Astringent
Gunas:
- Cool
- Dry
- Heavy
*Foods to consume when you need to dry your body and close the flow if you have excess bleeding or diarrhea.
*Astringent Taste- Increases Vata, decreases Pitta and Kapha
*Enjoy in the fall & spring seasons & astringent tastes increases vata dosha
*Go to astringent food when you need to build your immunity, give your body strength & fertility
Examples of Astringent foods
- Unripe bananas
- Pomegranates
- Green Beans
- Barley
- Green whole or split mung dal
- Peanuts
- Walnuts
- Honey
- Chicken
- Water chestnuts
- Pumpkin
- Apples
- Pears
- Coriander
- Nutmeg
Sweet
Gunas:
- Heavy
- Oily
- Sticky
- Cool
*Enjoy in every season but spring to not increase Kapha as sweet increases Kapha
*Decreases Vata and Pitta, increases Kapha
Examples of Sweet foods
- Fresh Fruit
- Ghee
- Milk
- Rice
- Wheat
- Cucumbers
- Squash
- Pumpkin
- Green mung lentils
- Dates
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Coconuts & coconut oil
- Fish, pork, beef
- Potatoes & okra
- Cardamom & Fennel
Sour
Gunas:
- Hot
- Light
- Moist
*Decreases Vata, increases Pitta and Kapha
*Eat less sour tastes in the Fall & Spring
*Good for laxative effects
Examples of sour tastes
- Tomatoes
- Many Fruits (especially citrus, berries, & pomegranates)
- Lemon
- Lime
- Some pickles
- Tamarind
Salty
Gunas:
- Hot
- Heavy
- Sharp
- Little Oily
*The fire in the salt increases pitta dosha and the water increases kapha dosha. It’s best to eat less salt in the summer & spring seasons.
*Aids in digestion, food absorption & elimination
*Decreases Vata, increases Pitta and Kapha
Examples of salty tastes
- Himalayan pink salt
- Sea vegetables
- Nuts
- Pickles
Bitter
Gunas:
- Dry
- Cool
- Light
*The bitter tastes increases Vata. Bitter is a good choice in the spring & fall seasons.
*Helps digest toxins, clears the bodily channels.
*It’s great if you suffer from blood disorders, itching, infections, fevers
*Increases Vata, decreases Pitta and Kapha
Examples of bitter tastes
- Fenugreek leaves & seeds
- Bittermelon
- Dandelion roots
- Peas
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Many green vegetables
- Turmeric
- Fennel
- Saffron
Pungent
Gunas:
- Dry
- Light
- Hot
- Sharp
*Increases Vata & Pitta, decreases Kapha best to invest a heavy dose of pungent foods in the spring.
*Promotes digestion & opens your lunges in cases of coughs, colds & congestion.
Examples of pungent tastes
- Black pepper
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Radish
- Mustard
- Peppers
- Fenugreek seeds
- Mustard Oil
- Red & green chilies
- Wasabi
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