Understanding Doshas and their Diet

According to Ayurveda the five elements –earth, water, fire, air and ether combine in pairs to form three dynamic forces called doshas. Dosha literally means "that which changes." The doshas are constantly moving in dynamic balance, with each other. The three doshas are called Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Vata Vata is force made up of ether and air, the proportions of ether and air determine how active Vata is. Vata governs breathing, blinking of the eyelids, movements of the muscles and tissues, heartbeat, all expansion and contraction, the movements of cytoplasm and the cell membranes, and the movement of the single impulses in nerve cells. Vata also governs such feelings and emotions as freshness, nervousness, fear, anxiety, pain, tremors, and spasms.

Aggravated Vata- anxiety, worry, a tendency to overexertion, insomnia, chronic tiredness, mental and emotional depression, physical tension and other symptoms of stress, a weakened immune system, headaches, underweight, constipation, skin dryness, mental confusion, emotional conflict, inability to make decisions, impulsiveness, fast and disconnected speech, fantasy, illusions, and sensations of being lighthearted and removed from thoughts, feelings, or circumstances, are sings of an aggravated vata.

VATA FOODS Excess vata can be counterbalanced with nutritive and tissue-building foods that are warm, moist, heavy, soft and oily, as well as foods with a sweet, sour and salty taste. A person with a vata constitution should favor foods like hot cereal with ghee, hearty soups and vegetables, and whole cooked grains.

Vata pacifying foods- Vegetables: Asparagus, beets, carrots, cucumber, green beans, okra (bhindi), onions and garlic, radishes, sweet potatoes, turnips. Fruits: Bananas, coconuts, dates, mangoes, melons, peaches, all sweet fruits in general. Grains: Oats, rice and wheat Soft dairy products: cottage cheese, Ghee

Pitta Pitta is a force created by water and fire. These forces represent transformation. They cannot change into each other, but they modulate or control each other and are vitally required for the life processes to occur. Pitta governs digestion, absorption, assimilation, nutrition, metabolism, body temperature, skin coloration, the luster of the eyes, intelligence, and understanding. Psychologically, pitta arouses anger, hate, and jealousy.

Aggravated Pitta- excessive body heat, digestive problems, a tendency to be hostile or angry and controlling, impatience, a tendency to exert excessive effort to achieve goals, vision difficulties, and being prone to make errors in judgment because of mental confusion or because passion or emotion blurs powers of intellectual discernment, are sings of an aggravated Pitta.

Pitta Foods You can balance excess pitta with foods that are cool, dry and heavy with a mild, naturally sweet, bitter or astringent tasteMild spices like cumin, coriander and cilantro are particularly beneficial for pitta. For example, milk, rice, beans, steamed vegetables and fruit are good for pitta people

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