Ayurvedic Diet – Vata, Pitta and Kapha
Vata influences the movement of thoughts, feelings, prana flows, nerve impulses, and fluids in the body. Favor warm food, moderately heavy textures, added butter and fat. Salt, sour, and sweet tastes; Soothing and satisfying foods. All soothing foods are good for settling disturbed Vata. Recommended for balancing 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. Breakfast is highly recommended. Use hot cereals such as cream of rice or wheat or any other breakfast that is warm, milky, and sweet. 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. Eat the salads with dressing and other grounding spices like coriander, fenugreek and parsley. PITTA Pitta influences digestion and metabolism, body temperature, and biological transformations. Favor cool or warm with bitter, sweet, and astringent tastes. As far as practical use less butter and added fat. Consume food with moderately heavy textures. Since Pittas have strong efficient digestion, they 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. Instead consume starchy foods such as vegetables, grains and beans. Avoid the tendency to overeat under stress. Salads are good, so is milk and ice cream. Avoid pickles, sour cream, and cheese.. Alcoholic and fermented foods should be avoided. Their sour Rasa aggravates Pitta. The vegetarian foods are the best for Pitta. Consuming red meat tends to heat the body from the fat. Consume abundant amounts of milk, grains and vegetables. KAPHA Kapha influences the heavy, moist aspects of the body. What kind of Food to Eat to Balance Kapha – Warm, light food, dry food, cooked without much of butter, oil and sugar. Stimulating foods with pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes. Kapha need to watch 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 in Kapha. Light meals are to be favored such as light breakfast and dinner. 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 preferable for Kapha over moist cooking such as steaming, boiling or poaching. Take ginger tea or a pinch or ginger to stimulate appetite. Other preferred spices are cumin, fenugreek, sesame seed and turmeric. FOOD AND EATING FOR HEALTHY MIND & BODY A commonality of the modern scientific approach to food and eating to the Ayurvedic approach is the increasing realization of the importance of whole, unprocessed foods. More and more scientific literature presents evidence on a daily basis that the highly processed foods of our modern culture are damaging us. Tip 1: Drink Herbal Tea SOUPS Anytime is a perfect time to satisfy your soul with a piping hot bowl of broth based soup. Soup is a filling food that can be low in calories. In fact, many people make a meal out of soup and salad. Calorie control is just one benefit to including more soups. For example if we analyze the good properties of tomato and basil soup which are somehow not known to us and taste remains the only factor in choosing this ingredient. Medicinal (Healing) Applications Of Basil (Tulsi) SALADS The one food that research has shown is most highly associated with longevity is leafy greens….in other words salads. This may come as a surprise to you, but leafy green vegetables are the most nutrient packed foods available to us. They contain an abundance of valuable minerals, vitamins and enzymes, which are indispensable to physical well-being, and so are termed “protective foods.” salads also serve a healthful purpose in that they provide bulk because of their cellulose, which aids one to avoid constipation. Choose produce that is in season. Although almost all fruits and vegetables are available year-round, it is really in keeping with nature’s rhythms to choose your salad ingredients according to the season. Whole grains, beans, fruits, nuts, herbs-there is an endless variety of ingredients you can use to dish up an appetizing Ayurvedic salad. Tags: tikka masala, kulfi, curries, dal, palak, tandoori, bhatura, paneer, indian curry, murgh
VATA
Tip 2: Limit High Carbohydrate Foods
Tip 3: Limit the use of alcohol
Tip 4: Motivate Yourself
Tip 5: Use Low-Calorie Food Alternatives
Tip 6: Don’t Starve Yourself
Tip 7: Drink 1 or More Glasses of Water 10 minutes before Meals
Tip 8: Be Consistent With the Good Habits
Tip 9: Don’t Use the Scale
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