BLOG

The beloved potato, tomato, eggplant, capsicum and chilli peppers belong to the nightshade family whose primary toxin is solanine, an alkaloid which can been known to produce diarrhea, heart failure, headache, and vomiting. Extreme reactions are rare but do occur in instances in which an allergic or otherwise very sensitive individual overindulges. Those who are sensitive may notice an expanded and light feeling several hours after eating the nightshades; they may also find it more difficult to focus mentally. The expansive effect can be beneficial for those who become tense from work, stress, or activity which takes great concentration, provided one has no other reaction to these...

Mustard Greens are closely related to Kale and Cabbage but are more pungent. They are high in vitamin A and vitamin K. The leaves, the seeds, and the stem of this mustard variety are edible. The plant appears in some form in African, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and African-American (soul food) cuisine. The leaves, seeds, and stems are used in Indian cuisine particularly in mountain regions of Nepal, as well as in the Punjab cuisine of India and Pakistan where a famous dish called Sarson da saag (mustard greens) is popular. This is a vegetable dish regarded as the traditional way to make...

Up to the seventeenth century, only the wild types of mushrooms found growing in fields were known. Even though the modern cultivated type is readily available and relatively nutritious, wild mushrooms have stronger properties and are worth finding. We would like to make the point that it is VERY important not to consume mushroom you have foraged unless you know what you're doing! Some mushrooms may be deadly. If in doubt, err on the side of caution and avoid consumption. Mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins (including B12) and germanium, an element that improves cellular oxygenation, counteracts the effects of pollutants and...

Both the English and Latin words for lettuce are based on the heavy, milky juice of the vegetable, which in its primitive form is prickly, with large leaves on the ends of long stems.The close-packed lettuce heads were well developed in Europe by the sixteenth century, while the loose-head type was developed later. Leafy types such as Cos lettuce are the most nutritious, being richer in chlorophyll, iron, folic acid and vitamins A and C and contains the most silicon of common vegetables. Iceberg and other types of head lettuce are very gas forming and contain little nutritional value. Lettuce contains the sedative lacturcarium, which relaxes...

Kohlrabi means "cabbage turnip" in German, and is the swollen stem of a cabbage family member. It comes in both light green and purple varieties. It's pronounced cole-rah-bee. This is one of the more obscure vegetables we've covered in our A-Z of Ayurveda series, you may not have come across, or cooked with it before. It's an integral part of Kashmiri cuisine, being one of their most commonly cooked vegetables. It's favour and texture is similar to broccoli stalk. The leaves can be used in place of other greens like Kale. It's very high in vitamin C and high in potassium. Kohlrabi improves chi energy...