One of the most effective ways to pacify or prevent an imbalanced Dosha, is to eat in the right way for your particular constitution. Why? An aggravated Dosha is often due to energy imbalance… and what’s one of our main sources of energy? Food.

You may already instinctively eat according to your Dosha and have no problems, but if you do find yourself with any negative symptoms, check in with Ayurvedic recommendations as the correct Dosha-specific diet can help you to prevent illness and disease. To find out your Dosha, take the test at the bottom of this page.

Interestingly enough, at key times Ayurvedic teaching tells us that we should ALL follow a Pitta diet. These are occasions when Pitta is more dominant in all individuals, such as during summer or when travelling to regions like the Tropics, that aggravate the Dosha more readily.

Ayurvedic dietary recommendations are focused on three main principles: mindful eating, specific foods that soothe your Dosha and adapting regular mealtimes.

In previous articles, we explored the best diets for Vata and Kapha, here we focus on Pitta.

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Made of the fire and water elements, Pitta is light, hot and sharp. Its fiery nature means that to create balance, you enjoy colder, more cooling and slightly heavier foods – yours is the only Dosha for which raw salads are a great choice. The main tastes recommended for you are sweet, bitter and astringent. Spicy and hot foods are to be avoided because they aggravate the Dosha by increasing its temperature and reducing the fluidity. Pitta is the Dosha of transformation and it is responsible for some of the most essential processes such as digestion. This however, does not necessarily mean a healthy digestive fire. If you overindulge in hot and acidic foods such as coffee or alcohol, you’re likely to get heartburn. To soothe irritated agni bitter foods and physical exercise are recommended.

Overall your diet should be made up of about 50% grains, 25% vegetables, 15% pulses and 10% fats, dairy, nuts and seeds.

Best Pitta foods:

From the fruit bowl – sweet grapes, cherries, melons, avocados, coconuts, pomegranates, raisins, figs, mangoes, pears and cherries.

From the vegetable box – asparagus, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green leafy veg, pumpkins, broccoli, zucchini, carrots and mint.

From the spice rack – cinnamon, coriander, fennel. Long pepper (pippali), cloves and cardamom are particularly good for digestion.

From the meat chiller – chicken, shrimp and river fish.

From the pantry – barley, millet, oats and rice (basmati, white, whole wheat and brown); olive, sunflower, coconut, ghee and grapeseed oils, coconut, seeds (pumpkin, sunflower and flax).From the fridge – butter, egg whites and milk (dairy, coconut and rice)

Fruits:

Sweet grapes, cherries, melons, avocados, coconuts, pomegranates, raisins, figs, mangoes, pears, cherries.

Stay clear of:

Fried and fatty foods, red meat, coffee, alcohol and fermented foods, spicy foods, hot drinks, honey and egg yolks.

Pitta eating habits:

You should aim for four small meals a day and try to avoid skipping meals. Fasting doesn’t agree with you. Avoid eating when you’re angry or irritated and try to eat in a calming, balanced atmosphere.

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