Many complementary health professionals, including yoga instructors, naturopaths and herbalists, follow the ancient Indian Ayurvedic health philosophy, which espouses that each of us comprises three elements knovm as doshas - Vata (air and space), pitta (fire and water) and kapha.
VATAHOW TO TELL:Body: Light or slim build with narrow shoulders and hips; don't gain weight easily.
Temperament: You like to be busy.
Other qualities: Dry skin, visible veins and tendons and sensitive to cold.
Common food downfall: Skipping meals and engaging in 'all or nothing behaviour' (e.g. "I had one biscuit, I might as well eat the whole packet").
Food Tips:- Vata body types have a vulnerable digestive tract and variable energy levels, so they benefit from timely, warm and easily digestible foods.
- Healthy snacks are important to balance vata and maintain energy.
- Vata is dry, light and cold in nature. So balance vata with foods generous in oil/ghre and use warming spices (which can improve digestion as well}.
- Fresh ginger, cumin, fennel seeds, celery seeds, asafoetida (hing), coriander seeds, cinnamon, fresh basil, cardamom, salt, etc. can help to balance vata, improve digestion and/or control gas in the digestive system.
- All sorts of oils, nuts, seeds (except popcorn), dairy and spices (when used wisely) are good for vatas.
- Sweet, sour and salt flavours balance vata. So select sweet and fleshy fruits and vegetables and soupy grains like rice and wheat. Vatas need food high in carbs, and their proteins should come mainly from dairy and nuts.
- Reduce beans, as the vata digestive system finds them hard to digest properly. Tofu, mung beans, mung dal, tur dal and urad dal can be used. Red lentils and soya bean can be eaten in moderation.
- Avoid cold, frozen and chilled foods and drinks, raw vegetables (eat cooked or steamed vegetables) and dry fruits, which can easily imbalance vata and cause digestive issues.
PITTAHOW TO TELL:Body: Medium build and well proportioned.
Temperament: Intense, alert, intelligent, a hard worker, easily hyped up.
Other qualities: Often fair skinned and sensitive to heat
Common food downfall: Overeating when angry or upset.
Food Tips:- Pittas have a strong digestive energy, so it is important to eat regularly.
- As pitta (metabolism, energy) is high during the middle of the day (peak of sun), a wholesome lunch is important.
- Sweet and bitter flavours pacify pitta: so select fruits, vegetables and grains that have these flavours.
- Balance pitta with cooling spices like coriander seeds and leaves, tumieric mint, fennel seeds, cardamom and cinnamon.
- Eat a moderate amount of dairy - milk and ghee ate especially good.
- Soupy grains like rice (except brown rice), wheat, oats, barley, etc and most of the beans benefit pitta. Avoid miso, soy and pulses such as tur dal and urad dal.
- Pitta is hot in nature; so hot spices, coifee, alcghol. red meat and frequently skipping meals can easily imbalance you.
- Avoid pungent and sour vegetables like garlic, green chilli,raw leeks, raw onion, tomato, eta Also avoid femnented and salted foods, which can cause health issues in pittas.
KAPHAHOW TO TELL:Body: Stocky, sturdy, strong or heavy frame.
Temperament: Easy-going natura not easily stressed,
Other dualities: Oily skin, lustrous hair and round joints.
Common food downfall: You love food and the pleasures of eating, which makes you vulnerable to overdoing your intake.
Food Tips:- Kapha has a stable energy and digestive energy. Kapha has the ability to save energy, so eat only when hungry.
- Select vegetables and fruits to balance bitter and pungent flavours which balance kapha; for example, choose light, not so sweet fruits like apple, pear, cranberries, pomegranate and dry fruits.
- Kapha is cold, oily and heavy in nature, so balance with warming spices and low carb foods that are high fibre but low in sugar, salt and fat.
- Favour cereals, couscous, buckwheat, corn, basmati rice and quinoa, which are light and help to balance kapha
- Favour light beans like aduki beans, black beans, chick peas, lentils and white beans.
- Reduce dairy foods (except low fat milk and butter milk), sugar and fat in food, which can imbalance kapha quite easily.
- Avoid fermented foods. Reduce soupy grains (like rice, wheat, cooked oats, etc), kidney beans, soya beans and pulses like urad dal, which are heavy? and increase weight gain in Kapha.
