My go to breakfast is a hearty combo of oatmeal, dates, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, organic coconut sugar, cinnamon and oat milk. I feel so good when I eat it – why? Because it’s making my dominant Vata energy very happy and cozy.
To elaborate – every Dosha (the energy that makes up the individual, according to Ayurvedic philosophy) has foods that nourish it and foods that aggravate it.
That’s why perhaps your Pitta friend may love eating raw vegetables on the regular and has no problem digesting them due to all their inner fire, but the Vata friend becomes bloated, gassy and has to excuse themselves from the table!
Below are examples of pacifying foods for each Dosha:
Vata
- Favor sweet, salty, and sour tastes
- Avoid pungent, astringent and bitter tastes
- Reduce caffeine and other stimulants
- Eat warm, oily, or heavy foods
- Minimize cold and raw foods
- Add these warming herbs and spices to your diet: black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, ginger and nutmeg
Pitta
- Favor sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes
- Avoid pungent, sour and salty tastes
- Reduce hot and spicy foods
- Reduce caffeine and other stimulants
- Add these cooling herbs and spices to your diet: coriander, cilantro, fennel and cardamom
Kapha
- Favor pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes
- Avoid sweet, salty or sour tastes
- Minimize heavy foods, salt, and dairy products
- Lots of veggies
- Add these warming herbs and spices to your diet: chili, black or cayenne pepper, ginger, cinnamon and cumin
Now, this is all quite general – to really get an understanding of your dominant Dosha(s) and how to nourish and balance them we suggest you schedule an Ayurvedic Consultation with one of our Ayurvedic Practitioners so we can help you gain a better understanding of not only foods that are better suited for you but also things like what types of exercise, meditation, yoga, etc is best for you and your dominant Dosha.
Mind, body and spirit is all connected. So you can see why it’s so important to not only treat the symptom but to look deeper at the issue in concern.
Love and blessings.
Warmth,
Caitlin Cimino
Ayurvedic Esthetician
