Doshas and the diet: A dosha, according to Ayurveda, is one of three substances that are present in a person’s body. Doshas are the forces that create the physical body. They determine our conditions of growth and aging, health and disease. Doshas also help determine your mind-body type. The central concept of Ayurvedic medicine is the theory that health exists when there is a balance between three fundamental bodily bio-elements or doshas called Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Read on about doshas and diet.
Vata
Vata is characterized by the property of dry, cold, light, minute, and movement. All movement in the body is due to the property of vata. Pain is the characteristic feature of deranged Vata. Some of the diseases due to Vata is windy humor, flatulence, gout, rheumatism etc. Read on about doshas and diet.
Pitta
Pitta is the fiery element or bile that secreted between the stomach and bowels and flowing through the liver and permeating spleen, heart, eyes, and skin. It is characterized by hotness, moist, liquid, sharp and sour. Its chief quality is heat. It is the energy principle which uses bile to direct digestion and enhance metabolism. It is primarily characterized by body heat or burning sensation and redness. Read on about doshas and diet.
Kapha
Kapha is the watery element. It is characterized by heaviness, cold, tenderness, softness, slowness, lubrication, and the carrier of nutrients. It is the nourishing element of the body. All the soft organs are made by Kapha. It plays an important role in taste perception, joint nourishment, and lubrication.
Excess of dosha
When you have an excess of any dosha, your system will be thrown off balance. For example, with an excess vata, there can be mental, nervous and digestive disorders, including low energy and weakening of all body tissues. With excess pitta, there is toxic blood that gives rise to inflammation and infection. With excess kapha, there is an increase in mucus, overweight, edema, lung diseases, amongst other. The key to managing all doshas is taking care of vata, as it is the origin of the other two. Read on about doshas and diet.
Balancing and transforming energies
Yoga is an alchemical process of balancing and transforming energies. The subtle counterparts of vata, pitta, and kapha are called prana, tejas, and ojas. They are the healing powers. Prana is our life force and is the healing energy of vata. Tejas is our inner radiance and is the healing energy of pitta. Ojas is the ultimate energy reserve of the body derived from kapha. Read on about doshas and diet.
5 basic elements
Each dosha is a combination of two elements out of five basic elements (Space, Air, Fire, Water, Earth). So it lacks other three basic elements. If we want to balance it we need to eat food which consists of the remaining three basic elements. When we eat food with the understanding of its nature and its effect on particular dosha we can easily balance it. If we include foods of every taste in our regular diet with balanced proportions, our doshas will always remain balanced. Read on about doshas and diet.
Balance your diet!
To balance your diet, you should include sweet, salty, and sour tasting foods in your diet. Avoid bitter, astringent and pungent tasting foods, eat warm, oily, or heavy foods and avoid cold foods. You should also eat boiled or steamed starchy vegetables and ripe fruits. Avoid using brown sugar and white sugar. Incorporate vata balancing herbs in your diet. Read on about doshas and diet.
You should consult with a good ayurvedic practitioner to know your dosha type, this will also help to know your dietary and lifestyle changes you need to change. Also, incorporate ayurvedic herbs in your diet to maintain your doshas. Read on about doshas and diet.