An ayurvedic diet is an ancient form of medicine that promotes well being through a balance of your mind, body, and spirit. This balance is achieved from your customized diet plan, which is based on three body types. The three body types are, namely Vata, pitta, and Kapha. Each type of body needs different dietary intakes for maintaining balance.
How to identify your body type?
People who have vata body type are generally tall, thin-boned, open-minded, and creative. Warm foods are the perfect choice for them. This type of body is generally cold, so warm foods will help in maintaining balance in their bodies.
People who have pitta body type are athletic, medium built, hardworking, and determined. Their bodies generally remain hot. They need cooling foods to maintain their body balance.
People with Kapha body type are heavily built, strong and loving. The light and lean foods suit them as they can easily put on weight with heavy meals.
Let’s discuss the ayurvedic diet plan for these three body types.
Diet of Vata dosha -
The diet for Vata dosha people includes freshly cooked whole foods that are soft in texture, rich in fats and protein, and seasoned with a variety of spices. These foods must be served warm or hot.
These foods help to maintain the balance by nourishing the tissues, preserving the moisture, and maintaining warmth throughout the body. These characteristics help in proper digestion and elimination of toxins from the body.
It is not that you must completely accumulate to this diet suddenly. Start off by observing your day to day diet patterns and identify where you can make small changes.
Foods to take
You must include sweet fruits such as cooked apples or cherries, cooked vegetables like asparagus or beets, grains including quinoa or rice, red lentils, dairy products (in moderation), beef, eggs, fish, black pepper, coriander leaves, vinegar, peanuts and pecans, chia or flax seeds, sesame oil, and ghee.
Foods to avoid
You must avoid dried fruit, raw apples, and watermelon, frozen, raw or dried vegetables, potatoes, barley, corn, chickpeas, split peas, yogurt, lamb, turkey, red wine, and chocolate.
Diet of Pitta dosha
The diet of Pitta dosha people includes fresh whole foods that are cooling, energizing, dry, and high in carbohydrates. These foods decrease internal heat, prevents inflammation, balances digestive fire, absorb excess oil, and liquids.
Eat foods that are cool in temperature. Raw foods impart a natural cooling effect on the body. Whenever you eat, mix some amount of raw fruits and vegetables on your diet. Avoid eating hot dishes such as alcohol, coffee, etc.
Foods to take
You must include raisins, watermelon, sweet or bitter vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower, dry cereal, pasta, black beans, unsalted butter, chicken (white meat), egg whites, almonds, beer, dry white wine, and coconut.
Foods to avoid
You must avoid apricots, avocado, pungent vegetables like onions or raw leeks, sour fruits, spinach, bread made with yeast, quinoa, and brown rice, rye, soy sauce, salted butter, sour cream, beef, chicken (dark meat), chili pepper, red or sweet wine, seafood other than shrimp, and chocolate.
Diet of Kapha dosha
The diet of Kapha dosha includes freshly cooked whole foods that are light, warming, dry, well-spiced, and easy to digest. These foods must be served warm or hot. These foods maintain balance by balancing mucus production, regulating moisture levels, maintaining heat, and aiding in proper digestion and elimination.
This diet focuses on smaller meals, little to no snacking, fewer sweets, fruits, and vegetables, legumes, and limited alcohol.
Foods to take
You must include astringent fruit like applesauce or prunes, pungent or bitter vegetables like celery or carrots, granola, beans, buttermilk, cottage cheese, shrimp, turkey, dry red or white wine.
Foods to avoid
You must avoid Sweet or sour fruits like grapefruit or figs, sweet or juicy vegetables like cucumber or zucchini, cooked oats, rice, pasta, pancakes,
wheat, kidney beans, soft or hard cheese, duck, tofu, freshwater fish, ketchup, hard alcohol, and chocolate.
Benefits of ayurvedic diet
● Encourages whole foods
● Could promote weight loss
● Promotes mindfulness
Author Bio:
Henna is a wellness lifestyle writer. She loves sharing her thoughts and personal
experiences related to natural remedies, Ayurvedic, yoga and fitness through her
writing. She currently writes for How To Cure. She can connect with others experiencing
health concerns and help them through their recovery journeys through natural
remedies.