| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Agni | Digestive fire; the capacity to digest food, experience and thought |
| Ama | Undigested residue that clogs the channels; the root of disease in Ayurveda |
| Dosha | One of the three functional principles: Vata (air + ether), Pitta (fire + water), Kapha (water + earth) |
| Guna | Quality — one of twenty (heavy/light, hot/cold, etc.); also the three mental qualities sattva, rajas, tamas |
| Kitchari | Mung beans and rice cooked together with spices; Ayurveda's healing staple |
| Ojas | The essence of good digestion; vitality and immunity |
| Prakriti | One's birth constitution |
| Rasa | Taste; there are six |
| Ritucharya | Seasonal regimen |
| Sattvic | Pure, light, calming food that supports clarity of mind |
| Soffritto (sattvic) | Fennel, celery and carrot softened in fat in place of onion and garlic |
| Takra | Buttermilk diluted with water; a digestive |
| Tadka | Spices bloomed in hot ghee or oil and added to a dish |
| Vikriti | Present state of imbalance |
| Vipaka | The post-digestive effect of a food (sweet, sour or pungent) |
| Virya | The heating or cooling potency of a food |
| Viruddha ahara | Incompatible food combinations |
Volume IV
Glossary
1 minute read
Sources and further reading
- The Ayurvedic Institute — Food guidelines for basic constitutional types
- Yoga International — Ayurveda's guide to health in every season
- Kripalu Center — Kripalu recipe: nourishing kitchari
- Satyori — Oregano: Ayurvedic properties
- Healio — Mediterranean diet prevents frailty in older adults (Kojima et al., J Am Geriatr Soc 2018)
- University College London — Mediterranean diet could protect older adults from becoming frail
- American Heart Association — The changing nutritional needs of older adults (2024)
- Bauer J. et al. — Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people (PROT-AGE), JAMDA 2013
- World Health Organization Europe — Five recommendations to reduce salt intake (2022)
- Healthline — Nightshade vegetables: good or bad?
- HealthLinkBC — Healthy eating guidelines for people taking warfarin
- Liebherr FreshMAG — Cooling food: the teachings of TCM and Ayurveda