11/25/2025
Our traditional Thanksgiving meal is actually surprisingly balanced and “Ayurvedic” in terms of providing us the 6 tastes, which ensures our ability to digest our meal and feel satisfied. By stimulating different parts of our tongue with our food, all organs are activated by association. Just make sure you have a little bit of each dish and eat slowly enough to recognize when you are full.
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🥕Sweet: Most of our plate is made up of the sweet taste, which is appropriate for the fall. Turkey, potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes all qualify as sweet foods.
🧂Salty: We also have no trouble getting the salty taste into our meal since we tend to salt most of our food. Just don’t over do it!
🍋Sour: The sourness of cranberry sauce is perfect for cutting through the heaviness of the sweeter and heavier dishes. Add a splash of lemon to veggies to amplify the sour taste in your meal.
🌶Pungent or Spicy: Be sure to be generous with the fresh cracked black pepper - on your turkey rub, on the mashed potatoes, and on the veggies. And spice up your sweet potatoes with some cayenne or chipotle.
🥬Bitter: Serve some greens with the meal that have been cooked in an oil like sesame oil to help your body clear and complete the digestive process.
🌰Astringent: Astringent foods are cleansing and the chestnuts and rosemary in your stuffing, as well as your green bean side dish all add the astringent taste to your meal.
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And since most all food at the Thanksgiving table is cooked, we are doing our bodies a favor during this colder fall/winter season. Sip a small amount of warm water with your meal and enjoy a cup of ginger tea afterwards. Slow down and eat with gratitude knowing that there will be lots of leftovers for tomorrow.
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