Balancing Pitta
Signs and Symptoms of Increased Pitta
You may be experiencing some of the following signs or symptoms:
- red, inflamed rash, acne, cold sores
- acute inflammation in body or joints
- acid reflux, gastric or peptic ulcers, heartburn
- nausea or discomfort upon missing meals
- loose stools
- uncomfortable feeling of heat in the body
- frustration, anger, irritability
- judgment, impatience, criticism, intolerance
- red, inflamed or light-sensitive eyes
- excessive perfectionist tendencies
To decrease pitta, Ayurveda has given us dietary, lifestyle and herbal treatment strategies. Here are a few underlying concepts that these strategies are based on:
- Cooling
- Surrendering
- Moderation
General Guidelines for a Pitta-Pacifying Diet
Enjoy:
- Foods that are naturally sweet, bitter, and astringent.
- Cooling foods, both energetically and in temperature.
- A balance of whole, freshly cooked foods and fresh, raw foods.
- Most beans.
- Cooling herbs and spices like coriander, cilantro, fennel and cardamom.
- Dairy, if you digest it well, but avoid drinking milk with your meals. It is best to have it at least an hour before or after other food.
- A moderate amount of high-quality olive, sunflower and coconut oils or ghee in your daily diet.
- Routine times for your meals.
- Taking a deep breath after swallowing your last bite and heading off for your next activity.
- Eating your meal in a peaceful environment.
Avoid:
- Foods that are pungent, sour, and salty.
- Warming foods, both energetically and in temperature.
- Chili and cayenne peppers.
- Highly processed foods (like canned or frozen foods, “TV” dinners or pastries).
- Eating fresh fruit or drinking fruit juice within ½ hour of any other food.
- Caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants.
- Red meat.
- Deep fried foods.
- Alcohol, except for an occasional beer or white wine.
Pitta balancing food
Fruits
Fruits that pacify pitta will generally be sweet and somewhat astringent. Dried fruits are typically also acceptable, but are best in small quantities, so as not to further accelerate pitta’s tendency toward rapid digestion. Fruits to avoid are those that are exceptionally heating or sour (like bananas, cranberries, and green grapes). You’ll find many fruits in both the favor and avoid columns below because different varieties of the same fruit can truly be pacifying or aggravating, depending on how sweet or sour they are. When trying to balance pitta, learning to distinguish between these tastes and choosing sweet fruits over sour ones is always very helpful.
And remember, fruits and fruit juices are best enjoyed alone – 30 minutes before, and ideally at least 1 hour after, any other food. This helps to ensure optimal digestion. Note: this rule does not apply to fruits that we typically consider vegetables (avocados, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.). You will find these fruits listed among the “vegetables.”
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Vegetables
Vegetables that pacify pitta will generally be somewhat sweet and either bitter, astringent, or both. Many vegetables include some combination of these tastes; so experimenting with a wide variety of vegetables is a great way to diversify your pitta pacifying diet. Pitta can usually digest raw vegetables better than vata and kapha, but mid-day is often the best time of day to have them because digestive strength is at its peak. The only vegetables for pitta to reduce or avoid are those that are particularly spicy, heating, sharp, or sour – like garlic, green chilies, radishes, onion, and mustard greens.
Favor
|
Avoid
| |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Grains
Grains that pacify pitta are cooling, sweet, dry, and grounding. Grains tend to be staples in our diets, and overall, pitta benefits from their sweet, nourishing nature. You’ll also notice that many of the grains that benefit pitta are rather dry; this helps to offset pitta’s oily nature. When it comes to balancing pitta, avoiding grains that are heating (like buckwheat, corn, millet, brown rice, and yeasted breads) is the most important guideline.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Legumes
Legumes are generally astringent in taste and are therefore largely pitta pacifying, so feel free to enjoy a wide variety of them. Beans that are not appropriate for pitta are those that are especially sour or oily and, not coincidentally – also heating.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Dairy
Dairy products tend to be grounding, nourishing, and cooling, so many of them are balancing for pitta. Those to avoid are exceptionally sour, salty, or heating. As a rule, dairy milks (cow’s milk, goat’s milk, sheep’s milk, etc.) should be taken at least one hour before or after any other food. For this reason, avoid drinking milk with meals. Almond and rice milks are good substitutes, if you need to combine milk with other foods, or if you don’t digest dairy milks well.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds tend to be extremely oily and are usually heating, so most of them are not terrifically balancing for pitta. That said, there are a few types of nuts, and several seeds that are acceptable in small quantities; these varieties tend to be less oily, and are either mildly heating or cooling in nature.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Meat & Eggs
Pitta does best with animal foods that taste sweet, are relatively dry (like rabbit or venison) and that are either mildly heating or cooling in nature. Meats that don’t work are those that are especially oily, salty, or heating (things like dark chicken, beef, salmon, or tuna).
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Oils
Despite being oily in nature, pitta does well with a moderate amount of oil – as long as it is cooling. The very best oils for pitta are sunflower oil, ghee, coconut oil, and olive oil. It’s also important to keep in mind that toxins tend to concentrate in fats, so buying organic oils may be more important than buying organic fruits and vegetables.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Sweeteners
Since the sweet taste is one that soothes pitta, most sweeteners are well tolerated by pitta, but some are simply too heating or too processed for pitta. In general, naturally occurring sweet tastes are far more balancing than sugary sweets, so even the appropriate sweeteners should be used in moderation.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Spices
Most spices are heating by nature and therefore have the potential to aggravate pitta. The spices to favor are only mildly heating, help to maintain a balanced digestive fire without provoking pitta, and, in some cases, are actively cooling. In particular, the cooling qualities of cardamom, cilantro, coriander, fennel and mint help to calm pitta’s heat. On occasion, these spices can be used to make foods that would otherwise be too hot for pitta more tolerable. Cumin, saffron, and turmeric, though heating, also offer some particularly valuable pitta pacifying properties.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/diet/pitta-pacifying-foods
Pitta-Pacifying Diet
Photo from: "Eat Well, Be Well: Ayurveda Cooking for Healthy Living” by Lois Leonhardi
Pitta is balanced by a diet of fresh, whole foods (both cooked and raw) that are cooling, hearty, energizing, comparatively dry, and high in carbohydrates. These foods calm pitta by decreasing internal heat, preventing inflammation, balancing the digestive fire, grounding the body, and by absorbing excess liquid and oil. Because pitta is relatively substantive in nature, an appropriate diet is actually a very effective way to support a return to balance. What follows are some specific principles that we hope will empower you in discovering a pitta pacifying diet that works for you.
Qualities to Favor and Avoid
Pitta is oily, sharp, hot, light, spreading, and liquid, so eating foods that neutralize these qualities – foods that are dry, mild, cooling, grounding, stabilizing, and dense – serve to balance excess pitta. This section offers a closer look at the qualities of various foods. An improved understanding of these qualities can guide you in making specific dietary choices that will better support pitta.
Favor Cool over Warm or Hot
The cool quality can be emphasized by eating foods that are cool in temperature or that have a cooling energetic – and by using cooling spices generously. Most spices are heating in nature, so pay careful attention to which ones balance pitta (see our list of pitta pacifying spices). Raw foods tend to be naturally cooling, and pitta tends to be able to handle them better than the other doshas; so mixing in an assortment of raw fruits and vegetables is generally supportive – especially in the warmer months. On the other hand, it is best to avoid fiery hot dishes, foods with a sharply warming energetic, alcohol, and caffeine; all of these influences can increase heat.
Favor Dense, Grounding, and Nourishing Over Light
While the heavy quality is the true antithesis to pitta’s lightness, Ayurveda teaches us that very heavy foods (such as deep-fried foods) are not generally supportive of optimal health. It’s better to think in terms of grounding pitta’s lightness (and heat) with sustenance – eating foods that offer solid, stabilizing sources of energy and adequate nourishment to the physical body. Generally, these foods will naturally taste sweet. Most grains, milk, root vegetables, seeds, and cooling oils are good examples. But, pitta tends to have a sharp and sometimes insatiable appetite, so it’s equally important not to overindulge. Highly processed foods such as canned foods, ready-made meals, and pastries often lack prana (vital life force), are excessively heavy, and should be avoided.
Favor Dry and Dense Over Oily or Liquid
Pitta’s liquid nature and tendency toward excess oil make drying or astringent foods like beans, potatoes, corn, millet, oats, pasta, popcorn, and most vegetables very appropriate. When cooking, use a moderate amount of a high quality oil or ghee. Reduce or eliminate especially heating oily foods like eggs, hard cheeses, olives, nuts, sour cream, and the like. If given a choice between a soupy, liquidy meal and one that is denser and drier, opt for the latter. For example, have baked tofu served over steamed greens and rice, rather than tofu miso soup.
Favor Mild over Sharp
Sharp flavors like pineapple, pickles, vinegar, and sharp aged cheeses are better replaced with milder, gentler tastes, like those found in apples, cucumbers, lime juice, and soft cheeses. Similarly, stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and hard alcohol are too sharp and penetrating for pitta. Substitute more stable and sustaining sources of energy.
Tastes to Favor and Avoid
Pitta is pacified by the sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes and aggravated by the pungent, sour, and salty tastes. Understanding these tastes allows us to better navigate a pitta pacifying diet without having to constantly refer to extensive lists of foods to favor and avoid.
Emphasize
Sweet
- Favor naturally sweet foods like sweet fruits, most grains, squashes, root vegetables, milk, ghee, and fresh yogurt.
- The sweet taste is cooling and heavy but also anti-inflammatory. It pacifies heat, satisfies thirst, benefits the skin and hair, and tends to be grounding, nourishing, strength building, and satisfying.
- Emphasizing the sweet taste does NOT require us to eat large amounts of refined sugar or sugary sweet foods; naturally sweet foods are best.
Bitter
- The bitter taste predominates bitter greens – like kale, dandelion greens, and collard greens. It is also found in bitter melon, Jerusalem artichokes, dark chocolate and pitta pacifying spices like cumin, neem leaves, saffron, and turmeric.
- The bitter taste is exceptionally cooling, but also drying.
- Bitters cleanse the pallet and improve the sense of taste. They tone the skin and muscles, benefit the blood, relieve burning and itching sensations, satisfy thirst, balance the appetite, support digestion, and help to absorb moisture, sweat and excess pitta.
Astringent
- The astringent taste is basically a flavor of dryness – a chalky taste that dries the mouth and may cause it to contract (picture biting into a very green banana).
- Legumes – adzuki beans, black-eyed peas, chick peas, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, soybeans, etc. – are classically astringent in taste. Some fruits, vegetables, grains, baked goods, and spices are also astringent in taste – things like apples, cranberries, pomegranate, artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, popcorn, rice cakes, crackers, basil, coriander, dill, fennel, parsley, and turmeric.
- The astringent taste is heavy, cold, and dry.
- Pitta benefits from the compressing, absorbing, union-promoting nature of the astringent taste. It can curb pitta’s tendency to spread, tone bodily tissues, prevent bleeding disorders, thwart diarrhea, absorb excess sweat and utilize other fluids in the body.
Minimize
Pungent
- Pungent is a spicy, hot flavor like that found in chilies, radishes, turnips, raw onions, and many especially heating spices.
- The pungent taste is particularly hot and light, both qualities that disturb pitta.
- Too much pungent taste can cause excess thirst, burning sensations, bleeding, dizziness, and inflammation (especially in the intestinal tract).
Sour
- Minimize sour foods like vinegar and other fermented foods, hard cheeses, sour cream, green grapes, pineapple, grapefruit, and alcohol (an occasional beer or white wine is often ok).
- Pitta is aggravated by the hot, light, and oily qualities of the sour taste.
- Too much sour taste can increase thirst, disturb the blood, create heat in the muscles, cause suppuration in wounds, and give rise to burning sensations in the throat, chest, or heart. It can even promote sour feelings like jealously or envy.
- An occasional squeeze of cooling lime juice as a garnish is the best way for pitta to include the sour taste.
Salty
- The salty taste is almost singularly derived from salt itself.
- Much like the sour taste, it is salt’s light, hot and oily nature that aggravates pitta.
- The salty taste can disturb the blood’s balance, impede the sense organs, increase heat, aggravate the skin, intensify inflammation, lead to the rupture of tissues, or cause water retention, high blood pressure, intestinal inflammation, ascites, grey hair, wrinkles, and excess thirst. It can also intensify our desire for stronger flavors, which can provoke pitta even further.
How to Eat
When it comes to pacifying pitta, how we eat is surprisingly important. As most people with pitta digestion know, pitta’s sharp appetite can lead to a general intolerance for skipping meals. For this reason, pitta does well to stick to a regular eating schedule and to eat at least three square meals each day. Eating at consistent times from one day to the next further helps to balance an overactive digestive fire. It is also very important to eat in a peaceful environment and to give your full attention to the act of being nourished so that your body registers satisfaction. This will help to prevent overeating, which is a common side effect of pitta’s voracious appetite. Hot, spicy foods, extremely sour foods, and overly salted foods are especially pitta provoking. And while it may be impossible to avoid all pitta-provoking foods, in a pinch, the detrimental potential of these foods can be minimized by making sure they are taken in small quantities and served with cooling herbs and spices (cilantro, coriander, cumin, fennel, mint, etc.). Lastly, if you feel the need to do a cleanse, a short fruit or juice fast (think apple or pomegranate), or a longer mono diet of kitchari can be very supportive.
Suggested Meals
Breakfast
Breakfast is usually not to be skipped when pitta is elevated. Workable choices are sweet, high in carbohydrates, and yet offer sustained energy. Consider:
- A hearty fruit salad (apples, pears, red grapes, and blueberries), garnished with raisins and shredded coconut. This lighter meal will probably work better in the warmer months than in the dead of winter.
- Oatmeal made with hot milk and garnished with raisins or chopped dates, chopped almonds (soaked and peeled), ghee, and maple syrup.
- An egg white and vegetable omelet, served with avocado and whole grain toast.
Lunch
Ideally, lunch is the main meal of the day, meaning it’s the largest and the most nourishing. A wide variety of appropriate grains, beans, and vegetables are great building blocks for lunch, and can be complimented with suitable meats, if you eat them. Try something like:
- Seasoned tofu and steamed collard greens over wild rice. Sauté the tofu in sunflower oil and stir in some of your favorite pitta pacifying spices. Garnish the greens with olive oil, freshly squeezed lime juice, ground coriander, and black pepper.
- Split pea soup with buttered whole grain bread (use unsalted butter), sautéed purple cabbage, and a green salad. Add vegetables like carrots, celery, and onion to your soup. Sauté the cabbage in ghee with cumin, coriander, turmeric, lime juice, and a splash of maple syrup.
- Whole wheat pasta, pesto, and fresh vegetables (like bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, celery, green beans, mushrooms, zucchini, or black olives). Garnish the pasta with crumbled chèvre, olive oil, and cilantro. Serve with a small green salad and soup.
Dinner
Dinner is ideally a bit smaller and lighter than lunch, but it also needs to sustain pitta’s active metabolism. A simple but nourishing meal, or a slightly smaller serving of lunch can work well. Try:
- Mung dal with roasted asparagus and basmati rice.
- Veggie (or Turkey) Burgers with sautéed mushrooms, goat cheese, lettuce, avocado, and a side of home fries.
- Kidney bean curry, sautéed green beans (cooked with cilantro and coconut), and quinoa or flatbread.
Balancing Vata
Signs and Symptoms of Increased Vata
You may be experiencing some of the following signs or symptoms:
- nervousness, anxiety, panic, fear
- twitches, tics, tremors, spasms
- dry or chapped skin
- constipation, gas, bloating, dry, hard stools
- low body weight
- dislike of cold and wind
- difficulty tolerating loud noises
- light, interrupted sleep
- spacey, scattered feeling
- excess thinking or worrying
To decrease vata, Ayurveda has given us dietary, lifestyle and herbal treatment strategies. Here are a few underlying concepts that these strategies are based on:
- Routine
- Warmth
- Serenity
- Nourishment
General Guidelines for a Vata-Reducing Diet
Enjoy:
- Foods that are naturally sweet, sour, and salty in taste.
- Warm foods, both energetically and in temperature. Whole, freshly cooked foods.
- A limited selection of legumes, including mung dahl, tofu or tempeh that is well-cooked and warm soy milk spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Warming spices like ginger, black pepper, cinnamon and cumin, but not extremely hot spices like cayenne pepper.
- Plenty of room temperature or warm drinks.
- Dairy, as long as it is not very cold. Avoid drinking milk with your meals. It is best to have it warm and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, at least an hour before or after other food.
- A generous amount of high-quality oils or ghee in your daily diet.
- Routine times for your meals.
- Taking a deep breath after swallowing your last bite and heading off for your next activity.
- Eating your meal in a peaceful environment.
Avoid:
- Foods that are bitter, astringent, and pungent.
- Foods that are cooling, both energetically and in temperature.
- Dry and light foods (e.g. popcorn and crackers).
- Too much raw food, especially in the mornings and evenings (salads, carrot sticks, raw fruit, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, etc.)
- Most beans, including cold soy products.
- Highly processed foods (like canned or frozen foods, "TV" dinners or pastries).
- Cold or carbonated drinks.
- Caffeine, nicotine and other stimulants.
- Overeating or eating very heavy meals.
- Eating fresh fruit or drinking fruit juice within ½ hour of any other food.
- Foods or drinks that contain refined sugar or corn syrup.
- Deep fried foods.
- Hard alcohol.
Vata pacifying foods
Fruits
Fruits that pacify vata will generally be sweet and nourishing. While some raw fruit is appropriate, cooked or stewed fruits are easier to digest and offer additional warmth, moisture, and sweetness – which makes them even more beneficial for vata. Fruits to avoid are those that are exceptionally cooling, astringent (drying), or rough, which includes most dried fruit (unless it has been soaked or cooked to rehydrate).
And remember, fruits and fruit juices are best enjoyed alone – 30 minutes before, and ideally at least 1 hour after, any other food. This helps to ensure optimal digestion. Note: this rule does not apply to fruits that we typically consider vegetables (avocados, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.). You will find these fruits listed among the “vegetables.”
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Vegetables
Vegetables that pacify vata will generally be sweet, moist, and cooked. Root vegetables are especially beneficial because they grow underground, and are therefore supremely grounding and stabilizing for vata. Avoid exceptionally dry, rough, and cold vegetables, including most raw vegetables. If you must have raw veggies, a salad, or any of the vata-aggravating vegetables, keep the quantities small and eat them at mid-day, when digestive strength is at its peak. A really thorough cooking or a well-spiced, oily dressing will help to offset some of the dry, rough qualities of these foods.
Favor
|
Reduce or Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Grains
Grains that pacify vata are generally sweet, nourishing, easily digested, and well cooked. Mushy grains and puddings (things like oatmeal, cream of wheat and rice pudding) exemplify the smooth quality and, when sweetened and spiced, are often delicious comfort foods. Avoid grains that are exceptionally light, dry, or rough, or especially dense and heavy. It is one or more of these qualities that gives the grains in the “avoid” column below, their capacity to disturb vata.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Legumes
Vata can enjoy a narrow selection of legumes, provided they are well-cooked and well-spiced. The beans that work best for vata are a little less dense, rough, and dry, than other legumes. They tend to cook relatively quickly, are easily digested, and offer a grounding, nourishing quality. Many other beans are simply too dry, rough, and hard for vata’s delicate digestion.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Dairy
Dairy products are generally quite balancing for vata, but it’s good to avoid highly processed preparations (like powdered milk), and especially cold dairy products. For example, boiled cow’s milk (ideally a non-homogenized variety) spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, sweetened if desired, and served hot, is a tonic for vata, whereas cold cow’s milk may be too difficult for many to digest. As a rule, dairy milks (cow’s milk, goat’s milk, sheep’s milk, etc.) should be taken at least one hour before or after any other food. For this reason, avoid drinking milk with meals. Almond and rice milks are good substitutes, if you need to combine milk with other foods, or if you don’t digest dairy milks well.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Nuts & Seeds
In moderation, all nuts and most seeds are pacifying to vata. They are oily, nutritious, and they offer a power-packed combination of proteins and fats that’s highly beneficial to vata. That said, nuts and seeds are quite heavy and should be eaten in small quantities so as not to overwhelm vata’s fickle digestive capacity.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Meat & Eggs
Vata does well with eggs and a variety of different meats, if you choose to eat them. That said, vata can be easily be pacified without these animal foods, if your diet doesn’t already include them. If you do eat meat, the meats to favor are those that are nourishing, sweet, moist, and relatively easy to digest. Meats to avoid tend to be either too light and dry, or too heavy, for vata.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Oils
Because toxins tend to concentrate in fats, buying organic oils may be more important than buying organic fruits and vegetables. Most oils are beneficial for vata, provided they are high quality oils. Sesame oil, almond oil, coconut oil, olive oil, and ghee are among the best choices. Less favorable oils are either too light and dry, too difficult to digest, or too highly processed/altered for vata.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Sweeteners
Most sweeteners are good for vata, but it’s generally best to avoid large quantities of refined sugar. Favor sweeteners in their most natural state over anything highly processed. For example, if you normally sweeten a cup of spiced milk with white sugar, try tossing your milk into the blender with a few soaked dates instead. Beyond that, sweeteners with a warming energetic like honey, jaggary, and molasses, are especially helpful in offsetting vata’s tendency to be cold. But, honey is also quite scraping and can be depleting, if overused. When it comes to finding the specific choices that work best for you, it’s often helpful to experiment with a variety of options in order to sort out your body’s unique preferences.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Spices
Most spices are wonderful for vata, provided that none of your dishes are fiery hot (due to excessive use of cayenne pepper, chili peppers, and the like). Experimenting with a wide variety of new and exotic spices is generally great for vata, and can help to kindle overall digestive strength.
Favor
|
Use in Moderation
|
|---|---|
|
Balancing Kapha
Signs and Symptoms of Increased Kapha
You are probably experiencing some of the following signs or symptoms:
- excess mucous
- thick, white tongue coat
- slow, sticky, sluggish bowel movements
- high body weight
- difficulty rising in the morning
- feeling slow, foggy, dull, lethargic or heavy
- easily attached or possessive
- overly sentimental
- complacent or stubborn
- tendency for “emotional overeating”
To reduce or pacify kapha, Ayurveda has given us dietary, lifestyle and herbal treatment strategies. Here are a few underlying concepts that these strategies are based on:
- Stimulation
- Exercise
- Lightening
- Warming
- Drying
General Guidelines for a Kapha-Pacifying Diet
Enjoy:
- Foods that are pungent, bitter, or astringent in taste.
- Warm foods, both energetically and in temperature.
- Heating spices—like chili, black or cayenne pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and cumin.
- Whole, freshly cooked foods.
- Light, dry, and warm foods.
- Honey.
- Only room temperature or warm drinks.
- Most beans. Mung dahl, well-cooked tofu or tempeh, or warm soy milk are all okay.
- Lots of veggies.
- A minimal amount of high-quality corn, canola, sesame, sunflower oil, or ghee in your daily diet.
- Routine times for your meals.
- Taking a deep breath after swallowing your last bite and heading off for your next activity.
- Eating your meal in a peaceful environment.
Avoid:
- Foods that are sweet, sour, and/or salty.
- Cooling foods, both energetically and in temperature.
- Heavy and oily foods (e.g. cheese, pudding, nuts, cake).
- Highly processed foods (e.g. canned or frozen foods, “TV” dinners or pastries).
- Cold or carbonated drinks.
- Overeating or eating heavy meals.
- Eating fresh fruit or drinking fruit juice within ½ hour of any other food.
- Red meat.
- Foods or drinks that contain refined sugar or corn syrup.
- Deep fried foods.
- Alcohol, except for an occasional glass of dry red or white wine.
https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/learning-ayurveda/balancing-kapha/
Kapha pacifying foods
Fruits
Fruits that pacify kapha will generally be somewhat astringent and only mildly sweet. Dried fruits are acceptable, on occasion, but should only be enjoyed in small quantities because they are so dense and concentrated. Fruits to avoid are those that are exceptionally sweet or sour (like oranges or grapes), and any that are especially heavy, dense, or watery – like bananas, coconut, dates, melons, pineapple, or plums.
And remember, fruits and fruit juices are best enjoyed alone – 30 minutes before, and ideally at least 1 hour after, any other food. This helps to ensure optimal digestion. Note: this rule does not apply to fruits that we typically consider vegetables (avocados, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.). You will find these fruits listed among the “vegetables.”
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Vegetables
Vegetables that pacify kapha will generally be pungent, bitter, and astringent. Most vegetables include some combination of these tastes, so vegetables are an important centerpiece of any effective kapha-balancing diet. Cooked vegetables are generally easier to digest than raw ones, so it’s best to have raw veggies, salads, and kapha-aggravating vegetables in small quantities and at mid-day, when digestive strength is at its peak. Raw vegetables are often more appropriate for kapha in the spring and summer seasons. The only vegetables for kapha to reduce or avoid are those that are particularly heavy, dense, oily, or watery – like avocado, cucumber, olives, and the other vegetables listed in the reduce or avoid column below.
Favor
|
Reduce or Avoid
| ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
Grains
Grains that pacify kapha are light, dry, and rough. In general, grains tend to be staples in our diets because they are somewhat heavy and nourishing. But when it comes to balancing kapha, these qualities are best minimized, so reducing grain consumption overall can be a huge benefit. Avoid grains that are exceptionally heavy, moist or dense (like wheat, flours, breads, cooked oats, and pastas) as much as possible, and eat smaller quantities of appropriate grains. It often works well to supplement meals with extra vegetables or legumes, which are nutritionally rich, but also more balancing for kapha.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Legumes
Legumes are generally astringent, which is one of the tastes that balances kapha. Kapha can enjoy a wide variety of legumes, but they should generally be well-cooked and well-spiced to make them more digestible. Even well-cooked tofu, tempeh, and warm, spiced soy milk are acceptable. The only beans that don’t work for kapha are simply too heavy or oily to be balancing.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Dairy
Dairy products are best minimized when trying to reduce kapha because they tend to be heavy, unctuous, and can increase mucus production. As a rule, dairy milks should be taken at least one hour before or after any other food. Ideally, milk is boiled and served hot with a pinch or turmeric or ginger – to make it more digestible and less congesting. Goat’s milk and goat’s milk products are the best option for kapha because they are lighter, but are best in moderation. Almond and rice milks are good substitutes.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds tend to be heavy, dense, and oily and are generally not terrifically balancing for kapha. But there are a few types of nuts and seeds that are acceptable in small quantities. When trying to balance kapha, nuts and seeds are best enjoyed only on occasion.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Meat & Eggs
Kapha does best with animal foods that are light and relatively dry (like chicken or freshwater fish), as opposed to those that are heavy, oily, or especially dense (such as beef, pork, or duck). Eating less meat all around is generally beneficial. In fact, kapha can be easily pacified without any animal foods, if your diet doesn’t already include them.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Oils
Most oils are a bit heavy and, well, oily for kapha. However, in very small quantities, the oils in the favor column are acceptable, if they are of good quality. Because toxins tend to concentrate in fats, buying organic oils may be more important than buying organic fruits and vegetables. When trying to balance kapha, you can minimize reliance on oil by sautéing foods in water instead of oil or by simply steaming them. For those occasions when a tad of oil is needed, the best oils for kapha are corn oil, sunflower oil or ghee.
Favor
|
Avoid
| |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Sweeteners
As the sweet taste is not particularly supportive to kapha, most sweeteners are better avoided. Honey on the other hand – which is dry, light, and heating – is the one exception, when used in small quantities. Honey also scrapes toxins and fat from the tissues, so it benefits kapha on multiple levels. However, heating or cooking with honey creates toxins, so only raw and unprocessed honey should be used. Foods and drinks that contain refined sugars or corn syrup can be especially detrimental and should be avoided as much as possible.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
|
Spices
Most spices are wonderful for kapha, so feel free to experiment with a wide variety of new and exotic spices. Kapha is the only dosha that can usually handle fiery hot foods. Even if those don’t suit you, a variety of mild spices will help to strengthen the digestive fire and can improve overall metabolism. In particular, the pungent and digestive qualities of onions, garlic, ginger, black pepper, chili pepper, and cayenne pepper benefit kapha.
Favor
|
Avoid
|
|---|---|
|
https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/diet/kapha-pacifying-foods
No comments:
Post a Comment