What are Vata, Pitta & Kapha?! These are the three Doshas or subtle energies within each of us that must maintain balance in order for us to be healthy. The Doshas are comprised of the 5 universal elements, which are fire, air, water, earth and space. This is one part of the Ayurveda medical/holistic system that was created many moons ago by the Vedic civilization in India.
Vata is made up of air and space. It means "wind, to move, flow, to direct the processes of, or command". Vata allows the other two doshas to be expressive. It controls our breathing, blinking as well as movements in our muscles and tissues. It governs the beating of our heart and most of our cellular activity.
The actions of Vata are cooling, drying, light and moving. Vata is also in charge of such emotions and feelings as nervousness, fear, freshness, pain, anxiety, tremors and spasms. The primary location of the Vata is in the colon, but it also resides in the ears, pelvic cavity, bones, large intestines, hips, thighs and skin. It is related to the touch sensation.If you are a Vata then you are generally smaller in size. By this I mean your bone density is rather light and your overall structure is thin. You will normally get cold easily or hot easily! You have a rather light and airy personality. Vata people have a rather casual walk and may frequently walk into other people or into objects. You will tend to have dry skin and thin, brittle hair. Your tongue can be rather long and your lips might be a bit thinner than the norm! Your eyes will be a tad smaller then Pitta or Kapha people and you will generally have a glassy gaze. Vata predominate people have a very difficult time sitting still for any amount of time. You will be on the less talkative end of the spectrum, so you only really talk when you have something important to say.
If you become imbalanced then you may experience extreme anxiety, weight loss, chapped lips, fatigue, unable to relax and you may become impulsive! You can become bloated, lose your balance easily, feel weak and get frequent headaches. Your senses (taste, sight, hearing...) might be a little off too because this energy is located in your sensory areas! Yikes!
Vata pacifying foods can include:
Grains: white & brown basmati rice, wheat, barley, amaranth, oats and quinoa
Legumes: mung beans, aduki beans, split yellow mung dal (yummy..had that for the first time last night) Cooked to a soft consistency.
Fruits: Sweet & sour tastes are good like grapes, lemons, pears, bananas, sweet oranges, dates, figs and apples, avocados and small amounts of raisins.
Veggies: Sweet veggies like zucchini, beets (tasty when shredded) cauliflower, carrots,okra, green beans and the list goes on and on.
Spices: Avoid using hot, pungent, drying spices. Use fresh spices like ginger rood, cilantro, cumin, coriander and fennel seeds.
Dairy: Fresh, whole, unhomogenized milk, ghee and a small amount of butter. Unless you own a cow...this is going to be rather difficult!
Meats: White meat like chicken, fish or turkey and you would want to bake or broil it to keep it moist.
Nuts: A small amount of almonds, pecans and sesame seeds
Oils: Ghee (probably not going to happen for most of us), sesame and olive oils are also good in small amounts.
Pitta is the combination of fire and water. It is in charge of the enzymes that digest our food and hormones that regulate our metabolism. Pitta transforms the chemical/electrical impulses in our minds so that we can understand them properly. Pitta is in charge of digestion, absorption, metabolism, body temperature, intelligence, understanding, the luster in the eye, body temperature and the coloring of the skin.
Most Pita people tend to have a very intense look in their eyes that is completely unintentional. They can cut right through you with their gaze and have no idea that this is even taking place! Anger, hate and jealousy are the psychological qualities of Pitta. Primary locations of the Pitta energy is in the small intestine, stomach, sweat glands, fat, blood, eyes and skin.If you are a Pitta dominate person then you will tend to have a bit more pungent smell to you and you will sweat more than the average person. You are generally hot, but when you do get cold then you are cold to the bone and will have a hard time getting warm again. You will be more muscular in build and have a heavier bone density than Vata, but not by much. A spare tire is what you will end up with when you put on weight, while the rest of you will not increase in size for the most part. The teeth may be a more yellow tint than the Vata and your tongue will be more reddish in color. You will have rather average size lips and thinner hair. You will walk as if you are on a mission even when you are not going any where! Your skin may tend to be on the oilier/silky side. Pitta people can not stand to waste time and are very goal oriented. They tend to be super organized and structured.
A Pita imbalanced person will get angry quite easily when under stress. The red tint in the tongue will turn to a yellowish color due to an acidic belly. Hot flashes can occur out of the no where and random skin rashes will pop up when frustrated. You may have difficulty falling asleep due to an imbalance in your liver. Icy drinks are all of a sudden an irresistible craving and you will be thirsty regardless of what you drink. Your digestion system tends to slow down causing you to feel sluggish and look pasty or green. This will also curve your slightly excessive feeling of hunger. Ulcers, heartburn, bad breath and hemroids can occur. You will be more critical of yourself than normal and your patience will run thin. Unrealistic expectations will take over and you will find yourself in a constant state of agitation. Sounds fun, huh?! If you think you might be Pitta predominate and you want to avoid this side of it then you will want to limit the amount of alcohol you drink! You will also want to avoid sour foods and try not to eat too much cheese. Sad because I love wine and cheese and I am a total Pita with a little Vata sprinkled in!
Pita pacifying foods:
Grains: White & brown basmati rice, barley, oatbran, oats, wheat and wheat bran.
Legumes: Yellow mung dal, split red/yellow peas, aduki beans and soy products.
Fruits: Sweet fruits such as apples, berries, cocunuts, dates, figs, avocados, sweet melon and plums are just a few.
Veggies: Asparagas, broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, cooked onion, sweet potatoes, sprouts, squash, okra and cauliflower are some.
Spices: Cooling spices: Licorice cardamom, coriander seeds, cilantro, fennel seeds, fresh basil, dill, tumeric, small amounts of cumin and ginger.
Dairy: Ghee, whole, unhomogenized milk.
Meats: Baked or broiled chicken, turkey and white fish are good.
Nuts: Sunflower and almonds.
Oils: Coconut, sunflower, small amounts of sesame and olive oil.
Last, but not least we have our Kapha energy and this is made up of earth and water. It is our structure and lubrication. Kapha is the stirring force within us that must constantly be mixed together in order to keep us moving in a balanced manor. It cements the elements in the body, providing the material for the physical structure and maintains body resistance. Kapha lubricates the joints, provides the moisture in skin, heals our wounds, fills the spaces in our body, gives us vigor and strength. It also supports memory retention, gives energy to the heart and lungs and helps with our immune system. You will find Kapha in the sinuses, chest, lungs, throat, mouth, stomach, joints, plasma, cytoplasm and in liquid secretions. It is responsible for the emotions of attachment, greed, envy, love, forgiveness and calmness. A rather wide spectrum of feelings are found with Kapha!Kapha predominate people will tend to have a sweeter smell then those of Vata and Pita. You will tend to have a heavier bone density, which can make you heavier set. The tendency is for you to have a thicker frame and yet you get cold easily. Kapha people will walk softly and slowly. Your eyes are bigger than Vata and Pita and you have a much softer gaze. Teeth are on the whiter side for Kapha people and you will have fuller lips with a rather large tongue that is normally pinkish in color. Unlike the other two, you can veg out for a very long time!
An imbalanced Kapha person will have a very sluggish digestion, which is unfortunate due to the fact that you tend to eat more when you are imbalanced. You might catch yourself drooling when you sleep and you will probably be sleeping too much. Your movement will go from slow to really slow and you will more than likely feel depressed. Sinus congestion, weight gain and clammy skin are also results of a Kapha imbalance. Feelings of insecurity, greed, hesitation and the inability to change will have a strong presence. Yikes..so try to avoid places with a wet climate because this a major cause for Kapha imbalances!
Kapha pacifying foods:
Grains: Barley, buckwheat, couscous, millet, muesli (Staple food in Australia!) oats, oat bran, and a small amount of wheat.
Legumes: Most beans, peas and dal. Avoid soy products.
Fruits: Apples, berries, cranberries, pomegranates, dried fruits, and small amounts of strawberries.
Veggies: Asparagus, beets, bitter melons, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, green beans, fennel, carrot, kale, horseradish, leafy greens, okra, cooked onion, spinach, sprouts, squash, turnip and so on and so on.
Spices: Hot spices are good for you! Pepper, chilies, ginger, cinnamon, clove, fenugreek, and bay leaves.
Dairy: A very small amount of dairy; goat milk and ghee in moderation.
Meats: Freshwater fish, shrimp, rabbit, venison, and a small amount of chicken and turkey.
Nuts: A small amount of almonds.
Oils: Sunflower, mustard seed, corn and safflower.
So these are the three Doshas, which all of us have within us! I wish I could say that we are all perfectly balanced people walking around with the perfect mixture of all three, but I think we all know that is not the case. This is just a summary of all that is out there on the characteristics of the Doshas and the best foods to eat for each.
So...after all of that...which Dosha or Doshas best describe you!?
