6 Tastes in your Ayurvedic Diet

The Ayurveda Experience September 23, 2015 1 Comment

There are six tastes or Rasas in AYURVEDA: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent, Bitter & Astringent.
Ayurveda has a unique approach to breaking down tastes scientifically, each having its own therapeutic effects and changing impacts on your body; from the first taste to entering the body to being absorbed.

These tastes originate from the five elements and transmit their properties. For a balanced diet, Ayurveda recommends getting all of these flavors with every meal and adjusting the amounts of each to your personal constitution.

FOR KAPHA:

The tastes that are best for you are pungent, bitter, & astringent. Foods with these tastes can keep you balanced, uplifted & confident. Pungent foods like onion, ginger, garlic, black pepper & mustard, stimulate the appetite, improve digestion & can help maintain a Healthy Body Weight. Bitter foods, like rhubarb, melon, romaine lettuce, spinach & chard, turmeric root & fenugreek are considered to have properties that can promote Good Digestion & reduce Toxins. Astringent foods, like cranberries, pomegranate, okra, parsley, saffron & basil are can remove excess water in the body, reduce swelling & promote general Healing of the Body

FOR PITTA:

The tastes that are best for you are sweet, bitter & astringent. Foods with these tastes can keep you balanced, cool & calm. Sweet foods like peaches, sweet plums, grapes, melons, sweet potatoes, carrots & beets; milk & ghee; rice & wheat bread, basil & licorice root, are all cooling. Bitter foods, like rhubarb, melon, romaine & radicchio lettuce, kale, chard, turmeric root & fenugreek, are considered to have properties that can reduce burning sensations in the body, cleanse the blood & Reduce Toxins. Astringent foods, like cranberries, pomegranate, okra, parsley, saffron & basil can reduce fever, and stop diarrhea & are considered to have anti-inflammatory properties

FOR VATA:

The tastes that are best for you are sweet, sour & salty. Foods with these tastes can keep you balanced, and grounded. Sweet foods like peaches, sweet plums, grapes, melons, sweet potatoes, carrots & beets; milk, ghee, rice & wheat bread; basil & licorice root are cooling, but they contain water & earth qualities, so they can ground & moisturize dry, airy Vata. Sour foods, like yogurt, sour cream, green grapes, lemon, hibiscus, rose hips, caraway, coriander & cloves are heating, but they also contain the earth element, which also helps ground Vata. Salty foods, for example, sea salt, rock salt, & sea vegetables, are heating & must be used in moderation for All Body Types.