A complete guide on your diet and food habits according to Ayurveda
An ayurvedic diet is an ancient form of medicine that
promotes well being through a balance of your mind, body, and spirit. This
balance is achieved from your customized diet plan, which is based on three
body types. The three body types are, namely Vata, pitta, and Kapha. Each type
of body needs different dietary intakes for maintaining balance.
How to identify your body type?
People who have vata body type are
generally tall, thin-boned, open-minded, and creative. Warm foods are the
perfect choice for them. This type of body is generally cold, so warm foods
will help in maintaining balance in their bodies.
People who have pitta body type are athletic, medium
built, hardworking, and determined. Their bodies generally remain hot. They
need cooling foods to maintain their body balance.
People with Kapha body type are heavily built, strong
and loving. The light and lean foods suit them as they can easily put on weight
with heavy meals.
Let’s
discuss the ayurvedic diet
plan for these three body types.
Diet of Vata dosha -
The diet for Vata dosha people includes freshly cooked
whole foods that are soft in texture, rich in fats and protein, and seasoned
with a variety of spices. These foods must be served warm or hot.
These foods
help to maintain the balance by nourishing the tissues, preserving the
moisture, and maintaining warmth throughout the body. These characteristics
help in proper digestion and elimination of toxins from the body.
It is not that you must completely accumulate to this diet
suddenly. Start off by observing your day to day diet patterns and identify
where you can make small changes.
Foods
to take
You must include sweet fruits such as cooked apples
or cherries, cooked vegetables like asparagus or beets, grains including quinoa
or rice, red lentils, dairy products (in moderation), beef, eggs, fish, black
pepper, coriander leaves, vinegar, peanuts and pecans, chia or flax seeds,
sesame oil, and ghee.
Foods
to avoid
You
must avoid dried fruit, raw apples, and watermelon, frozen, raw or dried
vegetables, potatoes, barley, corn, chickpeas, split peas, yogurt, lamb,
turkey, red wine, and chocolate.
Diet of Pitta dosha
The
diet of Pitta dosha people includes fresh whole foods that are cooling,
energizing, dry, and high in carbohydrates. These foods decrease internal heat,
prevents inflammation, balances digestive fire, absorb excess oil, and liquids.
Eat
foods that are cool in temperature. Raw foods impart a natural cooling effect
on the body. Whenever you eat, mix some amount of raw fruits and vegetables on
your diet. Avoid eating hot dishes such as alcohol, coffee, etc.
Foods
to take
You must include raisins, watermelon, sweet or bitter vegetables
like broccoli or cauliflower, dry cereal, pasta, black beans, unsalted butter,
chicken (white meat), egg whites, almonds, beer, dry white wine, and coconut.
Foods
to avoid
You must avoid apricots, avocado, pungent vegetables like onions
or raw leeks, sour fruits, spinach, bread made with yeast, quinoa, and brown
rice, rye, soy sauce, salted butter, sour cream, beef, chicken (dark meat),
chili pepper, red or sweet wine, seafood other than shrimp, and chocolate.
Diet of Kapha dosha
The diet of Kapha dosha includes freshly cooked whole foods that
are light, warming, dry, well-spiced, and easy to digest. These foods must be
served warm or hot. These foods maintain balance by balancing mucus production,
regulating moisture levels, maintaining heat, and aiding in proper digestion
and elimination.
This
diet focuses on smaller meals, little to no snacking, fewer sweets, fruits, and
vegetables, legumes, and limited alcohol.
Foods
to take
You must include astringent fruit like applesauce or prunes,
pungent or bitter vegetables like celery or carrots, granola, polenta, lima
beans, buttermilk, cottage cheese, shrimp, turkey, dry red or white wine.
Foods
to avoid
You must avoid Sweet or sour fruits like grapefruit or figs, sweet
or juicy vegetables like cucumber or zucchini, cooked oats, rice, pasta,
pancakes,
wheat, kidney beans, soft or hard cheese, duck, tofu, freshwater
fish, ketchup, hard alcohol, and chocolate.
Benefits
of ayurvedic diet
● Encourages
whole foods
Author
Bio:
Henna is a wellness lifestyle writer. She loves sharing her
thoughts and personal
experiences
related to natural remedies, Ayurvedic, yoga and fitness through her
writing.
She currently writes for How To Cure. She
can connect with others experiencing
health
concerns and help them through their recovery journeys through natural
remedies.
