Rosmarinic Acid ROSMARINIC-ACID Inhibits autoantibodies from binding to TSH receptors in the thyroid. SEE ALL 'ROSMARINIC-ACID' FOODS / HERBS , Tannins, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Essential Fatty Acids, Beta Carotene

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Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.