Does your body feel out of sorts? You could be eating foods that don't agree with your body. Here are tips from Ayurveda on what to eat and what to avoid according to your body type.
Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicine system, recommends nourishing foods according to body types. The three body types are Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
As a guide, a Vata type person is very flexible, has a quick mind, creative and likes to be always on the go, physically and mentally. A Pitta type person is determined, full of energy and passionate about many things. A Kapha type person is strong, full of stamina and thrives in extreme situations with calmness and fluidity.
Vata
A person with a Vata type body is sensitive to cold. To heal the body, and keep it in harmony, she should focus on foods that are warming especially spices like ginger, cloves, cinnamon, garlic, horseradish, and mustard seeds, among others.
She should avoid excessive raw food though salads could be included in her diet to provide the necessary nutrients.
A person with a Vata type body should also consume more sweet and moist foods like coconut, bananas, peaches, mangoes and strawberries. She should avoid watermelon, apple, pear and dried and frozen food.
Oatmeal and brown rice go down well with Vata types, but not beans which are `cold’ foods. Vata types should also avoid excessive intake of icy, cold drinks.
Pitta
A person with a Pitta body type is sensitive to heat. Excessive heat in the body makes the person out of sorts.
Such a person should consume foods that are cooling. Fruits like apple, mango, pineapple, watermelon, pomegranate and coconut would be helpful in cooling down their bodies.
They should also consume more cooling vegetables like watercress, parsley in combination with grains like barley.
A Pitta body type requires more protein than other Ayurvedic boy types. As such consumption of food like groundnuts, kidney beans, oatmeal, broccoli, cauliflower, apple, banana, grape and papaya would keep the body in healthy balance.
Pitta body types should consume more spices that are cooling in nature like cumin, mint, parsley and fennel.
Foods with excessive oil should be avoided. The same goes to alcohol, red meat and caffeine. The less cooked food is consumed, the better it would be for the body.
Kapha
A Kapha body type is sensitive to excessive protein and fat. A person with such a body type should not adopt the Atkins diet which is high in protein.
Dairy products don’t go well with Kapha body types. Instead of consuming dairy milk, soy milk should be considered.
Vegetables, especially of the bitter type like eggplant, lettuce, celery and mushroom are agreeable.
Meat could be consumed but preferably restricted to chicken and turkey.
In addition, the Kapha type should consume bread, oily foods and chilled food like ice cream moderately.