The Yogic Kitchen
Vata types are more likely to go out of balance in autumn and early winter.
Autumn–early winter/Vata health issues: constipation, gas, bloating, anxiety, dry skin.
Habits and lifestyle factors that imbalance Vata
Eating too many cold icy foods and drinks, especially anything with bubbles, such as sparkling mineral water, carbonated drinks and foods that produce gas in the body; excess raw foods such as salads, especially in the colder months; irregular meals or skipping meals; too much travel; being outside in the cold and the wind; lack of sleep and routine; spending too much time in front of the computer and TV; stress, overthinking and over talking all imbalance the Vata dosha.
Environmental effects
Wind will unnerve them and you may notice their behaviour and mood change if exposed to too much of the air element, as they already have this as a major part of their constitution. Unsettled weather can have a strong effect on Vata types. Autumn can be difficult, accordingly.
Air travel can greatly disturb these types and they need to ensure they limit flying if they are feeling insecure, fearful and anxious. Their Vata body needs nurturing. Vatas have cold, dry skin that is very susceptible to the cold and wind. Daily warm sesame oil massage will benefit them greatly. It is essential they keep their bodies warm, both internally and externally. Fear and anxiety can really inhibit the lives of Vata types so it is essential they create a comfortable, safe, stable home for themselves.
KEY Warmth, safe calm environment and routine
AVOID Cold, dry, windy environments, skipping meals, raw food, chilled drinks, carbonated drinks, excess movement and air travel
HOW VATA MANIFESTS IN THE BODY
Cold – Coldness appears in the hands and feet. Vatas will have a tendency to avoid cold temperatures and love warmer climes. They have poor circulation and can suffer from cold bones and stiffness.
Dry – Dryness is a major issue for Vatas. They often have dry skin, hair, lips, tongue and a husky voice. Dryness in their colon usually leads to them suffering from constipation.
Light – Vata individuals are generally light in body weight with fine muscles and bones. They sleep lightly and wake easily, with little noise needed to disturb them.
Rough – Roughness appears in the body as cracked skin, nails, split ends, cracked lips, teeth and joints that creak and crack when moved.
Subtle – They will suffer from an underlying subtle anxiety, fear or insecurity. Vata types are prone to goose pimples, muscle twitches and tremors.
Mobile – Vatas can’t sit still: they walk fast, talk fast and tend to be those people who are incredible at multi-tasking. They are good at making money and great at spending it. Their eyes will dart around the room as they talk to you with their hands or shake their leg or tap. They love to travel and find it difficult to stay in one place for too long. Their moods are ever changing, as are their faith and their thoughts. Vatas love change and do what they can to make it happen often.
Clear –This quality gives Vata their clairvoyant ability, as this is related to the element of space. They can understand easily but forget abruptly, and they often experience a deep sense of loneliness.
Astringent – They can suffer from a dry choking feeling in their throats, and they will often find themselves with hiccoughs or burping. They enjoy oily, sweet, sour and salty foods.
BALANCING VATA
Vatas need routine, warm fluids, rest, massage, steady nourishment, warmth, decreased stress, and they need to avoid skipping meals, eating on the run, fasting and alcohol.
Activities that will calm Vata
Gentle calming exercise such as yoga, quigung (qigong), dance, golf, walking, swimming, listening to calming music, gardening, pottery, cooking, massage, meditation and getting to bed early all help Vatas to settle.
Warming grounding remedies – walking barefoot on the grass, warm sesame oil massage, foot massage, gardening, warm milky drinks with cardamom and cinnamon, ghee added to food and drinks
Warming grounding lifestyle choices – gardening, yoga, guided meditation, creative pursuits, listening to calming music
Lifestyle factors to limit – constant change and movement, overexercise, excess meditation without proper supervision, too much time on devices such as computers, TV, phones
So-called healthy foods that may imbalance you – raw food diets, juices, chilled smoothies and smoothie bowls, sparkling mineral water
Emotions and diet
Vatas are often attracted to cold, dry, crisp foods but these are best avoided. They can easily become imbalanced if they eat too many of these foods. Too much bitter, pungent and astringent food can also have a negative impact on the digestive system of Vata. The skin and body can become very dry in the colder weather and so Vatas should introduce warming spices and increase the amount of protein they are eating.
Soups and slow cooked stews made with plenty of root vegetables are the perfect choice for Vata types in the cooler or more unsettled months, and they do really well to warm their meals with spices like cinnamon, clove, star anise, cardamom and ginger that will help stimulate their digestion. To calm themselves they need to increase the amount of naturally sweet, salty and sour foods they are consuming. A glass of sweet warm milk before bed is a perfect remedy for any Vata that has trouble sleeping.
Routine and exercise
Vatas need to allow plenty of time for stillness in their day. Moving is what comes naturally to Vatas so they will often want to exercise and be on the go when they are feeling fragile, anxious or emotional. This is not the healthiest option, especially at the Vata time of 2pm–6pm. Their fragile nature demands they don’t allow too much space between meals. For continued wellness, Vatas should eat their meals at the same time every day. Skipping meals is one way to quickly imbalance these people. The digestive system is where Vata types are most susceptible and they may have issues with gas, bloating and constipation. They have sensitive tummies that do best with nourishing home-cooked meals.
Eating on the run or snacking instead of eating a proper meal is not a good idea for these types. If they do want to move their body, they are best to try grounding practices like yoga, tai chi or even a gentle walk. More strenuous types of exercise should be done between 6am and 10am in the morning at Kapha time.
Quiet time, listening to music, reflecting, drawing or journaling will help to calm them. Before bed they are better to read than be on their phone or computer, as any device will aggravate the Vata energy in the body.
We enter the Vata stage of our lives at around 75 years of age so it is not uncommon for these types to become more dreamy, vague or fragile as they age. The best diet for Vatas includes warming and soothing foods that are stabilising for a light, airy constitution. (See charts at the back of the book, pages 240–5.)
PITTA
Pitta individuals are dominated by the element of fire. This creates heat in the body and is responsible for metabolising, transforming, digesting and processing all of our thoughts and all we eat. Pitta is also in charge of maintaining our digestive fire (agni); if our digestive fire is low, we will have problems with digestion and suffer from heartburn, reflux and indigestion.
Pittas have quick, sharp minds and tongues, a moderate body frame and tend to be able to maintain their weight better than the other two doshas.
Elements
Time of day
10am–2pm and 10pm–2am is the time of day when Pitta will be more obvious in the body and mind.
Time of year
In summer Pitta can be more aggravated in the body. It is the season when Pitta health issues such as eczema, heartburn, reflux, headaches, hay fever, insomnia or burnout can arise. Summer is known as Pitta time (bile). Energy and heat rise up in the body in summer so it is important to keep cool. We are naturally drawn to cooling summer fruits and higher carbohydrate grains like rice. We drink more juices made from seasonal fruits and fill up on salads with cooling herbs.
More fiery Pitta types need to eat with more awareness in this season, and so too does anyone who starts to show any signs of heat in the body, such as skin issues, headaches, reflux, indigestion or insomnia.
Time of life
18 to 50–55 years is the time that Pitta will be more prominent in the body.
Pitta is responsible for regulating body heat through the metabolism of food, appetite, energy production, vitality, ambition, confidence, courage, learning and understanding.
PITTA OUT OF BALANCE
The site of Pitta in the body is the eyes, skin, stomach, small intestine, sweat glands, blood, fat – where Pitta will present more strongly when it is out of balance.
Signs that Pitta is out of balance in the body
Irritability, impatience, anger and pushy, aggressive behaviour; skin irritations and rashes; heartburn, reflux and peptic ulcers; headaches, eye problems, falling hair, early greying, hot flushes; waking in the middle of the night and unable to get back to sleep; excess sweating, acne, blood shot eyes, heavy periods, large clots; extreme hunger before menstruation; yellow urine or loose unformed stools that fall apart in water, sink or float with a strong, pungent, offensive smell; a need to use the toilet 2–3 times a day, and may be urgent; tendency to diarrhoea and urinary tract infections.
Pitta types are more likely to go out of balance in summer.
Summer/Pitta health issues: Eczema, heartburn, reflux, headaches, hay fever, insomnia, burnout.
Habits and lifestyle factors that imbalance Pitta
Eating too many hot, spicy, pungent, salty or sour foods; excess meat in the diet; too much alcohol; overanalysing or overworking; overexposure to heat and sun; intense conversations, pushing oneself too hard, emotional trauma, holding emotions in; skipping meals or fasting; exercising outside in the sun in the middle of the day in summer; not rinsing off the saltwater after swimming at the beach in summer.
Environmental effects
Determined high achievers, Pittas do well to spend time in nature connecting with the earth. Winter is the time they will feel their best if they can allow themselves to slow down and enjoy the cooler weather.
KEY Moderation, rest between work, quiet calm atmosphere, meditation, coolness, nature’s beauty
AVOID Skipping meals or overeating, artificial stimulants, too much sun and sauna
BALANCING PITTA
Heat can very easily send Pittas out of balance and although they are often drawn to hot, spicy flavours, they would do well to stay away from these flavours, especially in summer or when they are feeling angry and stressed. When out of balance, the fire rises up and out in the body and can show up as fever, impatience, ulcers, indigestion, skin rashes, headaches and reflux.
Pitta types are attracted to beautiful things and are very focused on making money and acquiring beautiful things. They are hard workers who need to learn how to relax and temper the fire within them before it overwhelms them.
Activities that will calm Pitta
Eating when you are hungry rather than when you are starving, gentle calming exercise, spending time in nature, being by the water, moonlight walks, yoga, dance, non-competitive sports, walking, swimming, gardening, writing, massage with coconut oil as it is cooling, meditation, expressing emotions, getting to bed before 10pm, staying cool, sipping cooling herbal teas.
Cooling remedies – rubbing coconut oil into the skin, chilled rose tea bags over the eyes, cooling the feet
Cooling lifestyle choices – music, meditation, yin yoga, spending time in nature out of the sun, resting by still water
So-called healthy foods that may overheat you – ferments, yoghurt, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut
Lifestyle factors to limit – running in the middle of the day, sunbaking, hot yoga, power yoga, holding in emotions, alcohol, out in the sun without a hat, smoking, saunas
HOW PITTA MANIFESTS IN THE BODY
Hot – Pittas have strong digestive fire which means they can usually eat a lot, and often, and they tend to get quite cross if they try to go without food when they are hungry. They tend to have a higher body temperature than other doshas and can become quite agitated in the heat.
Sharp –They can have pointed sharp teeth either side of their front teeth, and sharp piercing eyes. Their features are strong and distinct, and quite angular. Pittas’ minds are quick and extremely sharp, and they are blessed with a strong memory, but their speech can be cutting. They tend to work in short sharp bursts and can become irritable if overworked. When they suffer from pain it is usually hot and piercing.
Light – Their frame is usually light/medium and, because Pitta rules the eyes, they can also suffer from an intolerance to bright lights. Their skin is light and lustrous.
Liquid – The liquid attribute is demonstrated in the waste products, loose light oily stools, excess sweat and urine. Pittas usually have a greater thirst than other doshas.
Spreading – This can be seen in the form of skin rashes, acne, inflammation and heat that moves in the body. Pitta individuals like to be well known and want their name to be spread all over the world.
Oily – They have soft oily skin and hair. They may find it difficult to digest deep-fried foods.
Sour – Pitta can often experience stomach acid, increased reflux and excess salivation.
Pungent – Often Pittas will experience heartburn, or strong burning feelings both physically and mentally. Their bodies may omit a pungent smell either from the mouth, armpits, feet or faeces.
Bitter –They will often be left with a bitter taste in their mouths following heated exchanges. They tend to have an aversion to bitter flavour. They can be bitter and twisted if they don’t get their own way.
Red – They can have fiery red hair, flushed red skin, nose and cheeks, red rashes, red skin from sunburn. Red will aggravate Pitta.
Emotions and diet
Pitta females who have not learned to temper their fire can struggle with hot flushes and insomnia during perimenopause and menopause, and this is a time when they need to look closely at the way they are managing their emotions and perhaps question if they are being honest with themselves about how they feel. They may also need to alter their diets and remove heating foods and drinks like red wine, hard cheeses and meats to reduce the fire in the body.
Or they may just stuff any negative emotions down as they present a very competent persona to the outside world.
For Pitta dietary recommendations, see the back of the book, pages 242–3.
Routine and exercise
One of the biggest challenges for Pitta individuals is to slow down and to see life from another person’s perspective. Fire governs the eyes in the body so they can often be so focused on what they want and need, forgetting to ask what those around may need and instead assuming they know best.
Because Pitta energy governs the years from 18 to 50–55, it is easy for these types to burn out in their middle years of their life as they tend to push themselves beyond their means both physically and mentally.
Pittas need to avoid overheating so exercising in the middle of the day, especially in summer, is a big no-no. Hot yoga, surfing, sunbaking or any physical work in summer in Pitta hours between 10am and 2pm will not serve them well. Because Pittas like to look good, they can become obsessed with exercise and their body shape, and may become frustrated and moody if their exercise regime is disturbed in any way.
KAPHA
Kapha individuals tend to be heavy set and often experience problems with their weight when they are out of balance. They are calm, caring and compassionate and possess incredible stamina. Kaphas have a strong constitution and tend to live longer than the other doshas.
Elements
Time of day
6am–10am and 6pm–10pm. This is the time of day when Kapha will be more obvious in the body and mind.
Time of year
In spring Kapha can be more aggravated in the body. Spring is known as Kapha time (mucus) where we eat light foods, move our body more and shake out any excess weight we have accumulated in winter. This is the season when Kapha types will struggle with respiratory issues, especially a mucus build up; they may struggle losing the extra weight they gained in winter and could even find themselves slipping into depression.
Time of life
0–18 years is the time that Kapha will be more prominent in the body.
Kapha is responsible for compassion, loyalty, patience, forgiveness, body structure (bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments) and stability, lubrication and protection.
KAPHA OUT OF BALANCE
The site of Kapha in the body is the chest, lungs, throat, head, sinuses, nose, mouth and tongue, bones, plasma and mucus, and this is where Kapha will present more strongly when it is out of balance.
Signs that Kapha is out of balance in the body
Lethargy, laziness, difficulty getting out of bed after a good night’s sleep, feeling unmotivated, or beginning to isolate yourself and withdraw from friends are signs of imbalance. Kaphas may become greedy and attached or might find themselves overeating or eating for comfort, especially sweet or fatty foods. Weight gain, fluid retention, coughs and colds, slow bowel movements, diabetes, oily skin and hair, congestion in the chest and lungs, excess mucus, asthma, excessive sweet cravings and tender breasts before menstruation are other symptoms Kaphas may experience. Enlarged breasts, emotional eating, watery mucousy blood at period time, long heavy flow, depression and moodiness may also present as symptoms. They might also complain of oily stools that sink and feeling that they have not fully emptied their bowls after going to the toilet.
Kapha types are more likely to go out of balance in spring.
Spring/Kapha health issues: Fluid retention, excess mucus, coughs and colds, slow bowel movements, increased body weight, depression.
Habits and lifestyle factors that imbalance Kapha
Eating too many sweet foods (this includes fruit); eating cold, white, damp foods (especially ice-cream, milk and yoghurt); excess dairy in the diet; too much alcohol or sweet drinks; overeating (especially in the evening before bed); overexposure to cold damp environments, lack of exercise, sleeping during the day and going to bed with wet hair and drinking too much liquid be it water or hot drinks; and sitting around doing nothing for long periods at a time.
Out of balance Kapha individuals can be stubborn, possessive and greedy. Kaphas have a strong attachment to money and will often stay in jobs they are unhappy in if they are making good money.
Environmental effects
The amount of water and earth element in their constitution means they have an aversion to cold damp weather, and if exposed to these conditions for long periods of time, they can develop respiratory issues. Kaphas need to be aware of mould and rising damp in their homes and parents may need to place dehumidifiers in children’s rooms during the winter or rainy seasons. Most Kaphas will be much happier and healthier in warmer, drier climates than in cooler, wetter or even humid regions.
KEY Stimulation, variety, good exercise, reduce sweets, stay warm.
AVOID Cold and damp environments, sleeping during the day, sleeping after sunrise, doing nothing, isolation.
BALANCING KAPHA
Activities that will calm Kapha
Vigorous exercise, especially in the morning between 6am–10am, running, cycling, aerobic activity and competitive sports. Learning a new skill, stimulating the mind, changing or varying your daily routine will keep you from feeling stuck and bogged down. Travel, seeking out new friendships and meeting new people – these will get you out of your comfort zone. Have your main meal at lunchtime.
Stimulating remedies – dry brushing or exfoliating self massage with warmed cold pressed sesame oil, energetic exercise that raises a sweat for at least 30 minutes per day (think running, cycling, yoga or hiking) drinking hot water and lemon with a small pinch of cayenne on waking to stimulate digestion, keeping warm, and standing at one’s desk instead of sitting.
Stimulating lifestyle choices – listening to music or audio that stimulates the mind, walking rather than driving, socialising instead of choosing to be alone.
So-called healthy foods that may increase the mucus and dampness in the body – yoghurt, cheese, bananas, smoothies, acai bowls, chilled drinks, fruit juices, green smoothies.