It is tough to understand what is "okay" to eat anymore when it comes to food. Particular doctors and health trends will claim something as a superfood one day and turn around, calling it taboo the next day. There are hundreds of diets out there, all claiming to have figured it out, but most of the time, these diets or food fads have been generalized as one "size fits all" when they truly only work for specific body types. Our bodies are all incredibly different and need very different things. That is why it is so important to pay attention to how your body reacts to certain kinds of food and diets. You know what you feel and how your body responds. Thus, you have the key to what diets or foods are best for you. Additionally, consulting with your doctor or even a nutritionist can also be very beneficial in understanding the proper diet for your body.
However, it is vital to note that eating right for your body will not always look consistent. As life becomes busy, maintaining a balanced diet becomes much more demanding. The most essential part of healthy eating is to be gracious with yourself. The expression of your diet may change, but what matters is keeping true to your underlying principle of caring for your body, whatever that may look like. This is where Ayurvedic diets come in. Ayurvedic eating is all about finding the right balance for your body type and incorporating these tiny changes in your diet.
Ayurveda uses Doshas, three biological makeups representing specific elements and bodily functions. These Doshas are called Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Vata Dosha governs bodily movement, adaptability, and equilibrium, acting in accordance with the elements of space and air.
Pitta Dosha represents physical and emotional digestion, bodily transformation, and chemical and metabolic functions. The elements it rules come from fire and water.
Kapha Dosha harbors the elements of earth and water, representing the force of bodily stability, support, and energy.
Ayurvedic practice rules that each person contains all three dosha forces, but one predominates. Each food has specific characteristics that coincide with each Dosha. After finding out which Dosha you are, you may begin to build your Ayurvedic diet.
In addition to the foods that resign with your Dosha, there are also general eating habits that Ayurvedic practitioners will recommend, those being:
Try to incorporate the six rasas or tastes (salty, sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent) with your meals or throughout your day.
Begin your meal with sweet foods, then progress to salty and pungent foods.
Eat slow enough to allow for proper digestion but fast enough so that your food does not go cold.
Check-in with your body while eating to know when you are full or need more food.
Try to wait at least three hours between meals or snacks for the best digestion.
Make breakfast and lunch your most significant meals.
Most importantly, remember to savor and appreciate the food you put into your body! You are worthy of nourishment, and food, as complicated as it can be, is here to help you receive that.
Vata Diet:
Vata Doshas hold the characteristics of dryness and cold; thus, it is best for this type to shy away from cold foods and air on warmer heavier foods.
Foods to Increase:
Proteins: Red meats, seafood, eggs, chicken in small amounts
Dairy: All dairy in moderation
Fruits: Well-ripened sweet fruits such as mangos, papayas, pineapple, peaches, bananas, cherries, cooked apples, strawberries, grapefruits, figs, plums, apricots, grapes, and melons.
Vegetables: Avocado, cooked vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, beets, leeks, black olives, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, green beans, zucchini, parsnips, and peas.
Beans: Red lentils, mung beans, miso, and soy.
Grains: Quinoa, cooked rice and oats, wheat.
Nuts & Seeds: All in moderation, especially almonds and chia seeds.
Herbs & Spices: Most spices, especially black pepper.
Oils: Most oils, especially ghee and sesame oil.
Foods to Reduce:
Proteins: Lamb, turkey, and venison.
Dairy: Yogurt.
Fruits: Raw apples, pears, cranberries, pomegranates, watermelon, dried fruits,
Vegetables: Artichoke, broccoli, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, turnips, and tomatoes.
Beans: Black beans, split peas, and chickpeas.
Grains: Corn, barley, couscous, granola, crackers, pasta, cold cereal, and tapioca.
Nuts & Seeds: Popcorn.
Herbs & Spices: Avoid large quantities and fiery spices.
Pitta Diet:
The Pitta Dosha is characterized by heat and intensity. These types should stick to more cooling, sweet and astringent foods and shy away from sour, oily, and especially hot foods.
Foods to Increase:
Proteins: Chicken, eggs, freshwater fish, shrimp, turkey, venison.
Dairy: Unsalted butter, soft cheese, ghee, cow milk, goat milk, and cottage cheese.
Fruits: Sweet apples, sweet berries, dates, figs, grapes, strawberries, watermelon, pomegranate, raisins, prunes, sweet oranges, pears, mangos, melons, coconuts, sweet pineapple.
Vegetables: Avocado, artichoke, brussels sprouts, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, kale, mushrooms, potatoes, squash, pumpkin, cooked onions, cooked carrots.
Beans: Most beans.
Grains: Dry cereal, crackers, couscous, barley, oats, pasta, quinoa, tapioca, wheat, granola.
Nuts & Seeds: In small amounts, peeled almonds, sunflower seeds, popcorn, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
Herbs & Spices: Basil, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, dill, fennel, fresh ginger, mint, wintergreen, parsley, peppermint, spearmint, tarragon, and turmeric.
Oils: Cooling oils such as coconut oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, and flaxseed oil.
Foods to Reduce:
Proteins: Red meats, pork, seafood.
Dairy: Salted butter, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, hard cheese.
Fruits: Sour fruits, bananas, grapefruits, kiwi, and peaches.
Vegetables: Beets, eggplant, corn, green olives, tomatoes, cooked spinach, and turnips.
Beans: Miso.
Grains: Buckwheat, corn, brown rice.
Nuts & Seeds: Most nuts and seeds in general.
Herbs & Spices: Allspice, bay leaves, cayenne, paprika, cloves, nutmeg, rosemary, sage, thyme.
Oils: Almond oil, safflower oil, and sesame oil.
Kapha Diet:
Kapha Doshas are characterized by coldness and density. These types should try to eat lighter dry foods and stay away from heavier hard foods.
Foods to Increase:
Proteins: Chicken, eggs, freshwater fish, shrimp, and venison.
Dairy: Buttermilk, goat's milk, cottage cheese, ghee, and freshly made yogurt.
Fruits: Apples, apricots, cherries, berries, cranberries, dried fruits, mangos, peaches, pears, pomegranates, prunes, raisins, raspberries, and strawberries.
Vegetables: Artichoke, asparagus, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn, carrots, collard greens, eggplant, green beans, kale, leafy greens, lettuce, peas, potatoes, radishes, cooked tomatoes, and turnips.
Beans: Well-cooked beans in general.
Grains: Corn, granola, cold cereal, couscous, dry oats, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, basmati rice, and tapioca.
Nuts & Seeds: Peeled almonds, chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, unsalted and unbuttered popcorn.
Herbs & Spices: All spices are great for Kapha.
Oils: Almond oil, flaxseed oil, and sunflower oil.
Foods to Reduce:
Proteins: Red meat and seafood.
Dairy: Butter, cheese, cow's milk, and store-bought yogurt.
Fruits: Bananas, cantaloupe, coconut, grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, melons, oranges, pineapple.
Vegetables: Avocado, olives, cucumber, squash, zucchini, and sweet potatoes.
Beans: Kidney beans, miso, and soy.
Grains: Cooked oats, brown & white rice, and wheat.
Nuts & Seeds: Most nuts in general.
Herbs & Spices: Salt in excess.
Oils: Most oils in excess.
What to Takeaway
Remember to be gracious with yourself whatever your life may look like, whether you have time to make three balanced meals each day or barely get by on cups of noodles. Listen to your body and how it reacts to the food you are giving it. In the very end, you know what fuels your body more than anybody else, so listen to what it is trying to tell you.
References
“Kapha-Pacifying Foods.” Ayurveda Kapha Foods - Balancing Kapha Dosha | Banyan Botanicals, Banyan Botanicals, 2021, www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/diet/kapha-pacifying-foods/.
Link, Rachael. “What Is the Ayurvedic Diet? Benefits, Downsides, and More.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 31 July 2019, www.healthline.com/nutrition/ayurvedic-diet#foods-to-eat.
“Pitta-Pacifying Foods.” Ayurveda Pitta Foods - Balancing Pitta Dosha | Banyan Botanicals, Banyan Botanicals, 2021, www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/diet/pitta-pacifying-foods/.
“Vata-Pacifying Foods.” Ayurveda Vata Foods - Balancing Vata Dosha | Banyan Botanicals, Banyan Botanicals, 2021, www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/diet/vata-pacifying-foods/.