It’s really an interesting topic and I am sure you will be amazed to know about it. Have you ever heard that you going to heal by eating food not by taking medicine because this an ancient science which, believes in healing bodies with eating right and eating according to body type. So lets understand first Ayurveda and then we will talk about more…
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an ancient system of natural healing that has its origins in the Vedic culture of India. More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life,Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.
Recognizing that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three fundamental energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement, transformation, and structure.
How Ayurveda is different from regular modern medicine?
• In Ayurveda, every individual is unique and there is no diet or lifestyle, routine that works for everyone.
• Prevention is key. Ayurveda focuses on providing specific advice and guidance on how to maintain physical and emotional health by eating and living right.
• Food and lifestyle routines are considered the most important medicine. If you come to an Ayurvedic doctor with a complaint, you are more likely to leave with a recipe than with a prescription for pills.
How does Ayurveda work?
The ancient practice of Ayurveda believes we’re made up of three different ‘body types’ that correspond to our physical and personality traits, known as doshas. These are: vata, pitta and Kapha, each of which represents two of the five universal elements (a combination of ether, air, fire, water, earth). Ayurvedic philosophies believe we each contain varying proportions of each Dosha, generally one or two in dominance. Our naturally dominant Dosha does not signify imbalance, but rather how – or who – we are in our most healthy, balanced state.
Mind-body health and harmony may be challenged when any of the doshas become aggravated or imbalanced. Identifying your predominant dosha and potential imbalances, which an Ayurvedic practitioner can assist with, is the secret to keeping your mind-body balance in check. Below are Dosha types and their characteristics for each mind/body type:
1. Vata (Wind) Dosha – It’s an energy that controls bodily functions associated with motion, including blood circulation, breathing, blinking, and heartbeat.
• In balance: There is creativity and vitality.
• Out of balance: Can produce fear and anxiety.
Characteristics for Vata predominant types:
➢ Creative, quick to learn and grasp new knowledge but also quickly to forget.
➢ Light Built, Tall and a fast-walker;
➢ Tendency toward cold hands and feet, discomfort in cold climates;
➢ Excitable, lively, fun personality;
➢ Changeable moods;
➢ Irregular daily routine;
➢ High energy in short bursts;
➢ Tendency to tire easily and to overexert;
➢ Full of joy and enthusiasm when in balance;
➢ Responds to stress with fear, worry, and anxiety, especially when out of balance; Tendency to act on impulse;
➢ Often have racing, disjointed thoughts;
➢ Generally have dry skin and dry hair and don’t perspire much.
2. Pitta (Fire) Dosha – It’s an energy that controls the body’s metabolic systems, including digestion, absorption, nutrition, and body’s temperature.
• In balance: Leads to contentment and intelligence.
• Out of balance: Can cause ulcers and anger.
Characteristics for Pitta Predominant Types:
➢ Medium physique, strong, well-built;
➢ Sharp mind, good concentration powers;
➢ Orderly, focused; Assertive, self-confident, and entrepreneurial at their best;
➢ Aggressive, demanding, pushy when out of balance;
➢ Competitive, enjoy challenges; Passionate and romantic;
➢ Strong digestion, strong appetite, get irritated if they have to miss or wait for a meal;
➢ When under stress, Pittas become irritated and angry;
➢ Skin fair or reddish, often with freckles;
➢ sunburns easily; Uncomfortable in sun or hot weather, heat makes them very tired;
➢ Perspire a lot; Good public speakers; Generally good management and leadership ability, but can become authoritarian;
➢ Subject to temper tantrums, impatience, and anger;
➢ Typical physical problems include rashes or inflammations of the skin, acne, boils, skin cancer, ulcers, heartburn, acid stomach, insomnia, dry or burning eyes.
3. Kapha (Earth) Dosha – It’s an energy that controls growth in the body. It supplies water to all body parts, moisturizes the skin, and maintains the immune system.
• In balance: Expressed as love and forgiveness.
• Out of balance: Can lead to insecurity and envy.
Characteristics for Kapha Predominant Types:
➢ Easygoing, relaxed, slow-paced; Affectionate and loving;
➢ Forgiving, compassionate, nonjudgmental nature;
➢ Stable and reliable, faithful;
➢ Physically strong and with a sturdy, heavier build;
➢ Have the most energy of all constitutions, but it is steady and enduring;
➢ Slow speech, reflecting a deliberate thought process;
➢ Slower to learn, but outstanding long-term memory;
➢ Soft hair and skin, tendency to have large “soft” eyes and a low, soft voice;
➢ Tend toward being overweight, may also suffer from sluggish digestion;
➢ Prone to depression;
➢ More self-sufficient; Gentle, and essentially undemanding approach to life;
➢ Excellent health, good immune system;
➢ Very calm, strive to maintain harmony and peace in their surroundings;
➢ Not easily upset and can be a point of stability for others;
➢ Tend to be possessive and hold on to things. Don’t like cold, damp weather;
➢ Physical problems include colds and congestion, sinus headaches, respiratory problems including asthma, allergies, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
How to determine Dosha type?
Most books and websites on Ayurveda will offer questionnaires that can be used to determine your mind/body constitution. Most questionnaires are very similar and will provide similar results. Please keep in mind that shorter questionnaires will give a more generalized and approximate result. Also, your body changes with age, seasons, and life situations so the results will change as well. Taking a few different questionnaires will give you a more definite result for your Dosha type.
Once you know your type then you should try to follow the diet and lifestyle routine that fits your mind/body constitution; For example, if you are predominantly Vata, you should include more cooked, warm foods, stay away from icy drinks, and add more warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to your food. This will prevent any digestion issues that Vata types tend to get, as well, as anxiety, dry skin, or insomnia. Here are some general guidelines for each type:
General Health Tips for Vata Types:
1. Maintain regular habits, try to eat and sleep at the same time every night.
2. Get enough rest and choose foods that are warm, cooked, nourishing, and easy to digest.
3. Sweet berries, fruits, small beans, rice, and all nuts and dairy products are good choices for Vata types.
4. Exercise intensity should be moderate.
5. A more meditative yoga, Tai chi, walking, and swimming are all good.
6. Avoid strenuous and frantic activities.
General Health Tips for Pitta Types:
1. It’s important for Pittas to keep cool by avoiding overexposure to direct sunlight and fried and spicy foods.
2. Avoid alcohol and tobacco, overworking, and overheating.
3. When aggravated, susceptible to feeling negative emotions like hostility, hatred, intolerance, and jealousy.
4. Choose fresh vegetables and fruits that are watery and sweet, especially cherries, mangoes, cucumbers, water melon, and avocado.
5. Have lots of salads with dark greens such as arugula, dandelions, and kale.
6. Avoid conflicts. Cultivate the virtues of honesty, morality, kindness, generosity, and self-control.
General Health Tips for Kapha Types:
1. It’s important to be active on a daily basis as Kapha types are prone to sluggishness, depression, and being overweight.
2. Getting out of the house and actively seeking new experiences is also recommended.
3. Be receptive to useful change; be intentional in implementing life-enhancing actions.
4. Choose foods that are light, warm, and spicy. Tea with dried ginger and lemon is a great pick-me-up for Kapha.
5. Avoid heavy oily and processed sugars, which are detrimental to Kapha.
6. Use lots of spices such as black pepper, ginger, cumin, chili and lots of bitter dark greens.
Tasting Your Way to Balance
Ayurveda places a great emphasis on the sensations and pleasures of eating nutritious food and a balanced diet. From the Ayurvedic perspective, a balanced diet isn’t just about getting the right amounts of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins – it is also about another extremely important quality: taste.
Ayurveda recognizes six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Including all six tastes in every meal not only ensures that all major food groups and nutrients are represented, but it also provides us with the feeling of satisfaction in eating. When we finish a meal feeling satisfied, we are much less likely to find ourselves raiding the cupboards or refrigerator two hours later.
How It Works ?
The human brain sends hunger signals when it becomes aware of the need for energy and information. As we eat, our taste buds send messages to the brain informing it if we have ingested foods that provide the energy and information we need. The six tastes are the codes that inform our nervous systems of a meal’s nutritional content. If we sample foods that correspond to each of these tastes throughout the day, our meals will provide awide assortment of health-promoting nutrients. If we do not have all flavors available, the brain is not satisfied and continues to send signals to eat more. As a result, we take in too many calories but remain malnourished.
Here are examples of foods containing each of the six tastes:
Sweet ~ whole grains, starchy vegetables, dairy, meat, chicken, fish, sugar, honey, molasses
Sour ~ citrus fruits, berries, plums, tomatoes, pickled foods, vinegar, alcohol, cheese, and yogurt
Salty ~ soy sauce, seaweed, salted meats, fish, and any food to which table salt has been added
Bitter ~ bitter greens, endive, chicory, spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, leafy greens, celery, broccoli, sprouts, beets, tonic water
Pungent ~ peppers, chilies, onions, garlic, cayenne, black pepper, cloves, ginger, mustard, salsa
Astringent ~ lentils, dried beans, green apples, grape skins, cauliflower, figs, pomegranates, tea
In every category of taste, some foods are highly nutritious and others should be eaten more sparingly. Favor fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, cereals, breads, and nuts. If you do not want to become vegetarian, reduce your intake of red meats, favoring cold-water fish and lean poultry cuts. Minimize your intake of highly refined sugar and wheat products.
In order to include all six tastes in your meals, you may need to experiment with different food and new spices. The recipes included in this article include a variety of tastes to inspire you. If you find it difficult to include all six tastes in a particular meal, at least experience each of them at some point during the day. Once you get started, you’ll find it easier and easier to incorporate all six tastes.
Help for the Sweet Tooth-
Of all these tastes, sweet are the one people most frequently crave. This may be because sweetness has the most settling effect on the mind-body physiology. It also increases the Kapha Dosha more than any other taste. If you crave sweets, make sure that your diet is thoroughly balanced and that you include all six tastes prepared in a fresh, nutritious, and delicious way. One food that Ayurveda specifically recommends to stop sugar cravings is milk. Milk contains the sweet taste and has a settling effect on the entire physiology. If you constantly hanker for sweets, try drinking a cup of warm milk each day, perhaps as part of your breakfast.
You can also use honey to reduce cravings for sweets. Honey is the only sweetener that actually reduces the Kapha Dosha. Try drinking a cup of warm water with a teaspoon of honey and a squirt of lemon every day.
Dosha-Balancing Guidelines
Now that you’ve identified your dosha type and understand the six tastes, you can begin to tailor your food choices for your own mind-body type. According to Ayurveda, it is important to eat foods that have a balancing effect upon the dominant dosha or that will pacify (stabilize) a dosha that has become excessive or aggravated.
Recommendations for Vata
➢ The best tastes to pacify Vata are sweet, salty, and sour.
➢ Minimize foods that are pungent, bitter, or astringent since these tastes increase Vata.
➢ To counterbalance the light, dry, cool nature of the Vata dosha, Ayurveda traditionally recommends foods that are heavy, oily, or warm. If you want to lose weight, however, minimize foods that are high in sugar or fat and focus instead on natural grains, and heavy, moist fruits and vegetables. For example, you can enjoy whole-grain muffins made with vegetable purée in place of oil or butter.
➢ Cook your food for easy digestion.
➢ All low-fat dairy products are recommended. Milk is easier to digest when warm or heated.
➢ Favor rice, wheat, and oats (cooked, not dry). Reduce your consumptions of barley, corn, millet, buckwheat, and rye.
➢ Favor sweet, well-ripened fruits such as bananas, avocados, mangoes, plums, berries, melons, papaya, peaches, cherries, and nectarines. To ease digestion, fruits are best eaten lightly cooked, stewed, or sautéed. Reduce your consumption of apples, cranberries, pears, and pomegranates (these are more acceptable if cooked). Also minimize dried fruits and unripe fruits (especially bananas).
➢ Cooked vegetables are best. Raw vegetables should be minimized. Favor asparagus, beets, cucumber, green beans, okra, onions and garlic (not raw), radishes, sweet potatoes, turnips, and carrots. Other vegetables may be eaten in moderation if cooked in ghee or extra virgin olive oil, including peas, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, peppers, mushrooms, and celery.
➢ Spices and herbs that pacify Vata include cardamom, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves, mustard seed, basil, asafetida, cilantro, fennel, oregano, sage, tarragon, thyme, and black pepper. Minimize all bitter and astringent herbs and spices, such as coriander, parsley, turmeric, and fenugreek.
➢ All varieties of nuts are recommended, in small amounts. Almonds are best.
➢ All oils are acceptable; sesame seed oil is particularly recommended.
➢ All natural sweeteners are acceptable.
➢ Beans can aggravate Vata, so minimize your consumption of them, with the exception of chickpeas, mung beans, pink lentils, and soybeans (in the form of tofu).
➢ For non-vegetarians, favor fresh, organic chicken, turkey, seafood, and eggs. Reduce consumption of red meat.
Recommendations for Pitta
➢ The best foods to pacify Pitta are those with sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes.
➢ Foods that are pungent, salty, or sour aggravate Pitta and should be minimized.
➢ Since an excess of Pitta dosha overheats the mind and body, favor cool foods and liquids.
➢ All sweeteners may be taken in moderation except molasses and honey.
➢ Dairy can be helpful in balancing the heat of Pitta. Favor butter, ghee, milk, and ice cream. However, since the sour taste can increase the Pitta dosha, sour, fermented products such as yogurt, sour cream, and cheese should be used sparingly.
➢ Favor wheat, rice, barley, and oats. Reduce consumption of corn, rye, millet, and brown rice.
➢ Sweet fruits such as grapes, melons, cherries, coconuts, avocados, mangoes, fully ripe pineapples, figs, apples, oranges, and plums are recommended. Reduce sour fruits such as grapefruits, cranberries, lemons, and persimmons.
➢ The vegetables to favor include asparagus, potatoes, sweet potatoes, leafy green vegetables, pumpkins, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, okra, lettuce, green beans, peas, and zucchini. Minimize tomatoes, hot peppers, onions, garlic, and radishes.
➢ Pitta types need to use seasonings that are soothing and cooling. These include coriander, cilantro, cardamom, saffron, and fennel. Hotter spices such as ginger, cumin, black pepper, fenugreek, clove, salt, and mustard seed should be used sparingly. Very pungent seasonings such as chili peppers, and cayenne are best avoided. Chew on fennel seeds after meals to cool down acid in the stomach.
➢ Most nuts increase the Pitta dosha, with the exception of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
➢ Favor coconut, olive, soy, and sunflower oils. Reduce almond, corn, safflower, and sesame oils.
➢ Favor chickpeas, mung beans, and tofu and other soybean products. Reduce lentils.
➢ For non-vegetarians, chicken and turkey are preferable. Red meat and seafood generally increase Pitta and should be minimized.
Recommendations for Kapha
➢ Foods with pungent, bitter, or astringent tastes are most beneficial for pacifying Kapha.
➢ Reduce foods with sweet, sour, or salty tastes as these increase Kapha.
➢ Since Kapha is heavy, oily, and cold, favor foods that are light, dry, or warm.
➢ Reduce your intake of dairy, which tends to increase Kapha. You can use small amounts of ghee, low-fat milk, and low-fat yogurt.
➢ Honey is the only sweetener that balances Kapha. Other sweeteners should be avoided because they increase the Kapha dosha, contributing to problems such as blocked sinuses, allergies, colds, lethargy, and weight gain.
➢ Drinking hot ginger tea with meals helps stimulate slow digestion and sharpen dull taste buds. Drink 2 to 3 cups of ginger tea daily.
➢ All beans are good for Kapha types. However, limit consumption of kidney beans, soybeans and soybean-based foods such as tofu.
➢ Favor lighter fruits such as apples, pears, pomegranates, cranberries, and apricots. Reduce heavier fruits like bananas, avocados, pineapples, oranges, peaches, coconuts, melons, dates, and figs. Also minimize dried fruits, which contain a great deal of sugar.
➢ In general, all vegetables are recommended but reduce consumption of sweet and juicy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchini.
➢ All spices except salt are pacifying to Kapha. Use pungent spices like pepper, cayenne, mustard seed, and ginger freely in your diet.
➢ Reduce intake of all nuts and seeds. Favor pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
➢ Fats and oils: Use small amounts of extra virgin olive oil, ghee, almond oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, mustard oil, or safflower oil.
➢ Favor barley, corn, millet, buckwheat, and rye. Reduce intake of oats, rice, and wheat.
➢ For non-vegetarians, favor fresh, organic chicken and turkey. Limit consumption of red meat.
➢ A Kapha diet should be lively and full of energy to help spark the digestive and metabolic systems. Eat your largest meal at lunchtime and a smaller meal at dinnertime. Eat your dinner at least three hours before you plan to go to bed, as this will facilitate digestion.
➢ Try a liquid fast one day per week, ingesting only fresh vegetables and fruit juices, and puréed vegetable soup.
Mind-Body Tools for Conscious Eating
In addition to eating a dosha-balancing diet and including the six tastes in every meal, there are many other practices and tools we can use to increase our enjoyment of food, stop cravings, and arrive at our own ideal weight and balance. Here are a few of the practices I am sharing with you al…
Breathing Awareness Meditation
The Breathing Awareness Meditation is an extremely effective technique for dealing with emotionally based-cravings and binges. Through awareness of your breath and regulating your breathing pattern, you can strongly influence your state of mind. When you feel the craving for a particular food, try this guided meditation. Afterwards you may find that your craving has dissipated.
1. Reserve some quiet time alone. Begin by sitting quietly, holding your hands lightly at your sides or in your lap. Close your eyes.
2. Start to breathe lightly and easily, letting your attention follow your breathing. Feel the breath flowing down into your lungs. There’s no need to inhale deeply or hold your breath; just breathe normally, with awareness.
3. When you exhale, let your attention follow the air up out of your lungs and softly through the nostrils.
4. Let your breath move gently and easily, with your attention following. Then make your breathing a little lighter. Don’t force any of this.
5. Thoughts and images will continue to appear and swirl through your mind. Don’t pay attention to them; just patiently keep coming back to your breath.
6. Continue this relaxed breathing for about five minutes, with your eyes closed and your mind focused on the easy, natural flow of your breath.
Listen to Your Appetite
Your body sends messages to your mind to meet its needs. One of the most important signals the body sends is that of hunger. Although many people who have struggled to keep excessive pounds off view their appetite as an adversary, listening to and honoring its message is one of the most important aspects of a healthy nutritional plan. The rule is simple: Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied. If you think of your appetite as a gauge ranging from empty (0) to full (10), our recommendation is to eat when you are really hungry (at a level 2 to 3) and stop when you are comfortably full but not stuffed (6 to 7). By not filling your stomach to capacity, you allow your digestive power to work at an optimal level. Just as your clothes do not get fully cleaned if you overstuff your washing machine, your food will not be fully digested if you overstuff your stomach.
Many people eat because it is time to eat, not because their bodies are asking for food. You usually wouldn’t fill up your gas tank if it was still half full but many people eat, even when they are still full from the previous meal. Start listening to your body. Its wisdom mirrors the wisdom of the cosmos.
For the next two weeks, start eating only when your hunger is at level 2. This may mean eating meals at unusual times of day or not eating for prolonged periods of time. The entire process should be based on comfort. Always stop eating before you reach level 8. With practice, you’ll be able to identify your level of satisfaction at any given moment and you will become aware of your body’s inner signals. You will likely find your biological clock adjusts after two weeks, and you will begin to eat meals at around the same time every day.
Pay Attention
It is easy to overeat if your environment distracts you while you are eating. Although many of us were conditioned to eat while watching television, it is easy to lose awareness of your body and overeat when an engaging drama or exciting adventure story captures your attention. Similarly, eating while working on an intense project or business transaction will often result in missing the signals that your body has had enough food. Have the intention to protect your mealtimes so you can enjoy your food in a relaxing environment. If you suffer from digestive imbalances such as heartburn or irritable bowel syndrome, creating a calm, comfortable mealtime will improve your digestion. Sit quietly for a few minutes after your meal. Focus your attention on the sensations in your body, and then take a short walk.
Favor Fresh Foods
There are foods that accelerate aging and entropy and others that renew and revitalize the body. In general, “dead” foods contribute to degeneration and decay, while fresh foods enhance regeneration and vitality. For most foods, the closer to the time it is harvested you are able to eat it, the more energy and intelligence it provides. This means minimizing canned, frozen, and packaged foods to the extent possible. Ayurveda also discourages eating leftovers or microwaved meals.
Use Food to Feed Your Body, Not Your Emotions
From the day we are born, we associate food with safety and comfort. The breast or bottle offered us when we were uncomfortable soothed both our physical and emotional distress. It is natural that as adults we resort to food when we are feeling stressed or anxious. Unfortunately, if you are trying to fill your need for love with food, you are unlikely to be very successful and the unnecessary calories will be stored as fat. Have the intention to use food to satisfy the energy needs of your body and develop nourishing relationships to satisfy the needs of your emotional heart. We also strongly recommend that you learn the skills of conscious communication, which will help you get your emotional needs met.
Eat More at Lunch, Less at Dinner
Your digestive power is strongest at noontime. Until the Industrial Revolution, most people ate their main meal in the middle of the day with a lighter meal in the evening. Respecting these time-honored patterns can improve digestive function and enhance sleep. Try eating a larger lunch and a smaller dinner and see if you notice an improvement in your vitality and wellbeing.
Final Thoughts and Encouragement
Once you’ve learned to live in accord with your biological needs instead of fighting against them, you will naturally arrive at the perfect weight for you. Cravings for unhealthy foods will evaporate, and the loss of self-esteem that frequently accompanies struggles with weight will be replaced by a sense of emotional and physical wellbeing. The lack of energy and sedentary habits will give way to a new enthusiasm for life and feelings of renewal. By regaining balance in this vital area of your life, you will take an important, inspiring step towards fulfilling your truly unlimited potential.
