Āyurvedic Wellness Spotlight - August 2022

In āyurvedic nutrition taste has a deeper significance than we assign to it in Western culture. Taste isn’t just about our preferences in āyurveda, but instead is considered important in determining the effects of certain foods on our overall state of balance.

There are six tastes recognized in āyurveda, and each taste is associated with a pair of elements and their corresponding qualities. These elemental qualities inform us of the best ways to use food to address imbalances. The six tastes are; sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent. A balanced and fully satisfying meal, according to āyurveda, would consist of all 6 tastes.

During the fiery, pitta months āyurveda recommends adding the bitter taste to your diet. Bitter is one flavor that many actively avoid — often sweetening bitter foods to make them more palatable. But āyurveda suggests learning to like a little bitter taste.

Bitter taste has both a cooling and drying effect that counter pitta’s hot and liquid qualities. Bitter taste is also thought to improve all other tastes, and be cleansing for the GI tract.

Not sure what foods qualify as bitter?

  • leafy greens (especially dandelion greens, kale, and collard greens)

  • eggplant

  • dark chocolate

  • coffee/black tea

  • cumin

  • turmeric

As summer is starting to draw to a close, adding bitter taste to your diet regularly can help you clear the accumulated heat of summer and in turn support you into the fall allergy season.

Carrie Klaus