Dry Quality of Pungent
Energetically the fourth taste is pungent and this taste along with bitter and astringent are those that help us lose weight when used in balance.
This vibrational frequency pattern of taste is dry, light, mobile, sharp/penetrating, rough, and subtle. Pungent balances Kapha's congestive nature with dry, light, mobile, sharp/penetrating, rough, and subtle. It increases Vata with dry, light, mobile, rough and subtle. Pitta is aggravated by the dry, light, mobile, sharp/penetrating, and subtle qualities of Pitta.
Pungency is common in many spices such as garlic, cayenne, pepper, chili pepper, mustard, and particularly dry ginger. This taste bequeaths food its hot and spicy characteristic. In moderation it stimulates the digestive enzyme system and can stimulate nasal secretions, where Kapha holds its heavy, static, slow/dull, slimy/smooth, oily and gross congestion. But when overused in daily nutrition, it can produce sexual debility in both sexes and can cause diarrhea, acid indigestion, and nausea. Overall it produces inflammation in all its forms when used excessively.
Psychologically this taste begets enthusiasm, vitality, and vigor and helps the mind probe, investigate, inquire, explore, and concentrate. However, when the mindbody is exposed to too much pungency, it will become irritable, envious, jealous, aggressive, and competitive. People who are irritable, impatient, and/or angry should stay away from this vibrational frequency pattern and choose cooling spices.
As always these tastes taken by themselves are not as important as how they are taken in the greater context of eating food. From an energy view the key is that we have all of these tastes available to us. But to know that when we understand the parts of nutrition we see the greater whole of nutrition as well. See foodsheal.com for more information about tastes.
Tomorrow the bitter taste. To health as a skill Love DrBill
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Salt Adds Zest (And Possible Congestion)
Energetically there are six patterns of taste that comprise us and the foods that we eat. These patterns have distinct physiologic effects on us. We have covered sweet and sour thus far and today the salty taste.
The vibrational frequency pattern of salty is hot, light, subtle, liquid, soft, and smooth/slimy. It reduces Vata mobility with its hot, liquid and slimy/smooth qualities; it increases Pitta by the hot, light, and liquid vibrational frequencies; it increases Kapha by liquid, soft, and slimy/smooth. In small amounts salt can produce balance for everyone. (Mineral rock salt is a preferable source because it contains so many other minerals in addition to sodium chloride).
Salt enhances the senses and is anabolic because it aids in digestion, absorption, and assimilation and helps with elimination. In moderation it promotes growth, gives energy, and maintains water and electrolyte balance. When in excess, this vibrational frequency induces fluid (liquid) retention or congestion and subsequent hypertension, as well as causing the blood to become thick and viscous. Hot sensations, hair loss (increased Pitta), and bleeding disorders are among some of the problems associated with this excess vibrational frequency pattern.
Psychologically, the salty taste enhances spirit, confidence, courage, enthusiasm, and interest. An inquiring, probing mind that exhibits creativity can be slow/dulled and depressed without this vibrational frequency. However, in excess, Kapha energy pattern’s unbalanced tendencies begin to appear such as possessiveness, greed, attachment, and addiction. Pitta aggravation in the form of irritability, impatience, and easy frustration can occur. Also like the sweet taste, the salty vibrational frequency is addictive. As advertised in potato chip commercials, "Bet you can't eat just one" is an expression of the addictive nature of this taste.
This is the half way point and important because these first three tastes of sweet, sour, and salty bring balance and harmony to Vata people and cause imbalance for Kapha people. See foodsheal.com for more information.
Until tomorrow To health as a skill Love DrBill
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Oil Spills and Health
I am sure you are as saddened as I have been over the serious Gulf oil spill that has continued unabated. Our Mother Earth is bleeding.
How helpless I think we all feel as we see this human caused catastrophe unfolding before our eyes without the ability to do something about it. Much like a surgeon trying to stem a bleeding artery in his patient.
And the ecological consequences are incalculable and the future damage for generations unimaginable.
But, oh well, it's just damage to the planet we live on and that we have been charged as stewards for its welfare. Fortunately it's not going to interfere with our next meal, alter our sleep patterns, or affect our ability to send my next tweet.
The question is this. Is this the way we view the charge that we have over keeping our mindbodies healthy? If we don't see much problem with our Mother Earth bleeding, perhaps we don't see much problem about putting our mindbodies through a slow death either.
And it reminds me of how I see patients who are faced with a health catastrophe, a serious illness confronting them. And how grateful the operation or medicine has in some way bailed them out. To be able to refocus their attention on life and not have to be in so much turmoil over the health crisis that confronted them. Or if no remedy how the health problem can be denied and wish it would go away.
The issue is the bailout is just that. A short term solution to go on doing the usual and not taking time to focus on health in a real way.
I believe oil spills are a message for us to wake up. Our health on this planet is spiraling downward just like the health of our planet. But we don't really consider ourselves unhealthy much as we don't consider our planet unhealthy. It's just an oil spill.
When we make a decision to heal our planet, we will be on the road to healing ourselves. And when we heal ourselves, we will resolve to heal our planet. We cannot isolate ourselves from our global responsibility anymore.
Then what can we do? Commit to an evolving state of health. See foodsheal.com
Until tomorrow To health as a skill Love DrBill
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Acidity And The Sour Taste
The sour vibrational frequency pattern is the acid taste in Nature, in contrast to the alkaline vibrational frequency pattern, which is the bitter taste. Sour brings the qualities of hot, dry, dense, hard, and cloudy, providing grounding to Vata. Over the long term, it increases Pitta due to the hot and dry qualities; it increases Kapha due to the dense, hard, and cloudy vibrational frequencies which cause congestion. In moderation sour stimulates the digestive enzyme system and therefore is antiflatulent and antispasmodic. It energizes the mindbody, nourishes the heart, and causes alertness, discrimination, and enhanced attention span.
Sour is found in citric acid contained in fruits, vinegar, yogurt, and hard cheeses. The harder the cheese by touch and age, the more acidic it becomes. Meats and nuts have a significant sour component to their vibrational frequency patterns because of the high concentration of fatty acids. Vitamin C is ascorbic acid that provokes in high concentrations (more than 500 mg per day) and becomes inflammatory, leading to any "-itis" in the mindbody to include but not be limited to cystitis, vaginitis, colitis, and acid indigestion.
Psychologically, when there is excess sour vibration in the mindbody energy field, the mind becomes agitated, hyperactive, and too discriminatory in that it becomes critical and induces judgment, jealousy, and hate. Leaving a relationship can leave a sour taste in the mouth, indicating signs of judgment and rejection, but it is our perception of the world created by the vibrational frequencies that we are ingesting.
Until tomorrow To health as a skill Love DrBill
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How Sweet It Is
The sweet taste is cold, heavy, slow/dull, static, oily, smooth, gross, and cloudy; hence it enhances these vibrational frequencies and therefore balances the mobility of Vata and hot of Pitta but increases and unbalances Kapha due to adding to all of its cold, heavy, slow/dull, static, oily, smooth, gross, and cloudy primordial vibrational frequencies.
The sweet taste is found in natural sweeteners such as turbinado, sucanat, maple syrup, fruit juice concentrates, honey, and dates. It is predominant in grains, milk, and meats. This energetic way of viewing sweet is quite different in the way our culture sees this complex vibrational frequency and underscores value of the energetic approach. Pitta does not have to look for refined sugar in the form of candy bars to assauge its hot and sharp/penetrating appetite. And for Kapha understanding the energetic complexity of the sweet taste will lead to more appropriate food choices that promote balance.
Sweet builds up all tissues of the mindbody and therefore is called anabolic and thereby promotes healing of emaciation seen in anorexia. Proper use provides strength and longevity, improves complexion, promotes healthy skin and hair, and gifts a melodious voice.
Sweet brings stability and grants energy, vigor, and vitality. Excessive use of this vibrational frequency pattern brings on excessive imbalanced Kapha traits causing congestion, cough (liquid, slimy/smooth, dense, sticky/cloudy), heaviness, slow/dullness, lethargy (static), and passivity (static). Ultimately obesity with metabolic syndrome (obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, vessel dis-ease) is the result.
Psychologically in the energy mindbody, the sweet vibrational frequency nourishes love, relationship, bonding, joy, and happiness. But too much sweet energy induces attachment, greed, possessiveness, cloyingness, stickiness, and feeding addictive behaviors.
Tomorrow the sour taste To health as a skill Love DrBill
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