Dine for your doshic imbalance

Dine for your doshic imbalance

Regardless of body type, imbalances of any dosha can occur in response to lifestyle factors. Consider this: naturally athletic pittas can lose weight due to vata excess, or gain weight as a result of kapha excess. Ayurveda repairs imbalances predominantly with herbal remedies, warm oil massages, yoga, and lifestyle changes, particularly diet.

The Ayurvedic diet identifies six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Each taste has different energetic effects on the mind and body; either aggravating or pacifying particular doshas. For example, considering Ayurveda's theory of 'like increase like', someone with pitta excess may add fuel to the fire by consuming hot, spicy foods. 
 

Balancing vata

"When vata is aggravated, your system becomes irregular and depleted, which affects weak organs and tissues," 

Additional signs of vata imbalance:

·         Constipation

·         Dehydration

·         Anxious

·         Craving warmth

·         Frequent viral infection

·         Weight loss

·         Disturbed sleep

Excessive consumption of bitter, astringent and spicy tastes contribute to vata imbalance. Prasad recommends pacifying with sweet, sour and salty tastes and warm, moist, easily digestible foods like:

·         Boiled or steamed starchy vegetables (moderate broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and leafy vegetables)

·         Ripe fruits

·         Warm milk (moderate dairy)

·         Soupy grains: rice, wheat

·         Mild spices: cumin, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, coriander, salt, cloves, mustard, black pepper

·         Tea: camomile, fennel, ginger, liquorice, lemon

"Nourishing soups, casseroles and dahls are great for balancing vata, particular during winter," 

Balancing pitta

"When pitta is unbalanced, you can become aggressive and irritable. Internalising that fire can increase your self-critic, resulting in perfectionism," says Dr Matthews.

Additional signs of imbalance:

·         Diarrhoea

·         Over-heating, profuse sweating

·         Colourful, violent dreams

·         Excessive hunger

·         Frequent bacterial infections

·         Heartburn

Dr Prasad believes pitta imbalance may result from excessive alcohol or hot, spicy, oily, fried, salty, fermented foods. He suggests rebalancing with sweet, bitter and astringent tastes and cool, heavy foods including:

·         Boiled, steamed, raw vegetables

·         Sweet fruits

·         Moderate amounts of dairy

·         Soupy grains: rice, wheat, barley, oats

·         Mild, cooling spices: coriander, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, cumin, curry leaves, mint

·         Tea: fennel, camomile, peppermint, spearmint, liquorice, red clover

Balancing kapha

"When kapha is unbalanced, there is a tendency for mental and physical stagnation. Stimulation of all kinds helps to avoid that heavy, lethargic feeling,"  

Additional signs of imbalance:

·         Sluggish bowels

·         Procrastination

·         Craving warmth, spicy foods

·         Frequent candida

·         Water retention

·         Weight gain

·         Excessive sleep

Excessive food consumption can contribute to kapha imbalance, and recommends a light, warm, low-fat diet of pungent, bitter and astringent tastes like:

·         Boiled, steamed, raw vegetables

·         Ripe fruits (except banana)

·         Fat-free buttermilk (other dairy reduced)

·         Grains: corn, millet, rye, oats, barley, wheatbran

·         Strong spices: pepper, paprika, salt, garlic, basil, cloves, allspice, fennel, mustard, turmeric, cumin, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, black pepper

·         Honey instead of sugar

·         Tea: cinnamon, fenugreek, peppermint, raspberry

In the wise world of Ayurveda, you really are what you eat; so discover and dine for your dosha to restore holistic health of hips, head and heart.