Diet
according to Dosha predominance ….
Diet
to Balance Vata Dosha -
Taste
preferences - sweet, sour and salty. Avoid anything pungent. It has a drying
effect on your system. Ideally, in summer, prefer sour and salty tastes.
Consume salty and pungent foods in winter. Use sweet taste as a supplement
during both seasons.
Most
non - vegetarian diets suit your prakriti. Aquatic meats help to promote your
Kapha levels.
Dairy products like butter, cheese, yogurt and clarified butter are generally
considered good for you.
Oil is a vital requirement of Vata bodies. Your prakriti needs frequent oil
massages.
Favor
warm food, moderately heavy textures, added butter and fat. All soothing foods
are good for settling disturbed Vata. Use foods such as: warm milk, cream,
butter, warm soups, stews, hot cereals, fresh baked bread.
Since vata is a cold dry dosha, warm, nourishing foods such as these are good
for stabilizing vata. On the other hand cold foods such as cold salads, iced
drinks, raw vegetables and greens are not very good for persons with vata
imbalance.
Breakfast
is highly recommended. Use hot cereals such as cream of rice or wheat or any
other breakfast that is warm, milky, and sweet. Take a hot or herbal tea with
snacks in the late afternoon. Avoid drinks with high caffeine as vata gets
disturbed by it.
Use
spicy foods such as spicy Mexican or Indian foods that are cooked in oil. Use
warm moist foods such as cooked grains and cereals, bowl of hot oatmeal or cup
of steaming vegetable soup.
Warm milk is good. You can add a little sugar or honey to it if you prefer.
Avoid eating candies as it disturbs vata. Prefer salted nuts that are heavy and
oily as opposed to dry salty snacks. All sweet fruits are good for vata. Avoid
unripe fruits as they are astringent. Take warm or hot water instead of ice
water and drinks.
Spices:
cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, ginger, cloves in moderation.
If
your basic constitution is mixed (vata-pitta or vata-kapha), include portions
for the second influential dosha.
Vata
dosha is aggravated and increased during autumn and early winter. During these
seasons all mind-body types can include some of the above foods and decrease
others. Mental and emotional peace and constructive lifestyle routines are
important to restoring and maintaining balance.
Diet
to Balance Pitta Dosha
Taste
preferences - sweet, bitter and astringent Pungent foods should be to the bare
minimum.
Ayurveda suggests the intake of bitter and astringent foods during both summer
and winter to promote Vata in summer and Kapha in winter. You could feast on
sweets all year round.
You
should avoid oily foods. Ayurveda recommends a reduced intake of oils and fats,
as these promote the fire in your prakriti. Clarified butter is a better
option.
Among dairy products, yogurt is good for you. Milk, cheese, and cottage cheese
can be used moderately. Indulge in all kinds of frozen desserts.
Considering
the fire element domination in the Pitta , Ayurveda advises you to cultivate a
handful of simple habits.
Favor Cool or warm but not steaming hot foods. As far as practical use less
butter and added fat. Consume food with moderately heavy textures.
Since Pitta promotes strong efficient digestion, you can generally eat just
about everything. Take cool, refreshing food in summer. Reduce the consumption
of salt, oil, and spices, all of which are "heating" to the body.
Salads are good, so is milk and ice cream.
Avoid
pickles, sour yogurt, sour cream, and cheese. Avoid vinegar in salad dressing;
use lemon juice instead. Alcoholic and fermented foods should be avoided. Their
sour Rasa aggravates Pitta. Coffee is also pitta aggravating due to the acid in
coffee. Herb tea is good. Prefer mint, licorice root or other pitta pacifying
tea.
Breakfast:
Cold cereals, cinnamon toast, and apple tea is a good breakfast for Pitta.
Avoid coffee, orange juice and doughnuts - they aggravate pitta.
The vegetarian foods are the best for pitta. Consuming red meat tend to heat
the body from the fat. Consume abundant amounts of milk, grains and vegetables.
Avoid
oily, hot, salty, and heavy foods such as fried food. Instead consume starchy
foods such as vegetables, grains and beans. Avoid the tendency to overeat under
stress.
Avoid
processed and fast foods as they tend to be heavy on salt and sour tastes.
Japanese and Chinese food are good choices. Avoid highly spicy food such as is
found in Mexican restaurants.
To
bring down aggravated Pitta, take two teaspoons of ghee (clarified butter) in a
glass of warm milk. (Avoid taking the ghee if you have problem with high
cholesterol).
Spices:
black pepper, coriander, and cardamom.
If
your basic constitution is mixed (pitta-vata or pitta-kapha), to maintain
balance, include smaller portions for the second dosha.
Pitta
dosha is aggravated and increased during summer. During hot, dry seasons, all
mind-body types can choose some of the above foods and decrease others. Mental
and emotional peace and constructive lifestyle routines are important to
restoring and maintaining balance.
Diet
to Balance Kapha Dosha
Taste
preferences - pungent, bitter, and astringent . Reduce use of sweet, sour, and
salty tastes. Sweets must be avoided. Also try to restricting the consumption
of excessive pungent foods in summer, instead prefer foods with a sour taste.
Among
dairy products, cottage and other types of cheese are the best options for you.
Butter should be avoided and only toned milk be used.
All frozen desserts are to be avoided.
For
your Kapha prakriti, very little of fats and oils are required. Treat your body
occasionally, with a warm oil therapy of mustard oil with a little amount of
Apple vinegar.
To
balance Kapha you need Warm, light and dry food, cooked without much water,
minimum of butter, oil and sugar
Kapha need to restrict the consumption of too much sweet foods or fatty foods.
Keep an eye on the salt consumption also, which tend to result in fluid
retention
Light
meals are to be favored such as light breakfast and dinner. Avoid deep fried
foods. Eat lightly cooked foods or raw fruits and vegetables. Eat spicy, bitter
and astringent foods. Watch out for eating too much food, a typical kapha
tendency.
Select hot food over cold food whenever feasible. Dry cooking methods (baking,
broiling, grilling, sautéing) are prefered than moist cooking such as steaming,
boiling or poaching. As an appetizer eat bitter or pungent foods instead of
salty or sour. Foods such as romaine lettuce, endive, or tonic water are good
to stimulate your appetite.
Take ginger tea or a pinch or ginger to stimulate appetite. Other preferred
spices are cumin, fenugreek, sesame seed and turmeric. Any food that is spicy
is good for kapha such as very hot Mexican or Indian food, especially in
winter.
Foods
that are good for kapha breakfast are hot spiced cider, buckwheat pancakes with
apple butter, corn muffins, and bitter cocoa made with skim milk and a touch of
honey. Avoid cold cereals, cold juice or milk, and sugary pastries. Bacon and
sausage aggravates kapha due to their salt and oil. For kapha types, breakfast
is optional. (You may skip it if you like).
To
pep you up in the morning, take honey, hot water, lemon juice and ginger. Try
hot ginger tea. Try skipping a meal or two and take a spoonful of honey in hot
water to keep you going.
You have a sweet tooth. So, cutting down on sugar is difficult but it is
recommended. Take honey instead. Avoid taking more than a spoonful of honey a
day.
Don't
overindulge on dairy foods. Butter, ice cream, and cheese are among the worst
foods you can take as it aggravates the kapha. Take warm low fat milk. Avoid
hamburgers and milk shakes. Eat raw fruits, vegetables and salads. Watch out
the restaurant foods, especially oily, salty, sweet or deep fried foods - these
are all kapha aggravating. Eat salad with minimum salad dressing. Take a glass
of hot water instead of ice water. Eat salad instead of soup especially in hot
weather.
Kapha
dosha is aggravated and increased in the spring of the year. During this
season, eat less and choose more dry, fibrous foods. During wet, cold seasons,
If
your basic constitution is mixed, include smaller portions for the second dosha
