By: Ivan Palijan |
Six flavors - six principles that affect our life and health |
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According to ayurveda, food consists of six tastes - salty, sweet, hot, sour, bitter and pungent.
Each flavor has its own specific characteristics and different effects on our health.
The word "race", which in Sanskrit means the flavor has many meanings. Ethnicity is a sense of satisfaction, and the essence of things, its substance, essence.
Both the sense of satisfaction and the properties of the flavor contribute to healing.
Taste stimulates prana, and it encourages agni or digestive fire. In the event that the taste of food is not appropriate, the digestive fire will not be able to digest food.
In this case, nutrients will not reach our organs, and undigested food in the body will create ama or toxins.
Therefore, Ayurvedic cooking is a real skill, science in itself, which combines the right amount of ingredients and spices for a real taste.
In our Western society, we have destroyed the concept of balanced taste by using artificial and incomplete flavors, which is one of the main causes of the disease.
By understanding taste and its impact on our dosha and metabolism, we can choose foods that will have the best effect on our body, emotions, thoughts, and bring our whole body into balance.
You may have noticed that the western diet contains of too sweet, sour and salty flavors. No wonder that our society is facing greed, selfish enjoyment and is extremely dissatisfied.
Our personal step towards the change may be taken by "tasting the truth," taking a look inward and by seeking balance through food.
We are what we eat. Our bodies are formed from the elements found in food, and they affect our dosha. Dosha balance is critical for maintaining optimal health.
Learn how the six tastes affect your health and learn to combine them properly.
Sweet taste
Sweet taste has elements of earth and water. Sweet taste increases kapha dosha (which also consists of earth and water), and decreases pitta and vata dosha.
This taste is dominant in most foods that we consume every day: we find it in grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, etc. It is present in carbohydrates, fats, sugars and amino acids.
The sweet taste is heavy, cold and oily. It nourishes cells, skin, hair and joints, restores the nerves, and stimulates growth and life. Excess amounts of sweet can clog the channels, and its cold nature suppresses the digestive fire.
If we enjoy "sweet life" too much, we will develop kapha diseases such as obesity, diabetes, poor circulation, indigestion and difficulty breathing.
On the emotional level, sweet taste gives us pleasure if we do not overuse it. If we overuse it, it causes listlessness and laziness, and encourages greed and discontent.
Sour taste
Sour taste is composed of the elements of earth and fire. It increases pitta and kapha dosha, and reduces lint.
Sour taste is found in acidic fruits, pickled vegetables, alcohol, fermented products, dairy products with active cultures and, to a lesser extent, in the proteins (amino acids) and oils (fatty acids).
Sour taste is heavy, hot and oily. It increases the digestive fire, promotes appetite and digestion, stimulates the removal of toxins and reduces spasms.
If too much of it is present in the body, it causes gastritis, ulcers, inflammation, frequent bowel movements and other pitta disorders.
Sour is associated with envy, jealousy and discontent. "Sour face" metaphorically means a desire that was not fulfilled and has turned into frustration.
Salty taste
Salty taste is composed of the elements of water and fire. It increases pitta and kapha, and decreases vata.
It is found concentrated in stone and sea salt, and diluted in seafood and mineral salts in vegetables and fruits.
Salty taste is hot, heavy and oily. If you consume too much of it, it causes inflammation, swelling, fluid retention, wrinkles and premature aging.
The proper amounts it is important for digestion, a healthy appetite, electrolyte balance, and the removal of toxins.
Salt increases our passion and enjoyment of life and reduce the fear and tension. However, too much salt leads to hedonism, excessive desire and anger.
Hot taste
Hot taste consists of the elements of fire and air; it increases pitta and decreases kapha.
Hot taste is hot, light and dry, and is found mainly in spices.
This taste stimulates digestive enzymes, increases appetite and metabolism; helps expel unnecessary substances through the skin.
It is used for treating kapha diseases (obesity, poor circulation, diabetes, cough, shortness of breath).
Excessive intake of hot foods leads to feelings of pain, thirst, burning sensation, impotence, and dizziness.
Mentally and emotionally it makes us extroverted and creates the need for stimulation, and increases the irritation and anger.
Bitter taste
Bitter taste is composed of the elements of air and ether. It increases vata and decreases pitta and kapha.
The bitter taste is cold, light, dry, and we find it in the bitter green leafy vegetables (dandelion, spinach), fruits (grapefruit), herbs (wormwood) and condiments (mustard, ginger, Fenugreek).
Bitter purifies the body, promotes weight loss, improves your skin, stimulates digestion, improves liver function, and reduces anger and melancholy.
Exaggerated intake of bitter food can cause vata disorders, including nerve irritation, weight loss, dry and cracked skin, and irregular bowel movement.
On the emotional level, it leads to dissatisfaction, the need for a change, and feelings of bitterness, frustration, regret and uncertainty.
Pungent taste
Pungent taste is comprised of the elements of air and earth. It increases vata and decreases pitta and kapha.
This taste is found in legumes and whole grains, vegetables (broccoli, asparagus), fruits, spices, coffee, tea and raw honey.
Pugnent taste is cold, light and dry. In small quantities it helps stop diarrhea and bleeding, possesses anti-inflammatory properties, purifies the blood and helps healing wounds.
In excessive amounts it can cause constipation, thirst, tremors, weakness and disorder of vata dosha. It can cause emotional introversion, a sense of separation, fear and tension.
Six tastes and dosha
Depending on the dosha disorders, six flavors are used in the following way:
- Vata disorder - increase the sweet, sour, salty, reduce bitter, pungent, hot
- Pitta disorder - increase the sweet, bitter, pungent, reduce salty, hot, sour
- Kapha disorder - increase the hot, bitter, pungent, reduce sour, salty, sweet
The right combination of six flavors depending on your body type can help you to achieve and maintain the optimal level of health and avoid the need for medication.
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