Food is a sensual experience. When you eat, you are touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, and perhaps even hearing your food. It engages your whole body with each of your senses, on a visceral level. There is something about the act of eating that is thus extremely romantic and passionate. The important thing to remember is that food is naturally passionate. It doesn't need hot sauce, or to be changed, or doctored in any way to experience a profound level of stimulation or depth of intimacy. "Breaking bread", and eating with a friend, no matter what the food, will still be an intimate experience.

A general lack of enthusiasm and zest in your life can cause you to seek food as a source of romance and passion. You might feel uninspired by your home environment, or bored with your job, and feel the need to jazz up your food as a result. And while the joy of eating can certainly can be a passionate affair, relying on food for passion could have negative health consequences. Jazzy food tends in the direction of stimulating, spicy, sour, and eaten in larger quantities than recommended. If you rely on food as a way to cultivate passion in your life, you may be over stimulating your digestive tract. Many people are already overstimulated by their environment, and the heat of spices and their sourness could aggravate internal pitta related conditions.

I remember the first time I ate a chili pepper, which was at a Thai restaurant. It was so sharp and hot, that it burned my insides for days. Many years and chili peppers later, I find my tolerance for chilis has increased. Along the way, even the spices which were so exotic and sensual seemed to lose the depth, flavor and richness they once had. So I had to take a break for a while, and give my intestines a chance to rest as well.

Now, I still indulge my passion for food on special occasions, but it is the rarity that heightens the experience and romance of the food. Meanwhile, I have had a chance to develop other artistic pursuits, which don't involve ingesting, absorbing, and changing my blood chemistry through food. As pleasurable as food is, the real meaning of the food is its ability to nourish you. Using it to substantially fill some other purpose could distort natural healthy cravings..

AGGRAVATES THESE DOSHAS & QUALITIES

Imbalance Accumulates

Improper food and lifestyle causes balances to accumulate. Ayurveda shows you exactly which doshas and qualities will accumulate in your body. Once these doshas and qualities accumulate too much, they will begin to cause disease. You can reduce an imbalanced dosha or quality by removing things that aggravate it from your diet and lifestyle.

V = VATA, P = PITTA, K = KAPHA

GUNA	FOODS TO AVOID	DO YOU HAVE THIS IMBALANCE?
OILY ABOUT OILY GUNA Oily refers to anything fatty, or that increases fat. LEARN MORE ABOUT OILY	MODERATE THESE OILY FOODS IF FOOD IS ROMANTIC / PASSIONATE IS CAUSING A PROBLEM	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Oily' guna
HOT ABOUT HOT GUNA Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation. LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT	MODERATE THESE HOT FOODS IF FOOD IS ROMANTIC / PASSIONATE IS CAUSING A PROBLEM	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Hot' guna
SOUR ABOUT SOUR GUNA Sour refers to anything fermented or acidic. LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUR	MODERATE THESE SOUR FOODS IF FOOD IS ROMANTIC / PASSIONATE IS CAUSING A PROBLEM	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Sour' taste
PUNGENT ABOUT PUNGENT GUNA Pungency is characterized by irritation, or sharp, spicy foods that irritate the mouth such as black pepper. LEARN MORE ABOUT PUNGENT	MODERATE THESE PUNGENT FOODS IF FOOD IS ROMANTIC / PASSIONATE IS CAUSING A PROBLEM	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Pungent' taste

To learn more about the symbols above, click on them.

SEE A DIET WHICH REMOVES THESE QUALITIES

FAVOR DIETS, LIFESTYLES & HERBS WITH THESE MEDICINAL EFFECTS

GUNA	FOODS TO FAVOR	CONDITION IN YOUR BODY
COLD ABOUT COLD GUNA Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow. LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD	COLD INGREDIENTS COLD RECIPES	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Cold' guna
BITTER ABOUT BITTER GUNA Bitter is disagreeable and stimulating rejection, and a strong taste often associated with black coffee, dark chocolate, and most salad greens. LEARN MORE ABOUT BITTER	BITTER INGREDIENTS BITTER RECIPES	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Bitter' taste

To learn more about the symbols above, click on them.

ADDRESS ISSUES IN STAGE OF DISEASE 0

Potential causes increase and disturb your imbalanced doshas and qualities, causing them to accumulate and spiral out of control. For example, if you're overheated and eat a chili pepper, heat may become excessive and cause disease. As a dosha or quality accumulates in your body according to your dietary and lifestyle habits, it is more and more likely to cause disease. You can reduce an imbalanced dosha or quality in two ways, by removing, or lessening the frequency of aggravating causes from your diet and lifestyle, as well as by favoring balancing diet and lifestyle practices. For example, try eating something as cool as a cucumber when you're overheated, instead of a chili pepper.

REDUCE THESE RELATED SYMPTOMS & HABITS

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR UNIQUE BODY?

What aggravates it? What heals it? Then get your Personal Ayurvedic Body Book! This book, written by founder and director of Joyful Belly, John Immel, is individually formatted for your unique body and will help you confidently choose food that restores your healthy glow to get you feeling like your best self. Just $19.99!

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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 exudes a certain ease, which many find enjoyable and insightful. His online course Balance Your Ayurvedic Diet in a Week provides tools for gracefully healing with Ayurveda to thousands. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda , which specializes in digestive tract pathology & Ayurvedic nutrition. John and his wife Natalie recently published Explore Your Hunger: A Guide to Hunger, Appetite & Food.

John's interest in Ayurveda and digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, including his public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.

John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well.

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