AYURVEDIC FOODS

Pork Benefits (According to Ayurveda)

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

This substantial meat builds blood and strength (balya). It's strengthening qualities (bruhana) are ideal for weak, or deficient clients. A pork stew with kale, garlic, ginger, and molasses is a tasty postpartum dish that will rebuild blood and strength for a new mother.

In additional to its strengthening and building qualities, pork is also oily and hot, making it the quintessential pitta-kapha aggravating food. Pork increases sweating. One client describes it as, "warming and comfortable like a security blanket." Another says, "After eating it I had food coma, I barely made it through the day, I was very tired and sleepy until night time."

Pork is difficult to digest due to its oiliness and density. Heavy meats can turn rancid in the gut if your body is unable to digest them, leading to odorous stools, urine, and sweat. Due to the similarity of mammal meat and human flesh, the type of bacteria that ferment and rot meat in the gut are also harmful to humans.

Pair with bitters (kale) and sours (lemon) to improve digestibility of the fat in pork. Garnish with aromatics such as rosemary and mint to improve the digestibility of the heavy protein content. For a very weak client, marinate and cook with pineapple juice or green papaya, as these contain protein digesting enzymes. The pork will taste great, and melt in your mouth.

Note: Consuming overcooked or grilled meat has been tied to increased risk of cancer. Buy organic meats, even if this means reducing the consumption of meat. Eating meat increases earwax.

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Is Pork Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Pork' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

Take the Quiz

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.
SERVING SIZE: 1/4 lbs

Metabolic Nature of Pork

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.
INCREASES
Guna Help

Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas)

Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic.

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HEAVY

ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY

DIFFICULT

ABOUT DIFFICULT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT

GOOEY

ABOUT GOOEY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Gooey is identified by anything gelatinous (such as oatmeal), or by mucus congestion.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GOOEY

OILY

ABOUT OILY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OILY

TASTES
Taste Help

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

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SWEET

ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET

SALTY

ABOUT SALTY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Salty refers to anything with salt, or high mineral content.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SALTY

DOSHAS
Dosha Help

The Three Doshas / Body Types

According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history.

The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded.

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PACIFIES
Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Kapha aggravating Pitta aggravating
HAS THE FOLLOWING
Tissue (dhatu):
Fat

FAT

Fat tissue (Meda Dhatu) includes adipose tissue and sebum (skin oil).

SEE ALL 'FAT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Muscle

MUSCLE

Muscle tissue (Mamsa Dhatu) includes muscles and ligaments.

SEE ALL 'MUSCLE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Red Blood

RED-BLOOD

Red blood (Rakta Dhatu) includes red blood cells and blood vessels.

SEE ALL 'RED-BLOOD' FOODS / HERBS

HERBAL ACTIONS
(see all)

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Pork
Help
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Makes You Tired

MAKES-YOU-TIRED

Induces drowsiness and promotes sound sleep.

SEE ALL 'MAKES-YOU-TIRED' FOODS / HERBS

,
Strengthens Resolve

STRENGTHENS-RESOLVE

Increases determination and courage by reducing stress and building strength.

SEE ALL 'STRENGTHENS-RESOLVE' FOODS / HERBS

Satisfies Stomach

STRONG SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS

,
Builds Stamina

BUILDS-STAMINA

Promotes strength, endurance and resistance in the body. Rebuilds weak tissues after a time of depletion.

SEE ALL 'BUILDS-STAMINA' FOODS / HERBS

,
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Tonic

TONIC

A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.

SEE ALL 'TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Warms Head

WARMS-HEAD

An herb that increases sensations of heat and warmth in the head.

SEE ALL 'WARMS-HEAD' FOODS / HERBS

,
Blood Tonic

STRONG BLOOD-TONIC

An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

,
Hypertensive

HYPERTENSIVE

An herb that increases blood pressure.

SEE ALL 'HYPERTENSIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Promotes Virility

PROMOTES-VIRILITY

Encourages virility and potency.

SEE ALL 'PROMOTES-VIRILITY' FOODS / HERBS

Muscle Tonic

MUSCLE-TONIC

Herbs that strengthen and tone muscle tissue. Helpful for people recovering from long term illness and debility, or after a sprain.

SEE ALL 'MUSCLE-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
Fats,
Inositol

INOSITOL

Inositol is an alcohol sugar made naturally in the human body from glucose. It is lipotropic (aiding fat metabilism in the liver). It affects a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, steroid, growth factors and water.

SEE ALL 'INOSITOL' FOODS / HERBS

,
Iron

IRON

Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells.

SEE ALL 'IRON' FOODS / HERBS

, Phosphorous, Protein

Foods with a Similar Nature to Pork

Lamb

Lamb has these Actions in Common

Blood-tonic, Muscle-tonic, Strengthens-resolve, Builds-stamina, Nutritive, Tonic, Makes-you-tired, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Sesame Seeds

Sesame Seeds has these Actions in Common

Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Tonic, Builds-stamina, Promotes-virility, Muscle-tonic, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Tahini

Tahini has these Actions in Common

Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Tonic, Builds-stamina, Promotes-virility, Muscle-tonic, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Almonds

Almonds has these Actions in Common

Builds-stamina, Promotes-virility, Muscle-tonic, Satisfies-stomach, Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Tonic

LEARN MORE

Stinging Nettles

Stinging Nettles has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, Strengthens-resolve, Blood-tonic, Promotes-virility, Tonic, Builds-stamina, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Quinoa

Quinoa has these Actions in Common

Builds-stamina, Satisfies-stomach, Muscle-tonic, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Whole Wheat Flour

Whole Wheat Flour has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, Tonic, Builds-stamina, Promotes-virility, Makes-you-tired, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Cream of Wheat

Cream of Wheat has these Actions in Common

Builds-stamina, Promotes-virility, Makes-you-tired, Satisfies-stomach, Nutritive, Tonic

LEARN MORE

Eggs

Eggs has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, Tonic, Builds-stamina, Promotes-virility, Muscle-tonic, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Beef

Beef has these Actions in Common

Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Makes-you-tired, Satisfies-stomach, Muscle-tonic, Tonic

LEARN MORE

Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Pork

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha has these Actions in Common

Strengthens-resolve, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Builds-stamina, Muscle-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-virility

LEARN MORE

Ashwagandha Arishta

Ashwagandha Arishta has these Actions in Common

Muscle-tonic, Promotes-virility, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Builds-stamina

LEARN MORE

Bala

Bala has these Actions in Common

Builds-stamina, Muscle-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Tonic

LEARN MORE

Oats, Fresh Milky Seed

Oats, Fresh Milky Seed has these Actions in Common

Muscle-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Tonic, Blood-tonic

LEARN MORE

Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam

Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam has these Actions in Common

Promotes-virility, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Muscle-tonic, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Punarnava

Punarnava has these Actions in Common

Tonic, Blood-tonic, Builds-stamina, Hypertensive, Promotes-virility

LEARN MORE

Codonopsis (dang shen)

Codonopsis (dang shen) has these Actions in Common

Blood-tonic, Muscle-tonic, Promotes-virility, Tonic

LEARN MORE

Balarishta- Vitality Tonic

Balarishta- Vitality Tonic has these Actions in Common

Builds-stamina, Muscle-tonic, Strengthens-resolve, Tonic

LEARN MORE

Ginseng, Chinese

Ginseng, Chinese has these Actions in Common

Builds-stamina, Hypertensive, Nutritive, Tonic

LEARN MORE

Eleuthero Ginseng

Eleuthero Ginseng has these Actions in Common

Blood-tonic, Builds-stamina, Muscle-tonic, Tonic

LEARN MORE

Amalaki

Amalaki has these Actions in Common

Tonic, Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-virility

LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.

TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR THESE SYMPTOMS

Pork may be beneficial for these symptoms. The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual. Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.

HOW DOES EATING AYURVEDICALLY MAKE YOU FEEL?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.

Clinical Tools & Resources

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About John Joseph Immel

About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda biocharacteristics. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, as well as public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.

John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 7 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.

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Comments & Impressions of 'Pork'

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