This is a traditional Indian healing system called Ayurveda, which is more than 5000 years old. This same system gave us yoga and meditation (Thank you… I don’t know what I’d do without just these 2 things!)
But Ayurveda also slots our bodies types into just 3 types (Vatta, Pitta and Kapha) which they call ‘doshas.’ These are like energy types.
Each of us are a combination of all 3 doshas, but we have one ‘leading’ dosha which dominates our whole existence and the way food and our environment impact our health. For example I’m a combination (Vatta-Pitta.) You can work this out by doing a Dosha quiz (I’ll put a quiz up in the Nutrition For Life Community for you.)
So in the mean time, when our dosha is out of balance, we feel dodgy and unwell. This can be something to keep in mind if you’re trying to work out why you have certain health issues.
The 3 Types of doshas:
Vata types: these people hate the cold! They are easily excited, lanky and flighty. Their main force is ‘wind’ so they’re not ‘into’ sitting around, they need to be always doing something. When out of balance, Vatas have digestion issues, they don’t absorb their nutrients properly and struggle with their sleep. To stay in balance, Vatas need warming, naturally sweet food such as stews and soups. (Vatas love sugar and often people who are addicted to sweets are Vatas.) This is not good. Instead Vatas need to get their love of sweetness from things like cinnamon, licorice and sweet potato and have warming spices of ginger, cardamom and tumeric. But there are heaps of other foods if you don’t like these.
Vatas need to slooooow down and de-stress at every chance. Sugar will add to flightiness and therefore stress. This then impacts their gut health. Not good.
Pitta types: these people hate summer and hot weather. They have a medium, strong build, great concentration however can be angry and judgmental. Their main force is ‘fire’ so if out of balance, Pittas can feel hot and be hot tempered. To stay in balance, Pittas need cooling foods such as salads and cucumber. They should avoid hot spices.
Pittas love greasy burgers, alcohol, meat, fatty, salty or spicy foods these will put them out of balance and make them stressed. Not good.
Kapha types: These people are ‘thick’ framed, have oily skin, strong teeth and thick hair. They also have a slow metabolism and speed in which they do things. Kaphas main force is earth and water and when out of balance, feel heavy, often has mucous buildup in throat and they need to fire up their energy. To stay in balance, Kaphas need stimulating foods such as spices, and aerobic exercise.
Kaphas love meat pies and doughnuts. They crave dairy based and fatty foods, sugar and salt. This makes them more tired and heavy. Not good.
So What is your dosha? Perhaps you could be a combination? Whatever your dosha is, balancing Vata is the main thing. Vata is like the ‘king-pin’ dosha and if this gets out of balance, it throws the rest of the doshas out also.
You can pacify your Vata by worshiping your slow cooker!!!
Eating simple combinations of high nutrient foods. So basic stews and soups based on bone broth and warming spices is perfect.
Eating slow cooked foods ‘sweetened’ by ginger, cardamom and cinnamon. Never eat sugar, as this will inflame you and irritate your digestion.
Eating with few ingredients, or if you have a recipe with lots of ingredients, slow cook them in one pot so all the flavours have time to ‘know each other.’ Lots of flavours are hard for to assimilate.
So there you have it. Something to consider with your health. But as you can see, this health theory also points to eating slow cooked foods, easy on the digestion, whole foods (no preservatives) and always address your stress.
This is also the basic foundation in my new Gut-Brain Healing System inside Empowered Women’s Health (EWH.) So we need to do what works, not what’s in vogue at the moment, and focusing on gut health is one of the most ancient beliefs in existence.
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