When serving fruit...... !!!!!

“Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits, Take care of your garden And keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine Kind words and kind deeds.”

ABOUT FRUITS..When serving fruit, it is best to eat it alone or at the beginning of the meal. Fruits is so readily digestible that it deserves to be first place in the stomach’s list. Otherwise it ferments. Whatever goes in stomach first is digested first, and sets the pace for the rest of the meal to come. Fats and proteins are digested much slower than most fruits and vegetables. If fruits are eaten after bread, butter, and beans for ex. they are forced to wait in the stomach for as long as it takes these heavy foods to digest. This delay in a hot wet acid environment causes fermentation, gas and belching, unnecessarily.

       Fruits are one of the cleansing and most valuable foods. Used in proper position and appropriate time they are key to calming Doshas and clearing ama/toxins out of the system. They must be ripe and unpolluted to have this effect; otherwise they will create toxins itself. Unfortunately most of these sold in market neither ripe nor chemical free. Fruit is picked green often, often with a heavy residue of pesticides and other synthetics. Chemical indigestion cause wide variety of ills, including skin rashes, fever, headaches and diarrhea.

ABOUT TRIDOSHIK FRUIT

      A number of fruits can be used by all constitutions. Preparation and proper combination is the doorway to healing tridoshik use. Well-ripened mangoes are well tolerated by all doshas. Stewed or soaked raisins are appropriate for all constitutions. Sweet purple grapes, sweet cherries and sweet apricots, and fresh sweet berries can be enjoyed moderately by all. Raw sweet pineapple is best for Vata-Pitta, but can be eaten in moderation by Kapha. It calms gastritis and overactive liver and act as antihelmentic. Apples and pears can be stewed or backed with liquid to suit all doshas. Ripe banana is fine served for Vata. It can be prepared with pinch of ginger for Kapha and bit of turmeric for Pitta. Dried figs can be stewed and served as they are for Vata and Pitta; Kapha can eat those with pinch of ginger or nutmeg as a balancing garnish. Cranberries can be sweetened   with sweet orange and cinnamon to make them workable for all Doshas in small amounts.

"Foods high in bad fats, sugar and chemicals are directly linked to many negative emotions, whereas whole, natural foods rich in nutrients - foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes - contribute to greater energy and positive emotions."

ABOUT POTAOES AND NIGHTSHADE FAMILY….

NIghtshades

                  The nightshades – tomatoes, white potatoes, eggplant, peppers and tobacco…were used in New World for centuries with little difficulty. The deadly nightshades get their name for a definite reason: they concentrate poisonous alkaloids in various parts of their anatomy, particularly their leaves. Nightshades leaves were used, ground up with poisonous mushroom, as deterrent to flies in the old world. But their fruits were highly mistrusted. Are they all dangerous? We are not sure. The solanines in them certainly are. It is often recommended to avoid nightshade family if you are seeking to eliminate a condition of rheumatoid arthritis.

                 White potatoes are cool, light and dry, therefore they imbalance Vata and assist Kapha, and essentially have neutral effect on Pitta. They are one of few nightshades fruits that can accumulate enough toxins in their edible portion to be overtly toxic. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to tell if they have done so. If potatoes have green shade to its peel, it is suspect. The toxic alkaloid solanin and chaconine accumulate close to the surface of the peel in these areas, especially if potatoes are allowed to sit in light or are stored in very cold or fairly warm places. A cool dark storage spot serves potatoes best. Cooking will not remove these toxins. Cutting out the green portion, usually the surface 1/8inch or less, will. Besides greening, a sharp burning sensation on the tongue upon eating the potato is another sign of excessive alkaloid levels. Cutting the potato is usually sufficient.

                 The preparation of potato has a great deal to do with whether it is calming or irritating to a given dosha. While potato is beneficial to Kapha, French fries, potato chips and baked potato with sour cream are not.  Each of these contains lot of oil, inherently light potato become heavy by preparation. Similarly many Vatas can handle backed potato on occasion, if it has generous amount of ghee, yoghurt or sour cream on it. Pittas and Kaphas get best with their potatoes boiled or stewed in dishes, not fried. Backed potatoes are fine for Pitta if they do not over do it on the fatty condiments. Vatas need their potatoes well spiced and moistened. Potatoes are being rich in Vitamin C, have been used in centuries. They are also recommended as an easy digest starch for those with nervous indigestion related to liver weakness.   

ABOUT GREENS (VEGIE)… ‘’BITTER IS BETTER!”

ABOUT GREENS (VEGGIE)… ‘’BITTER IS BETTER!”  and dark leafy greens  are one of the best way to get bitter taste pleasantly. We find ourselves recommending dark leafy greens very frequently, as an excellent way of counteracting the heaviness. Light, pungent and rich in vitamins and minerals, dark leafies like kale, collards, arugula, dandelion, chicory, and mustard and turnip greens are all specific healers for the liver and immune system. They also provide superb support for the skin, eyes and mucus membranes. Properly prepare they are easy to digest and will stimulate elimination. They can be eaten as much as 3 to 4 times a week or more for their healing properties. They make an excellent spring tonic. Most greens have a pungent Vipak, which is why it is best to prepare them with generous amount of cooling coriander powder.

           Spinach, swiss chard and beet greens are bit different. While fast to cook, they are a concentrated source of oxalic acid. This compounds bind with calcium, preventing its absorption. An occasional meal of these vegetables does no harm, but they are best not eaten as regularly as other greens recommended above.

            Spinach cools, nourishes and soothes, with light, dry attributes and a pungent Vipak. In large quantities it is aggravation to Pitta and Vata, and best served to Kapha. Small amounts are well tolerated by all, and are useful medicinally in the treatment of lung and liver disorders.

              Some greens are obviously more pungent than others, mustard greens being hotter than collards or kale for example. Pittas especially need to take taste into account when choosing their greens. The more pungent greens – mustard, arugula, turnip greens, water cress are easier for mostly Kaphas and Vatas to catabolize, and are best minimized by Pitta. Vatas do well to take their greens well cooked, not raw. Pitta and Kapha can handle them either way.

Vegetarianism..

Vegetarianism…alternative names as Lacto-ovovegetarian; Semi-vegetarian; Partial vegetarian; Vegan; Lacto-vegetarian.

Definition of Vegetarianism:

       A vegetarian diet is a meal plan that contains little or no animal products.

Types of vegetarian diets include:

• Vegan: Diet consists of only foods of plant origin.
• Lacto-vegetarian: Diet consists of plant foods plus some or all dairy products.
• Lacto-ovovegetarian: Diet consists of plant foods, dairy products, and eggs.
• Semi- or partial vegetarian: Diet consists of plant foods and may include chicken or fish, dairy products, and eggs. It does not include red meat.

Function:

                A person may choose to follow a vegetarian diet for a variety of reasons, including religious, moral or political beliefs, economics, or the desire to eat more healthy foods.

The American Dietetic Association states that a well-planned vegetarian diet can deliver good nutrition. Dietary recommendations vary with the type of vegetarian diet. For children and adolescents these diets require special planning, because it may be difficult to obtain all the nutrients required for growth and development.

Nutrients that may be lacking in a vegetarian's diet include:

• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin D
• Riboflavin
• Zinc
• Iron
• Protein

               Protein is necessary for good health. There are two types of protein: complete and incomplete. Complete proteins contain adequate amounts of the essential substances (amino acids) needed for health. They are found in meats, milk, fish, soy, and eggs. Incomplete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids, but not enough of them.

You do not have to eat animal products to get complete proteins in your diet. You can mix two incomplete proteins or an incomplete protein with a complete protein to get the proper amount. Some combination's are milk and cereal, peanut butter and bread, beans and rice, beans and corn tortillas, and macaroni and cheese.

Ref: UMMC.

More about Artichokes and Okra in Ayurveda perspective....!!!

VEGETABLES  are important part of our meals where some are cooked some are eaten raw....lets see Ayurveda views.....

Energetics: Pleasant/even/sweet

Actions: Generally sattwic (but less so than fruit)

Indications:

Root— heavier, nutritive, relieves Vata, increases kapha, and neutral effect on Pitta, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower family increases Vata.

Leafy Greens—(including cabbage family) lighter, relieves Pitta and Kapha, mildly increases Vata, blood-cleansing, vitamins, and minerals.

Pungents—onions, chilies Relieves Vata kapha, mildly increases Pitta also they are rajasic.

Nightshades—tomatoes, potatoes, may cause allergies, though if cooked they cause fewer problems.

Diuretics— Carrots, celery, lettuce, mustard greens, watercress, broccoli, potatoes.

Preparation:

Vata—cooked or steamed, oils and spices, salt and pickled (rajasic)

Pitta—raw or lightly steamed, vegetable juices,

Kapha—cooked or steamed.

Fresh, organic, home or locally grown is sattwic, canned food is tamasic, aggravating all humors.

Combining: Combines well with other foods for one’s constitution. Does not combine well with fruit or sugars.

Season: It is best to eat vegetables according to season (taking into account one’s constitutional requirements)

Spring, Summer—greens, leafy, raw

Winter—roots, cooked

Antidote—

Cold and raw—ginger, oil, vinegar (rajasic), garlic and onions (rajasic/tamasic)

Dry and light—(i.e., cabbage family) oil, butter, sour cream, cheese, whole grains, pasta

Let’s  talk about  ARTICHOKES AND OKRA…..

           Globe artichokes are nearly as tridoshik as asparagus. Like asparagus they are cool light, moist sweet, and astringent. They lack slight bitterness of asparagus and so do not relieve Kapha and Pitta quite as much.  Still they are food can be eaten by all types without any loss of balance. They need to be well cooked and preferably warmly herbed, to be assimilated by Vata. 

         They act as haemostatic, This diuretic vegetable is of nutritional value because of its exhibiting aid to digestion, strengthening of the liver function, gall bladder function, and raising of HDL/LDL ratio. This reduces cholesterol levels, which diminishes the risk for arteriosclerosis and coronary heart diseases.Its active chemical component ‘Cynarin' increases bile flow,  Cleanses liver, excess menstruation; high in calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, and niacin.

        Okra is more frequently used in India as it grows best in tropical temperatures. This slippery tropical vegetable, ‘the edible hibiscus,’ relieves Pitta, has a neutral effect on Kapha and very mildly increases Vata. It is cool, diuretic, soothing, and softening. Cooked to enhance its moistening qualities, it is well tolerated by all doshas. It acts as anti-inflammatory in cystitis, sore throat, bronchitis and irritable bowel.  

Okra Actions: Demulcent, emollient, diuretic, alterative,aphrodisiac, tonic, (mallow plant family)

Indications: Difficult, painful, or burning urine; diarrhea, dysentery, spermatorrhea, leukorrhea, strengthening, gonorrhea, intestinal disorders, inflamed or spastic colon, diverticulitis, stomach ulcers,

fever.

• The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize the blood sugar by curbing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.

• Okra helps lubricate the large intestines due to its bulk laxative qualities. The okra fiber absorbs water and ensures bulk in stools. This helps prevent and improve constipation.

• Okra is used for healing ulcers and to keep joints limber. It helps to neutralize acids, being very alkaline, and provides a temporary protective coating for the digestive tract.  
• Okra is good for summer heat treatment

Okra contains vitamins A and C and is a good source of iron and calcium. It also contains starch, fat, ash, thiamine and riboflavin. No wonder, Cleopatra and Yang Guifei maintained their beauties. (The world's most beautiful women, Cleopatra of Egypt and Yang Guifei of China loved to eat okra according to the history record.)

Veggie....rich in vitamins and low in calories.

                      Vegetables are delightful way to lighten up a meal, and balance the taste of it for your constitution or family. Rich in vitamins and low in calories, they offer nourishment without ponderous mass. Being in general light and moist, they are some of the easiest foods to digest when properly prepared. They combine well with most foods, including proteins, grains, and fats. Vegetable have wide range of tastes, from sweet (winter squash), bitter (dark leafy greens), astringent (asparagus), and pungent (water cress), to salty (celery). This means they can be used in a wide variety of way to heal. Like most foods vegetables are classified as cool or warm, light or heavy in Ayurveda. The warming vegetables tend to be most advantageous for Vata and Kapha, the cooling ones for Pitta. Heavy roots are used to balance light Vata and leafy vegetables are more often advised for substantial Kapha.

                 Asparagus is one of the few vegetables that can be eaten by all doshas with no alteration. Sweet, astringent and bitter, cool, light and most, it is ideal for Pitta. It stabilizes Vata, being easy to digest and lightens and stimulates Kapha. It is steamed and eaten as it is here or used in wide varieties of curries, kicharies and main dishes. It is used medicinally in Ayurveda as a mild laxative, cardiac and nerve sedative, tonic, aphrodisiac, and demulcent. Calm your distraught partner or yourself after a long day at work with this vital veggie! A less potent relative of the rejuvenative  Indian preparation Shatavari.

      "The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture."

Oat bran verses Rolled oats....!!!!

                Oats are the seeds or the grain variety of particular grasses. Although it is true much of the oats sown in the US are used as feed for animals such as horses, cattle and poultry, the cereal is also milled into different grades for human consumption as specially oat meal, rolled oat, and oat bran.

              Oat bran has a better nutritional profile when compared to rolled oats. Because oat bran is the outer husk of the oat grain, it contains the bulk of the dietary soluble fiber, along with a large amount of useful minerals.

             One common use of oat bran is as an additive in baked goods like muffins, where it adds a very distinctive texture and rich, nutty flavor. It is also added to breakfast cereals or used alone as a cereal. Oat bran is also added to breads, increasing their fiber content, and many whole wheat or mixed grain breads may be dusted with oat bran before they are baked to create a flavorful topping.

Oat bran – Main Benefits

1)      Lowers Cholesterol -Oat bran contains soluble fiber, which reduces the low-density lipoprotein (LDL), otherwise known as the "bad" cholesterol. The soluble fiber reduces the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. When compared to oatmeal, on average oat bran has 50% more fiber and soluble fiber, making it much more efficient.

2)      Creates feeling of fullness-    Once consumed, oat bran enters the digestive tract where its soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel-like substance, creating a feeling of fullness. A tablespoon of oat bran, about half an ounce absorbs on average 25 times its volume in liquid, forming a 13 ounce ball.

3)      Slows sugar absorption -Once ingested, the bolus (the gel-like substance) passes through the gastric acid, bile, and finally the pancreatic juices. This turns the bolus into pulp and reduces it to a mix of elementary chains, fatty acids, amino acids and glucose. This process both slows down the sugar assimilation and removes calories from the body, thus helping the dieting process.

Cooking will be almost same for Bran and rolled oats but may varies with your recipe and surely quantity. It’s less recommended to underweight person but very much beneficial in obese, Diabetes and hyper cholesterol and maybe it is advised to preventive food in such cases those who are more prone to above illness.

And lastly …. Once you try it you. will get the benefits of it.

Ayurveda perspective of OAT BRAN…!!

           Oat bran has become popular recently as a source of fiber and as one way to lower blood cholesterol levels. It is far lighter and dryer than regular oats. It is most balancing for Kapha, served as cold breakfast cereal like oat bran flakes. It is relatively neutral for Pitta. Unless it is well moistened, it can definitely imbalance Vata. Vata can get the benefit of the Oat bran fiber naturally present in cooked rolled oats. Oat bran also can be added to muffin or bread recipes to lighten their effects and add fiber. In Ayurveda, rough dry foods like oat bran are highly regarded as a way of counteracting the effects of consuming too many sweet heavy foods, such as meat, wine, and cheese.

Health Benefits: Oats reduces the risk of Heart Disease due to fiber content when combined with low fat diet also due to its beta-glucan may help Type-2 Diabetes control their blood glucose level. Also it contains high content of complex carbohydrates and water soluble fiber that encourages slow digestion and stabilizes blood-glucose levels. Oatmeal porridge also contains more B vitamins and calories than other kinds of porridges. Oats are the only cereal containing a globulin or legume like protein.

Note:  

Rolled oats are traditionally oat groats that have been rolled into flat flakes under heavy rollers and then steamed and lightly toasted.

Oatmeal is ground oat groats.

Tridoshas : Vata, Pitta, Kapha in Ayurveda.