Eating for your body type – by Courtney Crane LMT
According to Ayurvedic philosophy, there are three different body types or doshas. The three doshas are: Vata (often light in build, creative, Sensitive, dry skin) Pitta (often medium in build, irritable, productive, fiery), and Kapha (heavier in build, oily skin, easy going & methodical) using these Doshas as a tool and eating for your body type can help you lose weight and maintain a healthier lifestyle.
A Vata body type becomes imbalanced with Excessive consumption of bitter, astringent and spicy tastes. Try pacifying with sweet and salty tastes, warm, moist and easily digestible foods like Boiled or steamed starchy vegetables, Fresh fruits, Soupy grains like rice and wheat and Mild spices like cumin, turmeric and fennel.
Pitta imbalance may result from excessive alcohol or hot, spicy, oily, fried and fermented foods. Try rebalancing with sweet, bitter and astringent tastes and cool, heavy foods like; Sweet fruits, barley, oats, raw vegetables and Mild, cooling spices such as coriander, cardamom and clove
Khapas tend to have a slower metabolism and often become imbalanced with any excessive food consumption, a light, warm, low-fat diet of pungent, bitter tastes can help rebalance khapa such as: Corn, wheat bran, beans and millet, ripe fruits and strong spices like, paprika cayenne and garlic, Avoid sugar and processed foods.
There are many online quizzes you can take to help you better understand which of these three doshas you most embody which will help you begin to be more mindful of what your specific body type may be needing this season to help shed those extra pounds and find a more balanced nutrition day to day.