Is your head constantly in the clouds? Do you have a bad memory? Do you find it hard to lose weight or have you got a fiery temper? It sounds like one of your Doshas could be out of balance.
And what the heck is a Dosha, I hear year ask?
Well, they’re the energies that circulate through the body according to ancient Indian medical practice called Ayurveda.
Ayurveda teaches that health is maintained by the balancing of three subtle energies known as Doshas which are called Vatha, Pitta and Kapha. We’re all made up of a combination of the three Doshas and the three Doshas are made up of the five elements: space, air, earth, fire and water.
Vata is a combination of air and space.
Pitta is mostly fire with some water.
Kapha is mostly water with some earth.
According to Ayurveda, we should strive to keep our Doshas in balance so we can live long and healthy lives. If our Doshas are not in balance that is when health issues and diseases occur.
How can we balance our Doshas?
We should consider diet, exercise, digestion and eliminating toxins.
Description of Doshas
Vata
Pitta
Kapha
According to Aryuveda, health problems arise when our Doshas are out of balance. Balance does not mean all Doshas have an equal presence in the body. It depends on our own personal constitution and the make up of our bodies.
Balancing your Dosha
Signs of Vata imbalance:
Dehydration
Anxious
Frequent viral infection
Weight loss
Lack of sleep
Consuming too much bitter, astringent and spicy food can add to Vata’s imbalance. Instead, increase your intake of sweet, sour and salty tastes and warm, easy to digest foods like boiled or steamed starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and leafy vegetables, ripe fruits, warm milk, soups, rice and white and mild spices like cumin, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, coriander, salt, cloves, mustard and black pepper. Drink lots of tea like camomile, fennel, ginger, liquorice and lemon.
Signs of Pitta imbalance:
Overheating, profuse sweating
Colourful, violent dreams
Frequent bacterial infections
Heartburn
Balance your Pitta by eating sweet, bitter and astringent tastes and cool, heavy foods including boiled, steamed or raw vegetables, sweet fruits, moderate amounts of dairy, grains like rice, wheat, barley and oat, cooling spices like coriander, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, cumin, curry leaves and mint and teas including fennel, camomile, peppermint, spearmint, liquorice and red clover.
Signs of imbalanced Kapha:
Procrastination
Craving warmth, spicy foods
Weight gain
Excessive sleep
Balance your Kapha by eating boiled, steamed or raw vegetables, ripe fruits except bananas, fat-free buttermilk, grains like corn, millet, rye, oats, barley and wheatbran and strong spices like pepper, paprika, salt, garlic, basil, cloves, allspice, fennel, mustard, turmeric, cumin, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander and black pepper. Also use honey instead of sugar and drink cinnamon, fenugreek, peppermint and raspberry teas.
More health tips
How to quit smoking
Detox with these clever yoga poses
The hottest fitness trends for 2013
Leave a Comment