IngredientCategory

Leafy or Fibrous Vegetables

LEAFY GREEN AND FLOWERING VEGETABLES

Lettuce Mix? Spinach Broccoli Cauliflower Brussels Sprouts? Bok Choy? Cabbage Napa Cabbage? Collard Greens Kale? Mustard Greens? Cilantro? Parsley Swiss Chard? Watercress

SHOOTS

Artichoke? Asparagus? Celery Fennel?

MUSHROOMS

Button Mushroom Cremini Mushroom? Oyster Mushroom? Porcini Mushroom? Enoki Mushroom? Shiitake Mushroom? Portabella Mushroom?

SEA VEGETABLES

Wakame? Dulse? Hijiki? Kombu? Nori?

Starchy or Dense Vegetables

ROOT VEGETABLES

Beet? Burdock Root? Carrot Celeriac? Daikon? Jicama? Parsnip? Radish? Rutabaga? Turnip?

TUBERS

Jerusalem Artichoke? Sweet Potato? Potato

BULB VEGETABLES

Garlic Shallot? Onion Scallion Leek?

FRUIT VEGETABLES: AVOCADO AND NIGHTSHADE

Avocado? Bell Pepper? Chili Pimiento? Eggplant? Tomato Tomatillo?

FRUIT VEGETABLES: MISCELLANEOUS VINE VEGETABLES

Cucumber? Green Bean Green Pea? Snow Pea?

FRUIT VEGETABLES: SUMMER SQUASH

Summer Squash Zucchini?

FRUIT VEGETABLES: WINTER SQUASH

Pumpkin? Spaghetti Squash? Winter Squash Acorn Squash Butternut Squash?

FRESH FRUITS: CITRUS FRUITS

Grapefruit? Lemon? Lime? Orange? Tangerine?

FRESH FRUITS: TROPICAL

Banana? Date? Fig? Kiwi? Mango? Papaya? Pineapple?

FRESH FRUITS: MELONS

Cantaloupe? Watermelon?

FRESH FRUITS: GRAPES CHERRIES AND BERRIES

Blackberry? Blueberry? Boysenberry? Cherry? Cranberry? Currant? Grape? Lingonberry? Mulberry? Raspberry? Strawberry? Pomegranate? Raisin?

FRESH FRUITS: OTHER

Apple Apricot? Nectarine? Peach? Pear? Plum? Rhubarb?

Fat

NUTS AND SEEDS

Almonds? Cashews? Chestnuts? Coconut? Hazelnuts? Macadamia Nuts? Peanut Butter? Peanuts? Pecans? Pistachios? Pumpkin Seeds? Sesame Seeds? Sunflower Seeds? Walnuts?

OTHER FATS

Butter Ghee? Coconut Oil? Fish Oil? Flax Oil? Olive Oil Canola Oil? Sesame Oil? Grapeseed Oil? Peanut Oil? Olives?

Protein

CULTURED MILK PRODUCTS WITH LIVE CULTURES (YOGURT, YOGURT CHEESE, BUTTERMILK, KEFIR)

Yogurt Buttermilk

ANIMAL PROTEINS: LACTO-OVO

Milk Cream Sour Cream Ricotta Cheese? Cottage Cheese? Cream Cheese? Blue Cheese? Cheddar Cheese Mozzarella? Parmesan Cheese Eggs

BEANS AND OTHER LEGUMES

Lentils Pinto or Kidney Beans? Black Beans? Great Northern Beans? Butter Beans? Tofu? Tempeh? (Fermented) Miso? (Fermented) Tamari (Fermented)

ANIMAL PROTEINS: MEAT

Poultry Fish Lobster? Shrimp? Lamb? Beef Pork? Cured Pork (also Cured Beef, Veal or Venison)

Other

WHOLE GRAINS

Rice Corn and Popcorn Grits from Hominy Buckwheat Millet Quinoa Amaranth Oats

FERMENTED VEGETABLES

Sweet Relish? Dill Pickles? Sauerkraut? Giardiniera? Kimchi?

ALCOHOL

Sake Mirin Sherry? Wine? Beer

CONDIMENTS, HERBS AND SPICES

Allspice? Anise? Basil? Bay Leaf? Black Pepper Caraway? Cardamom? Cayenne? Chamomile? Chili Chocolate? Cinnamon? Cloves? Coriander? Cumin? Dill? Fennel Seed? Fenugreek? Ginger Honey? Horseradish? Lemon Peel? Lemongrass? Licorice? Mace? Maple Syrup? Marjoram? Mayonnaise Mint? Mustard? Nutmeg? Orange Peel? Oregano? Oyster Sauce Paprika? Poppyseed? Saffron? Sage? Savory? Star Anise? Sugar? Tamari Tamarind? Tarragon? Thyme? Turmeric? Vinegar? Wasabi?

NAME SIX TASTES SIX QUALITIES

The six tastes are Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent, Bitter and Astringent.

Sweet tastes are calming, moistening and soothing. They are also anabolic, meaning that they help to add tissue, and, in excess, they will increase body weight. Earth and Water. Decreases Vata and Pitta, increases Kapha.

Sour tastes stimulate the appetite and digestion, increase metabolism, and help to dispel gas. They are also anabolic, meaning that they help to add tissue and, in excess, will increase body weight. Earth and Fire. Decreases Vata, increases Pitta and Kapha.

Salty tastes are warming, calming, and drying. In small quantities they help to stimulate appetite and digestion, but too much can cause water retention; because they are also anabolic, they can increase tissue and body weight if eaten in excess. Celtic sea salt and orsa salt contain all the trace minerals from the ocean and do not promote water retention or raise blood pressure the way processed table salt can. Water and Fire. Decreases Vata, increases Pitta and Kapha.

Pungent tastes are those we think of as spicy. They increase metabolism, circulation, and digestion and are also drying. Because they are catabolic, meaning that they help to burn fat, they can be helpful in lowering body fat, but too much can easily overheat a fiery Pitta. Fire and Air. Increases Vata and Pitta, decreases Kapha.

Bitter tastes are dry and cooling, small amounts help to stimulate digestion, and because they are catabolic, they can aid in reducing body fat. Air and Ether. Increases Vata, decreases Pitta and Kapha.

Astringent tastes are drawing, drying, cooling, and catabolic, which means that they aid in the reduction of body fat. Air and Earth. Increases Vata, decreases Pitta and Kapha.

The six qualities are Heavy, Light, Oily, Dry, Hot, and Cold

Heavy – Decreases Vata and Pitta, increases Kapha

Light – Increases Vata and Pitta, decreases Kapha

Oily – Decreases Vata and Pitta, increases Kapha

Dry – Increases Vata and Pitta, decreases Kapha

Hot – Decreases Vata, increases Pitta, decreases Kapha

Cold – Increases Vata, decreases Pitta, increases Kapha

(Source for tastes and qualities: Jennifer Workman, M.S., R.D. Stop Your Cravings: A Balanced Approach to Burning Fat, Increasing Energy, and Reducing Stress. She cites Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners by Amadea Morningstar, and Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing by Dr. Vasant Lad.

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