Diet

Diet to balance  Vata, Pitta and Kapha

Diet Recommentations for Vata Personalities

Recommended foods are :

Oily
Heavy
Warm
Sweet (rice, milk, wheat) 
Sour (Yogurt, tomatoes, citrus fruit)
Salty

Reduce foods that are:

Dry
Cold
Light
Spicy
Bitter (green leaf vegetables)
Astringent (beans, apples).

Beans - reduce intake of beans all of which increase vata, except for moong dal. (Except green beans which is a vegetable)

Oil - All oils reduce ‘vata’

Vegetables - Cooked beets, carrots, asparagus, sweet potatoes, cucumbers are good, do not eat these raw. Peas, cauliflower, celery, green beans, and leafy vegetables, can be taken in moderate quanitities if cooked with a little ghee, vegetable oil or butter: small amounts of vata reducing spices can be used. 

Spices - Small quanitities of black pepper, mustard seed, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, spices. Minimize use of chilies and red pepper.

Grains - Rice and wheat are very good. Reduce intake of oats, corn, millet, barley, and corn.

Fruits - Sweet and sour fruits are good, such as oranges, bananas, grapes, peaches, melons, fresh figs, sweet pineapple, mangoes,  dry, light or astringent fruits such as apples, pears, and dried fruits need to be taken less.

Sweeteners - Brown and raw sugar, molasses, honey are good if consumed in reasonable amounts.

Meat - Sea food, chicken, turkey are acceptable; rabbit and red meat are to be avoided.

Nuts - All nuts are good.

Dairy - All dairy products are good for vata. For ease of digestion, boil milk and drink it warm. Strictly avoid taking milk with full meals as milk mixes well only with the sweet taste eg: cereal, toast.

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Diet Recommentations for Pitha Personalities

Oily
Heavy
Cold
Bitter
Sweet (Milk, rice)
Astringent

Reduce foods that are:

Dry
Light
Warm
Salty
Spicy
Sour (Cheese, tomatoes)

Recommendations for Pitha diet

Beans - Moong beans.

Oil - Butter, ghee, olive and coconut oil. Reduce use of almond, corn and sesame oil which increase 'pitta'.

Vegetables - Asparagus, cabbage, cucumber, carrots, cauliflower, sprouts, celery, and green leafy vegetables.

Spices - Turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, fennel, cardamom are suitable in small amounts as they increase pitta. Chilly, which aggravates pitta, should be avoided.

Grains - Barley, oats, white rice, wheat are good. Intake of brown rice, and corn, should be reduced.

Fruits - sweet fruits like grapes, coconut, cherries, melons, mangoes, pomegranates, sweet oranges, plums, pineapples are good. Reduce intake of sour fruits, such as olives, under ripe pineapple, sour oranges, and unripe bananas.

Sweeteners - All sweeteners are good for pitta. Large quantity of honey should be avoided.

Meat - White meat is acceptable (chicken, pheasant, turkey). Avoid red meat, seafood, egg yolk which increases 'pitta'.

Dairy - Milk, butter and ghee are food for pacifying pitta; reduce use of cheese, yogurt, sour cream, and cultured butter milk as they aggravate 'pitta'. 

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Diet Recommentations for Kapha Personalities

Recommended foods are :

Dry
Warm
Light
Spicy
Bitter (green leafy vegetables, spices like fenugreek).
Astringent (beans, lentils, unripe fruits)

Reduce foods that are:

Oily
Cold
Heavy 
Sweet (sugar, wheat, rice, grapes, mangoes) 
Salty (pickles, chips)
Sour (sour cream, cheese, yogurt, lime, orange)

Recommendations for Kapha diet :

Nuts - Avoid nuts, eat beans

Oil - Avoid large amount of any oil. 

Vegetables- Eat all except: cucumbers, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.

Spices - Avoid salt for it increases "Kapha"

Grains - Most are suitable for Kapha: Barley, Rye, and Corn. Kapha dosha can be decreased by reduced intake of wheat, rice.

Fruits - Eat lighter fruits of the more astringent kind: pears, apples, and pomegranates. Avoid heavy, very sweet or sour fruits, which increase kapha: grapes, bananas, figs, oranges, coconuts, pineapple, dates, and melons.

Sweeteners - Honey though possessing an astringent quality good for reducing kapha; must be moderately used. Avoid sugar products, which increase Kapha.

Meat and fish - Meat is not recommended. Avoid red meat and seafood. Moderate intake of white meat (chicken, turkey) is permitted for those who cannot do without it. 

Dairy - Use low fat milk; reduced intake of milk is good for 'kapha'. Milk should be boiled before drinking (to make digestion easier) and should always be taken warm. Do not drink milk with meals, which include all six tastes (it mixes well only with sweet taste) especially salty or sour foods. For 'Kapha' disorders like congestion, one or two pinches of turmeric or ginger may be added to milk before boiling it. Yogurt, cream, ice cream, cheese, butter and excess of whole milk are not recommended.

Note: These diets are not applicable to all individuals. Those suffering from cholesterol problem (high blood lipids) should consult their physician regarding fat and oil inclusion in their diet.

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