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Balance My Excess Sharpness / Pungency (Sharp Guna, Pungent Taste)
Get the 45 minute presentation 'Balance My Excess Sharpness / Pungency (Sharp Guna, Pungent Taste)' given by Joyful Belly founder and director John Immel.
This presentation will show you Ayurvedic essentials on fixing this imbalance, including diet, lifestyle, and herbal tips from Ayurveda.
Price: $15.95
Elements: Air, Fire
Balanced by 'Sweet', 'Gooey', 'Cold'.
Pungency is characterized by irritation, or sharp, spicy foods that irritate the mouth such as black pepper.
Pungent taste is what makes spicy foods hot. Pungent spices stimulate by irritating the lining of the digestive tract and other membranes. Made of fire element, pungent taste is sharp and concentrated, fast acting and intense, spreading quickly to all tissues. Penetrating substances, like digestive enzymes, and anything that "penetrates" all tissues, like the nervous system and the blood, are pungent. Aggressive substances, like the immune system, and intelligent tissues, like the analytical centers of the brain, have pungency or sharpness. The forceful, constant contact of fire element penetrates, burns, ulcerates, cuts and cauterizes.
Types of Pungents
Black pepper and chilis are quintessential pungents. Hard liquor is pungent and burning. Sour taste, which increases secretions, is sharp but not pungent. At Joyful Belly we've lumped together pungent taste and the sharp quality because they share many similarities. Acrid is a subtype of pungent, used for foods that aren't spicy but have a burning sensation, like tobacco. Aromatic is a subtype of pungent reserved for herbs and spices that have a strong smell, like peppermint. Herbal resins like frankincense and myrrh have a distinct pungent taste as well.
Circulation & Immunity
The body flushes pungent irritants by thinning the blood, dilating blood vessels, and increasing the heart rate. Pungent taste thus improves circulation, liquefies, softens, secretes, and flushes, breaking up and dissolving thick or hardened masses such as mucus. As it moves blood, pungent taste warms the liver, forcing it to work harder. Warming the liver is helpful if blood is cold and liver is stagnant. However, the surge of blood stimulated by pungent taste can overtax the liver's cleansing capacity if Pitta is already aggravated. Pungent taste stimulates courage and valor because blood flow is movement of
prana
. The immune system exists mainly in the blood. Therefore, good circulation, stimulated by ginger, black pepper, and other pungents helps improve immunity and resolve sore throats.
Pungent & Kapha
Pungent taste is the best taste for Kapha. Circulation increases heat, metabolism, and agni (digestive strength). It burns off all Kapha tissues, creating lightness. It helps the body sweat, clearing and flushing all secretions. It breaks up and dries mucus in the GI tract and in the lungs. It wakes up the sleepy Kapha mind and brings focus to mental activity.
Pungent & Vata
Vata should be careful with excess use of pungent taste. A small amount of pungent taste warms Vata, but pungents should not be used to stimulate deficient organs. They increase Vata's already high metabolism, which burns fluids (ojas), causing tissues to dry out. Instead, nourishment is the best way to rebuild organ strength for Vata. Excess pungent taste overstimulates the Vata mind. Ginger, pippali, guduchi, and garlic are exceptions.
Pathological Pungency
Excess sharpness and pungent taste aggravates Pitta and could lead to bleeding disorders, bruises, ulcers, inflammation, and rashes. After encouraging secretions, excess pungent taste leaves behind thirst and dryness, much as the hot sun dries the desert.
Treatment of Excess Pungents
Sweet, gooey foods coat and soothe excess pungency. Cooling demulcents like licorice ghee and shatavari are also indicated. Astringents like amalaki and arjuna cool inflammation.
An herb that strengthens spleen function by improving strength of the blood. Spleen tonics Builds agni, brighten the person's appearances & firms up tissues.
Rajasic foods stimulate desire or nervous energy. Red meat, high protein food, garlic and onions stimulate desire. Rajasic foods include chili peppers, coffee, and anything that stimulates movement.
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.
A vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area.
Expectorants help you eliminate mucus from the lungs. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus. Expectorants are indicated when phlegm congests the lower respiratory tract.
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.
Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.
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.
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.
A vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area.
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.
Expectorants help you eliminate mucus from the lungs. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus. Expectorants are indicated when phlegm congests the lower respiratory tract.
An herb that strengthens spleen function by improving strength of the blood. Spleen tonics Builds agni, brighten the person's appearances & firms up tissues.
Rajasic foods stimulate desire or nervous energy. Red meat, high protein food, garlic and onions stimulate desire. Rajasic foods include chili peppers, coffee, and anything that stimulates movement.
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.
Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.
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.
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.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.
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