Whole mung versus split?
Brown basmati versus white?
Let's take the confusion out the two
most asked questions that I encounter. Time
and time again, I have a client saying to me that they find kitchari so hard to
digest, and come to find out, they have bought the whole mung instead of the
split. And along with that, when I tell
people to buy white basmati rice, I often hear but isn’t brown rice more
healthy for you? So much misunderstanding
when it comes to the little ole mung and the deliciously fragrant basmati. So, I
am here, once and for all, to stop you from scratching your head and moving
your eyes to the side in perplexity!
Which mung is right
for you?
There are three forms that you can buy dry mung.
- whole green = easier to find, harder to digest
- split with skin on it = a little easier to find and a little easier to digest than whole
- split without skin on it = harder to find, but easier to digest
It depends on what your health goals are and of course the
strength of your digestion. Whole mung
is easy to find, and you are getting the whole bean, which means the whole
food, but if your digestion is at all off, it sits in your stomach like a hard
ball and may give you bloating and gas, and therein lies the rub. You won’t be able to assimilate the nutrients
because of the impairment with the digestion process. I have
personally tried eating whole mung, and with my Vata constitution, it’s a –
well, let’s say disaster on my well being.
The split with skin can be a tad easier on the digestion, but still a
little difficult. And I can tolerate it
when my body is in balance.
My favorite? The
split mung without the skin. It’s easy on the intestines, nutritious and a
wonderful thing. Yes, it has lost some
of its power packed minerals and vitamins by the processing of it, but your body will thank you. Mung has the magic ability to cleanse and
nourish you. So, yes, mung has the ability to detoxify your body as
well as pack a nutritious punch! This is
why it is so prevalent in hospitals in India
for the weak and recovering. And is the main staple for Panchakarma
The hard part is finding organic, split mung.. I have seen
whole mung everywhere, i.e. Whole Foods, but it’s harder than heck to find
organic split. There are a couple websites I
will include at the end of this article. It is a little more
expensive buying organic, but if you desire optimal mung, you won’t mind the price.
Basmati white versus
brown: Same thing: the brown is harder to digest. While the brown
rice is very delicious and provides added fiber to your diet, if you are
looking for resting your digestive system, then the white is the way to
go. White basmati rice has gone through
a process that takes the outer layer off, the bran, which is why a lot of people prefer eating brown basmati because of its higher fiber
content.
While brown rice can be eaten by
those with iron stomachs, be aware that its outer layer, the bran, contains phytic acid. Phytic acid is a very powerful blocker of
mineral absorption in the gut.
Ayurvedically speaking, this isn’t good!
I have had people tell me also that brown rice tends to just “sit” in
the tummy. So the nutrients are not being
assimilated properly..
White basmati has some of the
outer layer taken off, but still has nutrients…it breaks down easily. It is sattvic in nature and satisfies all
three doshas. Its sweet quality provides
a sense of satisfaction and comfort. High
in prana, if eaten over time as a regular staple in your diet, it starts to
balance out your blood sugar, thereby making you less hungry for longer periods
of time…
So long story short, eat what your
body can tolerate, and as always, what works best for you. But if you want to give your system a rest,
you are recovering from illness, or you’re going on a cleanse, stick with split
mung and white basmati rice.
These are two good sources for purchasing organic split mung.
mung dal and basmati rice
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