SAVE SYMPTOM
Is a Vegetarian Diet Healthy? Adopting a vegetarian lifestyle needs to be a good fit for the individual. For many Pitta-Kapha individuals, going vegetarian for a year increases vitality. For other constitutions, going...
Do you eat meat every day? Meat is considered a supplement in Ayurveda rather than a daily food. Since our digestive tract is too long, an excess of meat tends to putrify in our gut.
Red meat should be consumed in small quantities only. Red meat is heavy & hot. It can make a person domineering.
The high convenience factor of protein shakes allows you to nearly skip the eating process altogether. Along the way, you can even forget your body's intimate connection with food - the cravings you were meant to feel and enjoy. Food is supposed to be...
There is no right or wrong answer to the raw versus cooked debate. The real answer to the debate depends on the digestive strength of the individual. Raw food offers nutritional benefits but is more difficult to digest, causing gas and bloating in...
Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower are cruciferous vegetables. They are all difficult to digest in a person with a dry or cold digestive tract.
Whole grains are more difficult to digest than husked, but have more fiber and are nutritionally superior. If your digestion is poor, however, you won't be able to absorb the nutrition benefits of whole grains.
If you do not eat leafy greens at least once a day, or every too days, your diet is low in leafy greens. Our ancestors subsisted on a diet high in leafy greens and nuts. Bitter leaves such as endives stimulate digestion, restore proper food...
Refined flours are heavy, gooey and cause congestion. Bread, although it looks crunchy, becomes a bowl of goo after it is chewed.
Wheat is generally difficult to digest, very heavy, gums up the digestive tract, and causes mucus.
Refined sugar consumption has increased exponentially. The average American consumes over 150x the amount of sugar eaten just 100 years ago. Refined sugar is highly processed, and, like a drug, wreaks havoc with our metabolism, causing a sugar high,...
Whereas 3-4 sodas with sugar would be nauseating, corn syrup bypasses our natural appetite suppressing hormones leading to weight gain and diabetes.
Burgers and hot dogs combine meat and wheat, two difficult to digest ingredients. These heavy, gooey, difficult to digest ingredients often cause heaviness and stagnation in the stomach, and gas and bloating in the colon.
Sandwiches are generally a bad food combination, dry, heavy and cold. Sandwiches were invented by the earl of sandwich, a british lord who was also a compulsive gambler. He would gamble for many days and nights together without stopping to eat or...
Burritos are a bad food combination. They generally contain rice and wheat (two types of grains), beans and meat (two types of proteins), sour cream and cheese (two types of dairy), nightshades (tomatoes, chilis) and fatty avocados.
Let's face it: Pizza happens. Growing up, one of my favorite memories was when my dad would take my sisters and I to Brother's Four Pizzeria. We would have so much fun picking out toppings, watching the cheese become stringy as we pulled up a slice,...
Beans are difficult to digest, high in soluble and insoluble fiber, and high in potassium (drying). They feel cold and heavy in the digestive tract. See more...
Why do we love nuts? Humans have a long history of eating nuts. Nuts were the primary source of fats and proteins prior to the agricultural revolution. Unfortunately, peanuts...
Tomatoes aggravate Vata and Pitta. They are difficult to digest and acidic. Like most members of the nightshade plant family, they have a funkiness that irritates the liver.
Dairy creates heaviness, cloudy thoughts, bloating and constipation for many. It provokes weight gain, mucus and Kapha dosha. Although adult humans have adapted to milk, it was originally intended for babies. Lactose intolerance may be quite natural.
Alcohol is also a medicine when used in the right dose. Alcohol is recommended in Ayurveda during winter months as a remedy to blood stagnation. Two (2) tablespoons of wine represent a daily medicinal dose of alcohol during the month of January and...
Coffee is like a metabolic credit card. By suppressing exhaustion, coffee prevents you from learning how to build and restore vitality naturally. It enables people to live at a superhuman pace for years, and by stimulating the mind can even prevent...
Chocolate is difficult to digest and hot. Bitter chocolate is Kapha pacifying. Since chocolate is often mixed with sugar and cream, it aggravates all three doshas. Chocolate stimulates the reproductive organs in women, which explains why chocolate can...
Many people smoke without thinking, leading to addiction. As a first step to quitting, Ayurveda recommends smoking slowly and with full attention.
Everyone should monitor their water intake. The first sign of dehydration is a dry palate. If the palate is already adequately moistened, additional water could create heaviness and indigestion.
Water before the meal is nectar. Proper hydration improves digestive function up to 24%. Water during the meal is honey if taken in small sips. Water after meals dilutes the acids in our stomach, and leads to digestive problems.
Fruits digest quickly. Other foods, such as yogurt, meat, peanuts and other heavy foods digest more slowly. While the body is trying to digest these other foods, bacteria quickly ferment the fruit, causing gas, bloating & toxic buildup. Fruits should...
Consuming food soon after a meal forces the stomach to process partially digested and undigested foods at the same time, disturbing the rhythm of digestion. Desserts especially challenge the stomach due to their heaviness. The stomach produces special...
Digestion demands alot of blood to function properly. Cold drinks cause blood vessels in the stomach to shrink. A warm drink expands blood vessels in the stomach, much like the cheeks become red and flushed on a hot July afternoon.
Canned, frozen food may be nutrient deficient, and lack taste. Taste is important to help the body choose the best foods for the season.
If you ever asked why fried food is bad for you, you're not alone. We understand your concern. After all, the sizzle of french fries in a deep fryer or the sight of a funnel cake at your local fair can be hard to resist. These foods are fun...
A Fresh Look At Leftovers There's something bright, juicy and colorful about fresh food. Fresh food has a "je ne sais quoi" about it - something special even if you can't detect the difference in a lab. Classical Ayurveda recommends against...
Fast food isn't all that fast in the digestive tract. We've had clients burp up the flavor of a big mac more than 48hrs after consumption. If you have acid reflux, bloating, feel tired, or your thoughts become cloudy after eating, the fast food has...
Spicy food stimulates digestion, blood flow and sweat. Spicey food liquefies mucus in the digestive tract, lungs, and anywhere mucus is found. Spices can irritate the digestive tract.
Supplements include herbs, extracts, vitamins, minerals, and any other item you ingest as an addition to your everyday meal. Occasional use of supplements may be beneficial - during a busy week, when you are pregnant or having so other short term,...
No matter how much you love digestive enzymes for saving you from embarrassing gas or tummy discomfort, digestive enzymes could magnify the real root...
DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body. The information on this page is for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat a medical condition. It is not a substitute for medical care. Please check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.
On Joyful Belly, we've created an extensive categorization of food so you can easily match food to your imbalanced biocharacteristics. By eating an optimal diet that balances your biocharacteristics, your whole body is strengthened and the conditions that created the disorder are removed. Once the root causes of the disease are removed, the disease lessens in strength or disappears altogether. Additional remedies - such as herbs and lifestyle practices - focused on the specific disorder, can greatly enhance your healing.
Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’
