Have you ever wondered how to keep your body and mind balanced? According to Ayurveda, an ancient health practice from India, our bodies are made up of three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These doshas can be influenced by what we eat, how we live, and even the seasons.
But wait—does this sound too complicated? Don’t worry! We’ll break it down so it’s easy to understand and show you simple, practical steps to balance your doshas. And for those wondering if there’s any science behind it, yes, there is! We’ll share some studies and research too.
You might be thinking, “How do I know which dosha is dominant in me?” or “Can I still follow this if I have dietary restrictions?” We’ve got you covered with tips on identifying your dosha and alternative food options. Plus, we’ll address how to fit these Ayurvedic principles into a busy modern life.
By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to balance your doshas with foods and herbs, making you feel healthier and more energized. Ready to dive in? Let’s get started!
6 Rasas in ayurveda
Ayurveda talks about 6 tastes that are called rasas. The tridosha diet according to Ayurveda contains these 6 rasas in different amounts. When all these rasas come together in the right amount, they create harmonious energy for our body and provide balanced nutrition to the body. Tridosha-balancing foods contain a balance of all six rasas.
These tastes are sweet (mitha), sour (khatta), salty (khara or nankeen), pungent (tikha), bitter (kadva), and astringent, which is a different kind of mouth-puckering taste.
- Sweet food includes – honey, sugar, grains like rice and wheat, and dairy products like milk and butter.
- Sour food includes – lemon, citric fruits, curd, etc.
- Salty food contains – salt and things made with the use of salt. th
- Pungent food includes – spices and spicy food.
- Bitter food has – bitter gourd, spinach, fenugreek, etc. thing and,
- Astringent food includes – beans and lentils, etc.
The Tridoshic diet comprises all six rasas that balance the three doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha—promoting overall health and well-being.
Impact of rasas on Ayurveda Tridosha
All these rasas have different impacts on doshas.
- Sweet, sour, and salty tastes balance Vata dosha, and all other tastes increase Vata. We all know that Vata is made of two elements, ‘sky and air’; hence, to balance it out, we need foods that contain more of the earth’s elements. Sweet, sour, and salty foods contain heaviness like earth and control the Vata. As opposed to this, light food already has Vata, so it increases Vata.
- Sweet, bitter, and astringent taste balances the pitta dosha, and the other three disbalance it. Pitta contains ‘fire and water’ these two elements from which, fire has more impact making the nature of pitta hot. Therefore to balance pitta, green veggies with a body cooling effect, sweet fruits, lentils, beans, etc. are essential for the body.
- Kapha balances with pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes, but disbalances with the other three. Since Kapha is made of two elements ‘earth and water’ and to balance it, the body needs light foods with heat, exactly opposite to its nature. This food includes spices, green leafy vegetables, grains like dry oats and barley and sprouts, etc.
5 Healthy Food Items for Balancing Tridoshas
Balancing tridoshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) in Ayurveda involves eating specific foods. Here are five healthy food items that can help balance these doshas:
- Rice: Good for balancing Vata and Pitta due to its cooling and grounding properties.
- Green Leafy Vegetables: These are great for balancing Pitta and Kapha as they provide cooling and detoxifying effects.
- Milk: Helps in balancing Vata and Pitta with its soothing and nourishing qualities.
- Ginger: Useful for balancing Kapha and Vata, as it provides warmth and aids digestion.
- Lentils: These help balance Kapha and Pitta, providing light and nutritious protein.
Eating these foods regularly can help maintain the balance of doshas and promote overall health and well-being.
Food qualities and their impact
Just like the 6 tastes in Ayurveda, there are also 6 food qualities. These qualities are – heavy, light, oily, dry, hot, and cold.
If we divide the food into different food qualities, then Wheat, cheese, cottage cheese, curd, etc. are included in heavy food. Light food comprises of barley, corn, apple, spinach, etc. For a well-balanced diet, it’s advisable to include foods of various qualities, combining both heavy and light options from the Tridoshic food list. Dairy products and oils are included in oily food; barley, corn, and beans in dry food. All heating food and drinks in hot food and all cooling food and drinks are included in cold food.
How To Balance Tridosha?
- Oily, hot, and heavy food balances Vata because they have the ‘earth element’ which is missing in Vata with a dynamic culture.
- For pitta, oily, cold, and heavy foods are good because pitta is hot in nature.
- To balance out the Kapha; hot, light, and dry food is better because Kapha is cold in nature. Basically, this kind of food has more content of air and fire, which is necessary to balance the Kaha.
Apart from taste and quality, Ayurveda contains a list of some general food and drinks, which describes the impact of each fruit, vegetable, oil, spice, or dairy product on doshas. Consider the above-mentioned facts as your guide to tridosha balancing foods.
Importance of herbs in ayurveda
Ayurveda finds some special tridosha balancing herbs that have a good impact on different doshas.
- Black pepper, ginger, big cardamom, and other warming herbs are especially beneficial for Kapha dosha, since they balance its cold nature. That is why these herbs are especially used in winters to balance heat in the body.
- For Vata, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, ginger, etc. are useful because they prevent the formation of Vata in the body.
- Cinnamon, fennel seeds, dry coriander seeds, coriander leaves, and dill leaves are useful for pitta because these herbs give relief from the heat. This way the hot-nature pitta remains in control automatically.
These tridosha herbs play a vital role in addressing imbalances in Vata, Pitta, and Kapha to promote overall well-being and harmony in the body.
Final note
According to Ayurveda, the nature of our body and the outside nature, which we know as the environment. It is essential to have coordination between the two, because the nature of the body differs from person to person. If you’re wondering how to balance tridosha naturally, it involves consuming food and drinks based on the influence of each dosha on the body and external environment, contributing to the maintenance of overall health.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4815005/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4012357
Watch This Video For More Updates
Anjani Kumar Shrivastava, a distinguished yoga expert with decades of experience, brings healing and wisdom through yoga therapy, meditation, and Ayurvedic principles. His remarkable Read more
