AYURVEDIC FOODS

Summer Squash Benefits (According to Ayurveda)

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Recipes with Summer Squash: Summer Squash Arugula Salad
Recipes with Summer Squash: Summer Squash Arugula Salad

Soothing, Cooling Squash

The vivid colors of summer squash appeal to the eyes, while its soothing and cooling qualities assuage late-summer exhaustion due to heat. A taste of these sweet, watery vegetables rehydrates and cools you off after a long day under the sun. Its gentleness and easy digestibility make it a perfect remedy for hot, sluggish August days. When sauteed lightly in ghee, summer squash takes on a rich, oily quality which it makes more satisfying and even easier to digest.

Cooked summer squash is extremely easy to digest, making it a favorite for clients suffering from constipation, acid reflux, fatigue after meals, and many other disorders.

Buying & Preparation

If your digestion is week, remove the difficult to digest skin and seeds from the summer squash.

Cooking Summer Squash

Nothing is easier to make or more readily available at the grocery store than summer squash. Add to any stir fry, curry, or rice based dish. You may simply slice, drizzle with ghee, salt and pepper and roast it for a lovely side dish. Or slice vertically, hollow out the seeds, and fill with ghee, diced bell peppers and onions, and place it in the oven for 20 minutes and it can be a main dish.

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Is Summer Squash Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Summer Squash' 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: 1/2 c
SPECIES: Cucurbita pepo

EAT IN: SUMMER

Metabolic Nature of Summer Squash

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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COLD

ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow.

LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD

EASY

ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY

LIQUEFIED

ABOUT LIQUEFIED BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Substances that thin fluids (lower viscosity of blood plasma). These may include blood thinners or mucolytic herbs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIQUEFIED

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

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
Pitta pacifying Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Kapha aggravating
HAS THE FOLLOWING
Subtaste:
Bland

BLAND

Bland means doesn't have much taste. In Chinese medicine, bland taste refers to afood without little macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy.

SEE ALL 'BLAND' FOODS / HERBS


Moves Energy:
Downward

DOWNWARD

Downward-moving (Adho Gati Marga) substances move food downward in the GI tract, settle the nervous system, and relax muscles.

SEE ALL 'DOWNWARD' FOODS / HERBS


Tissue (dhatu):
Blood Plasma Lymph

BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH

Plasma (Rasa Dhatu) includes plasma, white blood cells, and lymph.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH' FOODS / HERBS


Affinity:
Anti Aging

ANTI-AGING

Geriatric conditions typically involve low agni / metabolism, poor circulation, weakness & debility, muscle weakening, poor digestion, a drop in sex hormones, and connective tissue degradation in bones & skin.

SEE ALL 'ANTI-AGING' FOODS / HERBS


Family: Cucurbitaceae
HERBAL ACTIONS
(see all)

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Summer Squash
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.

Quenches Thirst

QUENCHES-THIRST

An herb or substance that relieves thirst.

SEE ALL 'QUENCHES-THIRST' FOODS / HERBS

Relieves Burning

RELIEVES-BURNING

Herbs that soothe a burn or reduce an internal burning sensation, such as aloe vera.

SEE ALL 'RELIEVES-BURNING' FOODS / HERBS

Diuretic

DIURETIC

Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.

SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
Magnesium

MAGNESIUM

Helps muscles relax. Laxative.

SEE ALL 'MAGNESIUM' FOODS / HERBS

, Soluble Fiber, Vitamin C

Foods with a Similar Nature to Summer Squash

Honey Dew

Honey Dew has these Actions in Common

Quenches-thirst, Relieves-burning, Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Water

Water has these Actions in Common

Quenches-thirst, Relieves-burning

LEARN MORE

Cucumber

Cucumber has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Quenches-thirst

LEARN MORE

Hibiscus

Hibiscus has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Relieves-burning

LEARN MORE

Jackfruit

Jackfruit has these Actions in Common

Relieves-burning, Quenches-thirst

LEARN MORE

Grape

Grape has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Quenches-thirst

LEARN MORE

Popcorn

Popcorn has these Actions in Common

Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Zucchini

Zucchini has these Actions in Common

Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Pickle (Cucumber)

Pickle (Cucumber) has these Actions in Common

Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Collard Greens

Collard Greens has these Actions in Common

Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Summer Squash

Amritarishta (Amrutharishtam)

Amritarishta (Amrutharishtam) has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Quenches-thirst, Relieves-burning

LEARN MORE

Kutaja Bark

Kutaja Bark has these Actions in Common

Relieves-burning, Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Red Clover

Red Clover has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Relieves-burning

LEARN MORE

Yucca

Yucca has these Actions in Common

Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Varanadi Kashaya

Varanadi Kashaya has these Actions in Common

Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Butcher's Broom

Butcher's Broom has these Actions in Common

Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Chitrak

Chitrak has these Actions in Common

Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Asparagus root

Asparagus root has these Actions in Common

Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Mayapple

Mayapple has these Actions in Common

Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Cereus, Night Blooming Cactus

Cereus, Night Blooming Cactus has these Actions in Common

Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Elder flower

Elder flower has these Actions in Common

Diuretic

LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.

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

Give smart recommendations to your clients and improve efficiency in your clinic with these tools.
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.

Read more

Comments & Impressions of 'Summer Squash'

Do you like 'summer squash'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'summer squash'?

full start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start review(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 328 likes
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- Travis, Edmonton, AB
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, 05-09-19 (Reply)

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