Nutrition / diet

Diet may be considered the most important part of our health. What we put inside our bodies will have an effect on its functioning.

Ayurveda uses different properties of foods to balance dosas.
For example, it recognises six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. All of them should be included in our diet in balanced quantities as they influence dosas.

Vata gets pacified by sweet, sour and salty tastes,

Pitta by sweet, bitter and astringent and

Kapha by pungent, bitter and astringent.

The digestive power and appetite of vata is erratic, so it needs regular meals that consist of warm, oily and heavy items with a lot of moisture and fibre as there is tendency towards constipation in vata individuals.

Pitta represents strong digestive power and big appetite, therefore it needs regular meals in larger quantities, also snacks in between meals, except never before the previous meal is digested.

Kapha's metabolism is slow and small appetite, therefore it needs small quantities of light food at mealtimes and no snacking in between as it may lead to extra weight.