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Types of Foods and Their Effects on Temperament

أخلا

The Four Bodily Humors

The bodily humors are four:

  • Blood

  • Phlegm

  • Yellow Bile

  • Black Bile

Likewise, foods are divided into four categories, according to their dominant qualities. Among these are foods that are moderate (temperate), meaning they are moderate in hotness, coldness, wetness, and dryness.

A person with a hot and wet temperament

A person with a hot and wet temperament should eat cold and dry foods, as they help restore balance to the temperament. Examples include:

  • Spleen

  • Corn

  • Barley

  • Starch

  • Lentils

  • Dried fava beans

  • Potatoes

  • Cauliflower

  • Peas

  • Coriander

  • Tomatoes

  • Unripe grapes (verjuice)

  • Mandarin oranges

  • Lemons

  • Grapefruit

  • Quince

  • Pomegranates

  • Unripe peaches

  • Unripe nectarines

  • Cherries

  • Kiwifruit

  • Loquats

  • Hawthorn

  • Sumac

  • Vinegar

  • Tamarind

  • Ice

  • Roasted coffee beverage

A person with a cold and wet temperament

A person with a cold and wet temperament should eat hot and dry foods, as they help restore balance to the temperament. Examples include:

  • Mutton

  • Camel meat

  • Rabbit meat

  • Bottarga (cured fish roe)

  • Quail

  • Partridge

  • Small birds

  • Safflower

  • Mint

  • Thyme

  • Basil

  • Radish

  • Artichoke

  • Green fennel

  • Arugula (rocket)

  • Salt

  • Onion

  • Garlic

  • Eggplant

  • Cabbage

  • Fennel seeds

  • Anise

  • Cumin

  • Celery

  • Garden cress seeds

  • Fenugreek

  • Black seed (Nigella sativa)

  • Black pepper

  • Red pepper

  • Mahaleb

  • Cardamom

  • Mustard

  • Caraway

  • Ginger

  • Cinnamon

  • Turmeric

  • Tea

  • Hazelnuts

  • Walnuts

  • Chestnuts

  • Honey

  • Coffee

  • Orange blossom water

A Person with a Hot and Dry Temperament

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A person with a hot and dry temperament should eat cold and wet foods, because they have excess hotness and dryness in the body. Examples include:

  • Trotters (animal feet)

  • Fish

  • Crab

  • Lettuce

  • Purslane

  • Armenian cucumber

  • Cucumber

  • Green fava beans

  • Green beans

  • Spinach

  • Zucchini

  • Squash (pumpkin)

  • Chicory

  • Truffles

  • Mushrooms

  • Molokhia (Jew’s mallow)

  • Mallow

  • Sheep’s milk

  • Yogurt

  • Sweet labneh

  • Mild cheese

  • Fresh cheese

  • Clotted cream

  • Watermelon

  • Apricots

  • Sweet pomegranate

  • Sweet quince

  • Black plums

  • Pineapple

  • Papaya

  • Sweet lime

  • Sweet clementines

  • Sweet peaches

  • Barley water

  • Rose water

A Person with a Cold and Dry Temperament

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A person whose temperament is predominantly cold and dry should eat hot and wet foods, as they help restore balance to the temperament. Examples include:

  • Lamb

  • Tail fat (fat-tailed sheep fat)

  • Harees (cracked wheat and meat porridge)

  • Chicken

  • Wheat

  • Turnips

  • Carrots

  • Asparagus

  • Swiss chard

  • Beetroot

  • Ghee

  • Butter

  • Sweet white mulberries

  • Figs

  • Sweet apples

  • Sweet grapes

  • Melon

  • Sweet mangoes

  • Avocados

  • Sugar cane

  • Dates

  • Fresh dates

  • Raisins

  • Coconut

  • Sesame seeds

  • Pistachios

  • Pine nuts

  • Almonds

  • Cashews

  • Sweet grape molasses

  • Date molasses

  • Black olives

  • Sweet cherries

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