| The way we classify today's foods as: herbs, | | | | have an effect on healthy growth and also on |
| vegetables, fruits, and even weeds is a recent | | | | healthy body maintenance. |
| invention. In the 17th century cabbage and carrots | | | | Sweet: Sweet taste foods increase body decretions. |
| were herbs. The same status as marigolds and | | | | These reduce body toxins. Sweet tastes should be |
| marjoram were. Alkaloids and saponins are not only | | | | avoided if you have colds or flus. |
| found in herbs, fruits and vegetables cal also be | | | | Sweet potato, rice, cashews |
| therapeutic or even damaging. | | | | Sour: These tastes were used to stimulate digestion. |
| Foods used to be categorized by temperature or | | | | Lemon, spinach, cranberries |
| taste, and these foods were used to maintain the | | | | Salty: Salty tastes were used as expectorants. |
| body's balance. Hippocrates already stated that fresh | | | | Mineral salts, seaweed |
| foods were more healthy in comparison to the | | | | Pungent: Used for chills, lethargy and depression. |
| frozen foods of the Tibetan culture. | | | | Horseradish, basil, cloves |
| Galen labeled foods as hot or cold, dry or damp. Meat | | | | Bitter: These tastes stimulate digestion to absorb |
| tended to be heating and fish was damp. Food | | | | phlegm. This taste was used to reduce toxins. Belgian |
| always was considered to have an effect on the | | | | endive, turmeric, artichoke |
| four humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. | | | | Astringent: Used for diarrhea and heavy menstruation. |
| For instance, if you ate too many of the phlegm | | | | Sage, bilberries |
| foods, then you would stimulate mucous. The | | | | Yin and Yang |
| housewife of Galen's century would automatically | | | | The Chinese categorize foods to the five |
| choose foods that would be balancing to the body. | | | | temperatures: Hot, Warm, Neutral, Cool, Cold. The |
| Here are some examples of food categorizations: | | | | balance of hot and cold foods is still prevalent in the |
| Hot: Onions, mustard seeds, almonds | | | | orient today. Food is neither good nor bad; rather it is |
| Dry: Asparagus, millet, coriander, honey | | | | chosen how it affects you. The reason that many |
| Damp: Grapes, radishes, oatmeal, barley | | | | diets of today run the risk of illness is because whole |
| Cold Lettuce, chicory | | | | food groups are left out of daily meals. |
| In Ayurvedic medicine, classical Indian meaning the | | | | Foods are assigned to different tastes, for example |
| science of life, taste is also categorized. These are | | | | salt is associated with the kidneys. Dates are |
| believed to either increase or decrease the three | | | | associated with the stomach. Bitter is associated with |
| humors: water or phlegm, fire or bile, and air or wind. | | | | the heart and pungent is associated with the lungs |
| If foods are not properly balanced, then illness would | | | | and skin. |
| follow. The correct balance was also considered to | | | | |