Hi First name / there,
In Ayurveda, we love the sweet taste, especially in Fall! But, before starting a sugar rush, there are a few things you should know about what the “sweet taste” - or madhura rasa - really means so you can find balance.
The sweet taste is one of the six fundamental tastes (rasas) in Ayurveda and is considered the most essential for sustaining life. It’s attributes include:
~ earth and water elements
~ cooling, heavy, and moist qualities
~ nourishing and building (increases Kapha)
~ sattvic (promotes clarity and harmony)
In Fall, the sweet taste balances the qualities of vata (air & space, which are cold, light, dry and mobile) by bringing in heavy and grounding qualities. Specifically, the sweet taste will:
~ help protect against the drying effects of autumn winds
~ help maintain moisture levels in the body
~ provide sustained energy as the weather cools
~ stabilize appetite, elimination and soothe the digestive tract
To begin incorporating the Ayurvedic sweet taste into your diet, we recommend cooking with:
~ sweet root vegetables (eg. carrots, sweet potatoes and Fall squashes)
~ cooked fruits like stewed apples and pears
~ grains like quinoa, rice and oats
~ juicy, nutritive dried fruits like dates and figs
~ ghee and moderate dairy
~ combine with warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cumin and turmeric
Or, check out some of our favorite Ayurvedic “sweet taste” recipes below!
Until next week,
