Each of the 6 tastes
produces or enhances a certain emotion when eaten. Thus, emotional disorders
may be balanced by eating and avoid foods, according to the taste.
|
Taste |
Emotions |
Deranges |
|
Sweet |
Desire |
Kapha |
|
Sour |
Envy |
Pitta |
|
Salty |
Greed |
Kapha |
|
Pungent |
Anger |
Pitta |
|
Bitter |
Grief |
Vayu |
|
Astringent |
Fear |
Vayu |
Vayu is balancing by
supplementing with moist tastes, sweet, sour, and salty (balancing dryness), and
some warm tastes as well. Pitta is balanced by using sweet (moist), bitter and
astringent (cooling) tastes. This helps counter heat-related illness (e.g.
rashes, infection, and anger impatience). Kapha disease is removed by using
sour and pungent tastes (i.e. they heat and burn up water). Bitter taste also
reduces Kapha by causing a drying action.
Sweet: Generally food is sweet in
taste, neutral in energy, and sweet in its post-digestive effect. It decreases Vayu
and Pitta and increases Kapha. It nourishes and maintains humor, dhatus, and
malas (waste).
Sour: An example of sour taste
includes sour fruits, tomatoes, pickles, and vegetables. All tissues are nourished
by a sour taste, except reproductive tissues (of the sour taste only yogurt
nourishes all tissues).
Pungent: Spices and spicy vegetables
do not offer much nutrition, but they stimulate digestion.
Bitter: Vegetables offer little
nutrition. They are useful in clearing and cleansing digestive organs, and in
aiding digestion, especially if taken before meals (for pitta and Kapha doshas).
Astringent: This is mainly a secondary
taste. Astringent food like green vegetables and unripe apples, provide
minerals but do not build tissues.
Energy: Most foods are neutral in
heating and cooling effects. To apply hot or cold therapeutics, appropriate
spices and foods are eaten cooked or raw.
Heavy/Light: Most foods tend to be
heavy, though, many light foods also exist. Spices can make food lighter. Oils
can make them heavier. Foods are also dry or moist. Dryness can be increased by
eating dry foods or toast or made moister by frying food or adding liquid.
Stay healthy, stay safe...
