Ayurveda maintains that each person has a unique mind-body constitution, known as a dosha. One’s current doshic imbalance, known as vikruiti, is a combination of two elements that are heightened within the physiology. By eating foods that decrease the heightened elements, harmony can be restored with the body. In general, the following Ayurvedic principles can be applied to selecting and preparing foods for the three doshas:
- The Vata dosha (air and space elements) is by nature cool, dry, light, and rough. Eating foods that counteract those characteristics creates balance. Persons with excess Vata energy will restore balance through foods that are warm (in terms of both temperature and spice), hydrating (such as soups and stews), full of healthy fats (like olive oil, ghee, organic cream, and avocados), and grounding (think dense, healthy comfort foods).
- The Pitta dosha (fire and water elements) tends toward hot, oily, light, and sharp qualities. Therefore, eating foods that are cool (especially in terms of internal cooling such as is seen with peppermint, cucumber, cilantro, and parsley), astringent (beans, legumes, pomegranate, and green tea), substantial, and mild will minimize the aggravation of the Pitta.
- The Kapha dosha (earth and water elements) expresses as heavy, cool, oily, and smooth qualities. Eating foods that are light, warm, dry (like beans and popcorn) and rough (think “roughage” such as vegetables) will have Kapha back in balance in no time.
Ayurveda and the Six Tastes
Ayurveda & the Six Tastes
Instead of looking at the individual components of foods—such as carbohydrates, protein, fats, and calories—as Western-based nutrition does, Ayurveda identifies six “tastes” of foods. They are: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Each taste has specific effects on the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) and thus on the body–mind. By including all six tastes in each meal we abundantly satisfy our nutritional and dietary needs without the need to count calories or consult a manual. Simply adding
a squeeze of lemon juice to a dish can satisfy the sour taste, while including a side salad with a meal can satisfy the bitter and astringent tastes. Many foods, in fact, are made up of more than one taste: onions, for instance, have all six tastes except for salty.
