Ayurveda is the ancient medical system of India.
Instead of having to
guess which foods, supplements, and behaviors are appropriate for you,
there is a prescriptive path that is developed for your
unique body type, or dosha. This takes all the guesswork out of
getting healthy. The benefits to this holistic approach to health encompass your physical, emotional and mental well-being and put you in balance.
The three ayurvedic body types, or doshas,
are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Each dosha has a unique set of
characteristics. There are several ways to determine your body type. The
most accurate is through the detailed history and physical by an
ayurvedic physician. However, even taking a quick ayurvedic quiz will
provide you with tremendous insight into your principal dosha. Most
people are a combination of two doshas, but one typically predominates.
To determine out your dominant dosha, take this quiz.
I'm Pitta, followed by Vata (mostly for the cold tendencies). As I mentioned, to show strong tendencies for two doshas is not uncommon. Often you can determine your dominant dosha simply from following the diet for one, and seeing if your symptoms or deficiencies improve. If not, then try the other. For me, from a food standpoint that indicates I should typically follow a Pitta diet, but balance with Vata, especially during the cold seasons.
Contrary to what you might think, eating an Ayurvedic diet doesn't mean eating only legumes, rice and vegetables. Basic Ayurveda diet principles can be applied to any cuisine, be it Mediterranean, Asian, European, or whichever one you prefer. The most important principles of the Ayurvedic plan are that your food is fresh (without pesticides, additives and other chemicals), seasonal, and as often as possible local. Fresh doesn't, however, mean raw. The best are freshly cooked, whole meals.
Start playing with some basic Ayurvedic spices, such as turmeric, ginger, cumin and coriander. No matter what you cook, you can almost always add these spices to your dish. Not only are those excellent flavor and digestion enhancers, but they also have many medicinal properties. Once you've determined your dosha, you should try an incorporate as many of those specific spices as possible on a regular basis.
Ayurveda recognizes six tastes and it's quite important to have all of these 6 tastes in your diet every day. The six tastes are:
Including all six tastes in your diet contributes to feeling satisfied at the end of a meal. Cravings are often caused by not having all of the six tastes in your daily diet. Many people often omit the bitter and astringent tastes, but when you have something bitter or astringent at the end of a meal, it actually reduces your desire for sweets.
For Vata dosha, warm soup is a better choice than an ice cold salad (Vata gets balanced with warm quality and aggravated with cold). When eating out, stay away from raw, cold foods and focus on well cooked, warm dishes.
On the other hand, if you have a predominant Pitta dosha, you will do much better with raw food and often salad bars, as well as vegetarian dishes, are great option for you. Stay away from deep fried, garlicky and tomato dishes (anything hot/spicy aggravates Pitta).
If Kapha is your dominant dosha, you will do best with light choices, lightly steamed/cooked veggies, as well as light vegetarian dishes, are a great choice for you. Stay away from dishes that are heavy/oily, with lots of cheese, sour cream and that are fried.
The three ayurvedic body types, or doshas,
are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Each dosha has a unique set of
characteristics. There are several ways to determine your body type. The
most accurate is through the detailed history and physical by an
ayurvedic physician. However, even taking a quick ayurvedic quiz will
provide you with tremendous insight into your principal dosha. Most
people are a combination of two doshas, but one typically predominates.To determine out your dominant dosha, take this quiz.
I'm Pitta, followed by Vata (mostly for the cold tendencies). As I mentioned, to show strong tendencies for two doshas is not uncommon. Often you can determine your dominant dosha simply from following the diet for one, and seeing if your symptoms or deficiencies improve. If not, then try the other. For me, from a food standpoint that indicates I should typically follow a Pitta diet, but balance with Vata, especially during the cold seasons.
Contrary to what you might think, eating an Ayurvedic diet doesn't mean eating only legumes, rice and vegetables. Basic Ayurveda diet principles can be applied to any cuisine, be it Mediterranean, Asian, European, or whichever one you prefer. The most important principles of the Ayurvedic plan are that your food is fresh (without pesticides, additives and other chemicals), seasonal, and as often as possible local. Fresh doesn't, however, mean raw. The best are freshly cooked, whole meals.
Start playing with some basic Ayurvedic spices, such as turmeric, ginger, cumin and coriander. No matter what you cook, you can almost always add these spices to your dish. Not only are those excellent flavor and digestion enhancers, but they also have many medicinal properties. Once you've determined your dosha, you should try an incorporate as many of those specific spices as possible on a regular basis.
Ayurveda recognizes six tastes and it's quite important to have all of these 6 tastes in your diet every day. The six tastes are:
- Sweet – sugar, honey, rice, pasta, milk, etc.
- Sour – lemons, hard cheese, yogurt, vinegar, etc.
- Salty – salt, any salty food
- Pungent – chili peppers, cayenne, ginger, any hot spice
- Bitter – leafy greens, turmeric, lettuce, etc.
- Astringent – pomegranate, beans, lentils, etc.
Including all six tastes in your diet contributes to feeling satisfied at the end of a meal. Cravings are often caused by not having all of the six tastes in your daily diet. Many people often omit the bitter and astringent tastes, but when you have something bitter or astringent at the end of a meal, it actually reduces your desire for sweets.
For Vata dosha, warm soup is a better choice than an ice cold salad (Vata gets balanced with warm quality and aggravated with cold). When eating out, stay away from raw, cold foods and focus on well cooked, warm dishes.
On the other hand, if you have a predominant Pitta dosha, you will do much better with raw food and often salad bars, as well as vegetarian dishes, are great option for you. Stay away from deep fried, garlicky and tomato dishes (anything hot/spicy aggravates Pitta).
If Kapha is your dominant dosha, you will do best with light choices, lightly steamed/cooked veggies, as well as light vegetarian dishes, are a great choice for you. Stay away from dishes that are heavy/oily, with lots of cheese, sour cream and that are fried.
"Anyone who believes that anything can be suited to everyone is a great fool, because medicine is practised not on mankind in general, but on every individual in particular." - Henri de Mondeville
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