Classification of food products by doshas
Food products, as well as plant and animal raw materials for their preparation, can be divided into fairly clear groups. This classification is based on the doctrine of the three doshas, which gives the healer an accurate knowledge of the properties of the products and allows them to adequately prescribe them to patients, based on an accurate understanding. Since all diseases are divided into cold and hot, food products can be divided according to the same criteria. As stated earlier, there are three doshas - rlung, tripa and bedken. Rlung and bedken are cold doshas, tripa is hot. Bedken is based on two elements - earth and water, rlung - air, and tripa - fire.
If one or another dosha dominates or is deficient in a person, then this can be balanced very effectively proper nutrition. The healer must know exactly the tastes and properties of foods in order to either increase or decrease one or another element in the body when the doshas are imbalanced. Let's remember the table of tastes and elements:
Elements Flavors
EARTH + WATER = SWEET
EARTH + FIRE = SOUR
WATER + FIRE = SALT
WATER + WIND = BITTER
WIND + FIRE = BURNING
EARTH + WIND = Astringent
Let's look at a few examples to make it clear how food products are selected when there is a deficiency or excess of a particular dosha and, accordingly, a certain primary element on which the dosha is based. For example, if a patient has an excess of bedken (mucus) dosha, this means that two primary elements dominate in his body - earth and water. Consequently, the primary elements wind (air) and fire will be in short supply. In order to reduce the elements of earth and water, it is necessary to exclude from the diet all sweet foods, some sour ones (since many fermented milk products raise mucus in the body), as well as bitter ones. All these tastes contain the elements of water and earth and, therefore, increase the bedken dosha, i.e. increase mucus, cold and stagnation in the body.
In contrast to this cold and stagnant process, it is necessary to increase the consumption of foods with a burning, astringent and salty taste in order to strengthen the tripa and rlung dosha, i.e. element of fire and wind. In case of strengthening of the rlung dosha, it is necessary to prescribe foods that have sweet, sour and hot tastes, because these tastes contain those primary elements that will be in decline, i.e. earth, water and fire. When the trip dosha is dominant, it is preferable to consume sweet, astringent, bitter and sour tastes, because they contain cold and heavy elements - earth, water and wind.
This diet is called cold because it reduces the action of bile and lowers the internal fire in the body. If a person has two dominant cold doshas at once (rlung and bedken), it is necessary to focus on food products that are hotter in their properties, and choose more fiery or hot flavors. Salt also increases internal heat, because salty tastes will be useful too. In case of combined disorders, when two or three doshas are out of balance, it is necessary to clearly find out which doshas are on the rise and which are in decline, and select a diet according to the diagnostic indicators.
Pulse diagnostics determines what processes occur in the internal organs, and this is taken into account primarily when prescribing a particular diet, because the restoration of the doshas occurs precisely at this level of the body, i.e. in internal organs. Selecting foods for an optimal diet isn't just based on taste; properties of plant and animal ingredients may vary depending on various factors. Of course, there is an exact system and theory by which you can accurately determine the quality of food, but other factors that can change the properties of food must also be taken into account. For example, if we take grains, their properties can be influenced by the climate of the area in which they are grown, the degree of ripeness, storage conditions, variety, cooking methods, shelf life after preparation, temperature, additives, etc.
If the grain grew in a dry and hot climate, it acquires hotter properties. Unripe grains are difficult to digest, more slimy, and if stored raw and damp place, then this quality is aggravated. Undercooked food (for example, half-baked porridge) is heavy and has pronounced mucus, and if it is consumed cold and stored in the cold after cooking, then we get a product that is very heavy and cold in properties. How can you make the same porridge warmer or even hotter in properties? First, you need to take only ripened grain and preferably grown in a dry and hot climate.
Further, it should be stored in a dry place with optimal temperature. To enhance the warm qualities, the grain is lightly fried in melted cow butter (ghee) before being consumed in dry form, and when it begins to rustle characteristically, it is filled with water and cooked until fully cooked, kept warm for some time after the end of cooking.
If you add salt, pepper, ginger or other hot and salty seasonings to this product, you will get a product that is very warm in properties and easy to digest. Pre-frying in ghee can be applied to absolutely all types of grains before cooking; this action reduces the mucilaginous properties of the grain and makes it crumbly and tasty. If you fry vegetables and meat in the same way before cooking them different dishes, then this also enhances their warm qualities. It should be especially noted that ghee is a super valuable food product, and in temperate climates it is especially useful in winter and spring periods when cold doshas dominate in nature and in the human body. If the patient has a dominant trip dosha or increased heat in one or another organ, then it is better not to enhance the warm properties of foods by frying and hot spices.
Vegetables are considered cold in nature and have the nature of wind, but among them there are also vegetables with dual qualities. For example, onions and garlic, which have a sweet (cold) taste at their core, but are hot on the surface. Sautéing in oil changes their properties and makes them cold, because they are hot. essential oils disappear during frying. Meat is also divided into hot, neutral and cold. The meat of wild and predatory animals, lamb, and black cow meat is considered hot. Average - veal, beef. Cold meat is pork, poultry (wind meat), goat meat. However, the properties of meat can also be changed different ways preparation and storage.
To determine the quality of a product, it is not enough to know its characteristics only from books; you must always taste it, evaluate it by sight, and in some cases use your intuition, because the same product, for example wheat grain or vegetables, can have completely different properties . To facilitate understanding and help you understand the categories of various food products, here is a small list that indicates some of their basic properties:
Cereals: ,
Wheat is heavy, cold, and sweet in taste.
Rye has warmer properties.
Buckwheat is even warmer and drier (wind element).
Barley is rough, dry, and has the nature of wind.
Rice - cold, light (wind element).
Corn - cold and heavy (mucilage).
Oats - have a mucilage nature, but are less heavy than wheat.
Potatoes - pure mucilage, sweet taste, heavy and cold (grows in darkness and dampness).
Cabbage is pure wind, rough, cold.
Tomatoes have a dual nature, the taste is sour (earth, fire).
Radishes are mucilage-based, heavy and cold, with a burning sensation on the surface.
whose taste.
Black radish has a distinctly hot taste, but is fundamentally sweet.
Beets are sweet and tough.
Carrots are a distinctly sweet product.
Onions are sweet at the core, hot on the surface.
Garlic - very heavy at the base, sweet, burns on the surface -
whose taste.
Horseradish has a sweet base and a pungent taste on the surface.
Cucumbers are basically empty and cold (wind).
Mushrooms are pure slime, heavy and cold.
Meat:
Lamb is hot.
Beef - warm.
Pork is closer to cold.
Poultry is cold, based on the nature of the wind (the meat is lean and dry).
Game is always warmer than domestic animals.
Wild predatory animals are the hottest meat.
Duck is hotter than land birds such as chicken.
Marmot meat (baibak) is heavy, cold, mucus.
They also need to be recognized by taste; there is no need to list them all. If the basic principle of determining the properties of products is clear, then you can easily appearance, by taste, by place of growth, by degree of ripeness, determine the quality of fruits or berries.
Oils:
Sunflower oil- heavy, cold (mucus).
Corn - heavy, cold.
Olive - warm.
Mustard is warm.
Sesame or sesame - hot.
Creamy - warm.
Ghee (made from butter) is warm in properties; the older it is, the hotter it becomes. Can be stored for several years. This is the most useful product food, in Tibet it is equated to jewelry. Ghee oil is used with virtually all products, and is also very useful for external procedures (massage, infusion into different cavities, enemas).
Fish:
It is considered a hot product because it lives in the cold, and in order to overcome cold living conditions, its fabrics have a distinctly hot nature. Also, many animals and plants living in water have a hot nature.
Spices:
Their properties are very easy to determine by taste, as well as by appearance, because they are made from plant ingredients.
Minerals:
Also used as food, for example salt, soda, etc., we recognize their properties by appearance, taste, etc.
drinks:
Water - cold in temperature - cold in properties, hot in temperature - hot.
Milk is the same as water.
Tea is cold, regardless of temperature.
Coffee is an extremely cold product, regardless of temperature.
Cocoa has warm properties.
White wine - cold properties.
Red wine - warmer properties.
Vodka is sweet and cold at the core, with a burning sensation on the surface.
Juices are cold in properties.
Sugar:
Beetroot is an extremely cold product because it is extracted from a vegetable that grows underground and in damp conditions. Cane sugar has warmer properties, while molasses has hot properties.
Honey:
Hot and dry in nature, very useful in mucus disorders. If you add sugar, honey or salt to drinks or food, you can greatly influence their properties. For example, salted boiling water is very useful for cold digestive disorders, when the stomach is bloated from food and there is no appetite.
Salt:
IN small quantities It is a must-have, it gives food a bright taste and actively participates in the digestive process.
We rarely think about the seasonality of food. As a rule, the seasonality of consumption of certain products dictates their availability for us. Since there are a lot of inexpensive plums in the summer, we eat plums; If there are no plums in winter or they are expensive, there is only plum jam prepared in the summer. Another difference between summer and winter dishes for us is the temperature of the dish. So few people would think of eating cold okroshka in severe frosts. At the same time we love to eat us New Year.
But in Tibetan and Chinese medicine everything is much more complicated. Experts in Tibetan medicine divide all foods into five groups: cold, cool, neutral, warm and hot. At the same time, the temperature of dishes made from these products does not matter at all. Something completely different is important here.
According to the beliefs of Tibetan healers, foods can contain either yin or yang energy. Yin products- cold. They take energy from a person and slow down metabolism. Such foods should be eaten during the hot season.
Yang products, on the contrary, activate metabolism and enhance the body's production of energy. They should be eaten in cold weather.
There are also neutral products, in which the energies of yang and yin are approximately equal. Such products are indicated to normalize digestion and increase appetite.
Cold
Tomatoes and cucumbers, melons and watermelons, bananas, pumpkin, seaweed, green tea.
Cool
All citrus fruits, apples and pears, eggplants, radishes (white), celery and spinach, beans, wheat.
Neutral
Eggs, beef and veal, milk, fatty fish, potatoes, onions, white cabbage, peas, carrots, lentils, corn, plums, figs, olives, peanuts, grapes, honey.
Warm
Cauliflower, apricots and peaches, cherries, prunes, pomegranates, dates, almonds, garlic, leeks, coriander, chicken, pork, lamb, black tea.
Hot
Spices: hot and allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger.
Of course, the above list is not complete. However, it can also be understood that some product groups are more extensive, others include only a few representatives. The smallest group is the group of hot foods. These are mainly spices. The hottest food of all is red pepper.
According to Eastern philosophy, if a person strives for harmony, he must monitor the balance of yin and yang energies in his life. And this can be done with the right diet, based on the correct choice of seasonal foods.
One of the most important principles of caring for your body in the canons oriental medicine– this is, first of all, the right attitude towards food. We are what we eat, and therefore we need to be especially attentive to everything that falls into our body. And the fact that the food a person takes can serve as both a cause of ill health and a cure for it was noticed by Chinese doctors long ago.
Each product, according to the traditions of Chinese medicine, carries a certain energy. Excessive or insufficient consumption of certain components will certainly lead to an imbalance of the entire body, disrupting the flow of Qi energy and the balance between Yin and Yang. That is why, looking for the cause of a patient’s illness, an oriental doctor will, first of all, review his diet.
Types of diseases
When prescribing a new diet to a patient, the doctor will take into account many factors - the course of his illness, age, weight and body constitution, and even the environment around him. given time climate – warm or cold, dry or wet. Therefore, two patients with the same diagnoses will not receive the same recommendations. The course of the disease itself must also be taken into account. According to Chinese doctors, it can occur in three ways: different types– cold, hot or wet.
"Cold“The type of disease is characterized by general weakness, decreased body temperature, weakness of blood flow, weak pulse and chilliness of the extremities. In this case, the doctor will prescribe “warm” or “hot” food to the patient.
"Hot" type of disease is characterized by fever, feeling of heat, increased thirst, redness skin, increased heart rate. In this case, the doctor’s recommendation would be to eat “neutral” and “cold” foods.
"Wet" type of disease is characterized by swelling, accumulation of water and mucus in the organs. The wet type can be either hot or cold; based on this, the doctor will prescribe an appropriate diet.
Energy Products
And each food product carries its own energy - Yin or Yang, it can be “hot”, “warm”, “cold” or “neutral”.
Neutral products – the most beneficial for human health, their absorption does not require additional effort, and they do not disturb the energy balance of the body. These include bread, wheat, legumes, soybeans, peas, cabbage, rice, grapes and raisins, salmon meat
Hot products – hot peppers, onion, chocolate, curry seasoning, butter, coffee and alcohol. These products carry Yang energy, their consumption is indicated in the treatment of “cold” types of illness.
To warm foods Chinese medicine includes cheeses, garlic, potatoes, chicken and beef.
Cold foods are endowed with an abundance of Yin energy, they cool the body and their use is indicated in the treatment of “hot” types of diseases. With an excess of Yin in the diet, there is a decline in vitality and a slowdown in energy processes. These include cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, watermelon, pear.
Products corresponding to the elements of the body
Also, according to the ancient Chinese teaching about the “five basic elements”, each organ in the body has its own element. The stomach and spleen correspond to the element Earth; heart and small intestine - to the element of Fire, bladder and kidneys - according to Water; lungs and large intestine – Metal; the liver and gall bladder belong to the Wood element.
All elements in nature are interconnected, actively influence each other, mutually reinforcing, or vice versa, reducing the energy of the other. So, for example, Water can extinguish Fire, and Fire, in turn, affects Metal, weakening it, and so on.
And in the body this interaction manifests itself in exactly the same way, and it is very important to maintain and maintain a balance between them. An excess of one element here will entail an imbalance of energy, which over time leads to illness of one or another organ. Therefore, in Chinese medicine, when preparing a diet, healers always took into account which element a particular product belongs to and which one needs to be introduced into the diet in order to restore balance.
Fire element – curry, tomato, red pepper, meat, lentils, corn.
The Earth element is carrots, orange, pumpkin, cabbage, millet, barley, cinnamon.
Metal element – rice, cucumber, onion, broccoli, asparagus, soybean.
Element Water – mushrooms, watermelon, nuts, buckwheat, black beans.
Wood element - salad greens, lemon, lime, grapes, green peppers, oats and wheat.
Of course, Chinese doctors did not rely on diet alone in treating diseases as a panacea for all diseases, but no less, reviewing and creating a new, balanced diet is an important step on the path to recovery.
Food is not just a substance that gives energy to a person, but the most direct and effective method external influences on our body.
In Chinese medicine, this attitude towards food is closely related to ideas about the energies of yin and yang, the provisions of Chinese medicine about the energy channels jing and meridians luo, which permeate the whole body, and the internal organs zang and fu, which mean five complete zang organs: liver, heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys; and six hollow organs of fu: stomach, large and small intestines, bladder, etc.
Concepts about the properties of food originate from a long history practical activities, it is a summary of the knowledge and experience of Chinese doctors in the use of drinks and food to treat and prevent diseases. In this concept there are mainly such concepts such as: property, taste, color and correlation with meridians.
Four properties
The property of a product is a certain type of effect of food on the human body.
According to Chinese medicine, all foods are divided into “cold”, “cool”, “warm” and “hot”.
However, these concepts do not indicate the temperature of the products themselves at the time of their consumption, but the effect that they have once inside the body.
In Chinese medicine, not only products are distinguished by their properties, but also those diseases that can arise in the body as a result of a violation of the harmony of “heat” and “cold”.
Products used to treat diseases with Excessive cold syndrome is called warm and hot, and for the treatment of diseases with syndrome of excess “heat” - cold and cool.
Food with cold and cool properties has an antipyretic, antifever effect, removes toxins from the body, reduces the thermal and physical energy of the body, has a cooling effect, and slows down energy exchange in the body.
Foods with cold properties are slightly more effective than “cool” foods.
The effect of warm and hot foods on the body is directly opposite to cold-cool ones; they stimulate the body’s production of thermal and physical energy, have a warming effect, speed up metabolism. People who cannot tolerate low temperatures, you should eat more hot foods, and patients suffering from acute inflammatory diseases, on the contrary, should reduce their amount in their diet in order to avoid increased internal heat in the body, which causes dryness in the mouth, a burning sensation on the tongue, constipation and other painful symptoms.
Neutral products- These are soothing products that are soft in their effects. They stimulate the functioning of the spleen, which in Chinese medicine is responsible for improving digestion, which occurs due to the strengthening of the Yin power of breathing, have a restorative and tonic effect on the body, and stimulate appetite.
Neutral products:
onions, potatoes, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, lentils, peas, carrots, black soybeans, short grain rice, corn, peanuts, olives, olives, black sesame, hazelnuts, mint leaves, figs, plums, grapes, muer (edible tree mushroom), herring, carp, crucian carp, pork lungs, pork heart, pork kidneys, pork feet, goose meat, egg, pigeon egg, quail egg, honey, beef, milk.
Cool foods:
eggplant, white radish, pumpkin seeds, spinach, celery, chumiza, barley, golden beans, doufu (bean curd), wheat, tangerine, apple, pear, orange, duck egg, buckwheat.
Cold products:
tomatoes, persimmons, seaweed, zest, bamboo shoots, watermelon, melon, banana, pumpkin, cucumber.
Hot Products:
cinnamon, hot pepper (capsicum), allspice (spice).
Warm products:
leeks, coriander, cauliflower, garlic, papaya, apricot, almonds, peach, cherry, pomegranate, prunes, dates, chicken, lamb, sheep's milk, pork.
Five colors
Food products, based on their color, are divided into five types, each of which corresponds to one of the five organs of the human body:
green ones interact with the liver;
red - with a heart;
yellow - with the spleen;
white - with lungs;
black - with buds.
Green products relieve the load on the liver and gall bladder, regulate their functioning, effectively eliminate fever and calm the internal “fire”, relieve physical and mental stress, improve vision, and prevent headaches.
Red products provide positive influence improve the functioning of the heart, relieve fatigue and strengthen the nervous and immune systems and increase the body's resistance to diseases.
Products yellow color
improve mood, strengthen vitality and uplift the spirit, are strong antioxidants, strengthen the immune system, protect the skin from various diseases, stimulate digestion and liver function, which helps cleanse the internal organs of accumulated food and dirt that enters the body along with poorly washed products.
They also remove toxins from the blood. At the same time, they help mental focus and enhance alertness.
Majority black products have a strong stimulating effect on the functioning of the kidneys, contain a large amount of amino acids and minerals that improve the functioning of the liver and kidneys, strengthen the body's breathing power, and moisturize the skin.
Black foods contain 17 types of amino acids, more than 10 types of microelements, vitamins, linoleic acids and other nutrients that normalize stool, improve lung function, strengthen the immune system, moisturize the skin, strengthen hair, slow down the aging of the body, etc.
Products white
are the main sources from which the body receives thermal energy, which supports vitality and physical strength.
However, they are deficient in certain types of amino acids, necessary for a person. In Chinese medicine, white foods are associated with light foods. The lungs love moisture and cannot tolerate dryness at all.
If you do not take care of your lung health in time, you cannot avoid such painful symptoms as: dry lips, dry mouth, throat and nose, cough, dry, dull, cracked skin on the hands and feet, muscle dehydration, and so on.
White radish, white pears, white wood mushroom eliminate dryness and have a beneficial effect on the lungs. In addition, regular consumption of white vegetables and fruits helps cleanse the power of breathing and promotes its circulation in the body, bringing a feeling of purity and freshness.
Green color:
allspice, celery, garden spinach, cucumbers, Chinese, asparagus, green pea, leek, kiwi.
Red color:
watermelons, red peppers, strawberries, cherries, beets, kidney beans, tomatoes, carrots, Chinese dates, red apples, all kinds poultry, fish, shrimp.
Yellow:
pineapples, bamboo shoots, corn, bananas, butternut squash, lemons, tangerines, oranges, papaya.
Black color:
grapes, porphyry, black sesame, kelp (seaweed), edible tree mushroom muer, Pasania mushroom, mulberry.
White color:
peanuts, glutinous rice, doufu bean curd, Chinese cabbage, garlic, potatoes, lotus seeds, almonds, onions, coconut, white turnips.
Five flavors
"Wei" is the main taste of the product.
Chinese medicine distinguishes “Wu wei” - five tastes - sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, salty.
In Chinese medicine, it is believed that different “wei”, as well as the properties of the product, give different effects. The concept of “five tastes” is one of the most important components Chinese dietology.
Each taste has its own, different from others, effect on some internal organ.
There is the following division according to the “taste - impact” principle:
the pungent taste affects the lungs,
sweet to the spleen,
sour to the liver,
bitter at heart
salty on the kidneys.
♠ If you have liver diseases, you should not eat foods with a pungent (burning/spicy) taste;
for pulmonary diseases - bitter food.
People suffering from heart and kidney diseases should not eat salty foods;
For diseases of the stomach and spleen, sweet and sour foods are not recommended.
♠ Products with a pungent (spicy/burning) taste used to treat colds and other diseases caused by cold; stimulate the circulation of “qi” and have an analgesic effect. This type of product stimulates the functioning of gastrointestinal peristalsis and increases the secretion of saliva and gastric juice; accelerates blood circulation and metabolism, increases vital energy body, treat colds.
Abuse of such products can lead to disruption of secretions in the body.
♠ Sweet Tasting Products have a healing and strengthening effect on the human body, have antispasmodic properties, they stimulate appetite, relieve tension and nervousness, promote detoxification and stimulate sweating, treat the spleen, strengthen muscles, and relieve pain.
People with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are advised to limit the consumption of such products.
♠ Acidic foods have astringent properties, stimulate appetite, nourish yin energy, stimulate secretions in the body, kill pathogenic microbes, protect against colds, lower blood pressure, increase vascular flexibility, strengthen the spleen, improve digestion, restrain and prevent the proliferation of bacteria in intestinal tract; improve liver function; increase the absorption of calcium and phosphorus.
Excessive consumption can have detrimental effects on muscle and bone health.
It is best for people with stomach and spleen diseases to eat less acidic foods.
♠ Salty Taste Products heal the kidneys, remove toxins, eliminate swelling, soften hard formations in internal organs, eliminate stasis (stasis - stop or stagnation of blood flow or the flow of other body fluids), have moisturizing properties. Some types of products of this type contain iodine and mineral salts, which help soften goiters, lumps, tumors on the neck and tubercles.
♠ People with high blood pressure should eat less salty foods.
♠ Bitter Tasting Products dry moisture, relieve heat, tone, remove toxins. Most of these products contain a wide range of antibacterial, antivirulent (increasing resistance to disease), antipyretic and anti-inflammatory components.
Not recommended for people with stomach problems Eat a lot of bitter vegetables and fruits, as this can lead to digestive disorders.
♠ Sweet Tasting Products:
figs, plums, strawberries, wild strawberries, pears, lychees, grapes, watermelon, peanuts, celery, Chinese cabbage, garden spinach, carrots, pumpkin, corn, sweet potatoes, green pea sprouts, green bean sprouts, potatoes.
♠ Spicy foods:
leeks, mustard, coriander, ginger, onions, garlic, capsicum, strong alcoholic drinks, black pepper, cinnamon.
♠ Sour-tasting foods:
tomatoes, legumes, apples, tangerines, oranges, lemons, pomegranates, black olives, apricots, grapes, lemon, hawthorn.
♠ Salty foods:
kelp, red algae, seaweed, barley, chumiza, seeds, walnuts, sea cucumber, jellyfish, crab meat, duck and pork meat, salt, soy.
♠ Bitter Tasting Products:
almonds, apricots, grapefruit, tea leaves, bitter edible plants, turnips.
Correlating food with meridians or channels of the body
This theory is also one of the main ones in Chinese medicine for understanding the properties and nature of products; it reflects the special effect of a particular product on internal organs, channels and meridians (ching-lo), which permeate the entire body. In Chinese medicine it is read that the relationship of food to the meridians definitely has a connection with taste.
Typically, spicy foods correspond to the lung meridian, sweet foods correspond to the spleen meridian,
sour - with the liver meridian,
bitter - with the heart meridian,
salty - with the kidney meridian.
But there are also exceptions. There are products that belong to several meridians, the range of their applications is extensive.
Foods associated with the heart meridian:
Sarepta mustard, lotus root, hot pepper, beans, gourd, wheat, wine, lotus leaves, persimmon, watermelon, melon.
Foods associated with the liver meridian:
tomato, rapeseed, papaya, leek, hawthorn, almond, cherry, prune, mulberry, lychee, black sesame, mango, fig, plum, dandelion.
Foods associated with the spleen meridian:
ginger, coriander, Chinese lettuce, lotus root, lotus rhizome nodes, eggplant, tomato, doufu, cauliflower, rapeseed, cabbage, pumpkin, lentils, peas, carrots, cinnamon, hot pepper, allspice, buckwheat, sweet potato , garlic, chumiza, barley, wheat, soybeans, apple, kiwi, prunes, lychee, tangerine, mango, chestnut, grapes, pork, seaweed, carp, crucian carp, eel.
Foods associated with the lung meridian:
ginger, onion, mustard, white radish, onion, rapeseed, carrots, celery, pumpkin, peel, allspice, mushrooms, dried seaweed, seaweed, wine, tea leaves, almonds, pear, kiwi, prunes, tangerine, grapes, seeds walnut, goose, duck egg.
Foods associated with the kidney meridian:
garlic, allspice, fennel, leek, salt, chumiza, wheat, Japanese eel, jellyfish, sea cucumber, carp, eel, mussels, crayfish, seahorse, perch, ham, pork, sweet potato, cherry, pomegranate, black sesame, chestnut, plum, grapes, cinnamon, lotus seeds, pork heart.
Products associated with the stomach meridian:
ginger, onion, lettuce (lettuce), lotus root, eggplant, tomatoes, white radish, bamboo shoots, Chinese cabbage, celery, cucumber, black pepper, fennel, leek, mushrooms, melon, pumpkin seeds, potatoes, spinach, glutinous rice, lentils, peas, chumiza, salt, doufu, buckwheat, wine, vinegar, barley, dandelion, muer (edible tree mushroom), sugar cane, lemon, apple, watermelon, peach, cherry, hazelnuts, tangerine, cow milk, chicken, pork, beef, herring, silver carp, crucian carp.
Foods associated with the bladder meridian:
fern, fennel, corn, pumpkin, watermelon, cinnamon.
Foods associated with the large intestine meridian:
potatoes, spinach, Chinese cabbage, pumpkin, lettuce, eggplant, buckwheat, muer (edible tree mushroom), salt, soybeans, corn, prunes, figs, persimmons, almonds, banana, peach, pomegranate, honey, crucian carp.
Foods associated with the small intestine meridian:
salt, pumpkin, cucumber, sheep's milk, kidney beans.
What does it mean hot And cold food according to Ayurveda? Firstly, this is the physical temperature of the food product. Secondly, and more importantly from the point of view of Ayurveda, the concept of hot or cold food is based on the internal nature of the food product, on its energetic effect on our body as a whole (and on the digestive system in particular). In Ayurveda this concept is called – (warming or cooling). Simply put, Ayurveda tries to assess what effect, cooling or warming, a particular product will have on our specific body.
We all understand that ice cream is “cold”, and borscht or soup is “hot”. But from the point of view of Ayurveda, there is no direct relationship between the physical temperature of a food product and its effect on the body.
| Warming energy | Cooling energy | |
| FRUITS | Apricots, cherries, cranberries, mango, orange, papaya, pineapple (sour), pomegranate (sour), strawberries (sour) | Apples, red grapes, lime, watermelon, melon, pear, pineapple (sweet), pomegranate (sweet), raspberries, strawberries (sweet), tangerine, |
| VEGETABLES | Artichoke, beets, Brussels sprouts, carrots, chili peppers, corn, eggplant, mushrooms, onions, parsley, radishes, tomatoes, turnips | Asparagus, avocado, sprouts, sweet pepper, bitter gourd, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, cucumber, lettuce, peas, potatoes, spinach, pumpkin, zucchini, sweet potato |
| GRAINS | Buckwheat, millet, rye | Barley, oatmeal, rice, wheat |
| LEGUMES | , beans, peanuts, | Aduki, fava beans, green peas, lima beans, soybeans |
| DAIRY | Cheese, cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream | Butter, buttermilk, cream, ghee, ice cream, milk, yogurt |
| SEEDS AND NUTS | Almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, flaxseeds, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nut, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts | Coconut, plantain seeds, sunflower seeds |
| ANIMAL PRODUCTS | Beef, turkey, duck, chicken, lamb, pork, fish, lard, eggs | Venison |
| OILS | Almond, castor, corn, flaxseed, mustard, peanut, safflower, sesame | Avocado, coconut, olive, soy, sunflower |
| SWEETENERS | Honey, jaggery, black molasses (molasses) | Cane sugar, malt sugar, maple sugar, white sugar |
| SPICES | Anise, asafoetida, Bay leaf, black pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, dill, horseradish, marjoram, mustard, nutmeg, oregano, poppy seeds, rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, ginger, basil | , peppermint, saffron, coriander |
| SEASONINGS | Mayonnaise, salt, vinegar | |
| BEVERAGES | Alcohol, coffee | Green tea |
The basic principle of Ayurveda is: like increases by like and decreases by opposite. In order to learn to understand which foods are suitable for you at the moment, and which ones it is better to refrain from consuming, you must first of all know your innate constitution (Prakriti) and the imbalance of the current state (Vikriti). Each dosha, Vata, Pitta and Kapha, has certain qualities ():
- - dry (ruksha), light (laghu), cold(shita), rough (khara), mobile (chala), thin/small (skushma), transparent/clear (visada);
- – slightly oily (sasnekha), fast (tikshna), hot(ushna), light (laghu), mobile (chala), liquid/flowing (dravata) and having bad smell(visram);
- – oily (snighdha), cold(shita), heavy (guru), slow (manda), smooth (slakshna), soft (mridu) and steady (sthira).
As we see, Vata dosha And Kapha dosha — cold, A Pitta dosha – hot. Consequently, all products with cooling energy (virya) will increase Vata and Kapha and reduce Pitta (since Pitta is hot), and vice versa, products with warming energy will reduce Vata and Kapha, and increase Pitta. So, for example, with a Pitta constitution or Pitta imbalances, excessive consumption of foods with warming energy will lead to an increase in Pitta, and this in turn can lead to problems digestive system or to various skin problems - rashes, boils, acne.
The next factor to consider is the seasons. In Ayurveda, seasons are also governed by doshas:
- Vata rules autumn and early winter (September-December);
- Pitta rules late spring and in summer (May-August);
- Kapha rules winter and in early spring(January-April).
So, for example, in winter season
In order to maintain body heat, it is strongly recommended to consume root vegetables with warming energy - beets, carrots, turnips, etc. Our favorite citrus fruits (orange, lemon, grapefruit) also have warming energy. And such “hot” spices as mustard, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, anise help maintain winter period our immunity and get rid of flu and colds.
Fruits and berries such as apples, pears, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, and melon have cooling energy. No wonder they are summer favorites due to their cooling effect. Dairy - butter, buttermilk, cream, ghee, ice cream, milk, yogurt also have a cooling effect on the body. All soy products, including soy milk and tofu, fall into this category. Products with cooling energy help cleanse, eliminate and in turn have a calming effect on the body. Rich abundance of summer vegetables - asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, cucumber, lettuce, peas, potatoes, spinach, pumpkin, zucchini, are easily digestible in the summer months due to their cooling energy () . Foods with cooling energy slow down the digestion process, so during the winter season this can provoke colds.
So, Ayurveda helps us evaluate whether a particular food product has a cooling or heating effect on our body, which in turn affects our body. It's important to note that consuming foods without considering your body type and the seasons can negatively impact your health and make you more susceptible to disease.
