AYURVEDA 2Feeding Your Doshas

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EATFood/Medicine/Poison

Nourish/Increase Digestive Fire/Reduce Digestive Fire

RETAKE THE FOOD PYRAMID

• Eliminate refined foods

33%

33%

33%

Whole Grains

CookedVegetables

Legumes, Nuts, Seeds, Animal Products, Raw Vegetables, Fruits

80/20 “Rule” You have to consider stress as a factor. Rigidity causes stress.

20%

80%Right Action

Chill

THE DIET SHOULD

BALANCE THE DOSHA

Pitta: hot and oily-diet should be cooling and no fried foodVata: cold and light-diet warmer, heavier, groundingKapha: cool and wet-diet is warm, light and dry

VATAGENERAL

GUIDELINES• Regularity of meals is king—

above content• Avoid dried foods—

crackers, cookies, nuts, raw foods

• Avoid cold foods

PITTA GENERAL

GUIDELINES• Avoid fermented foods,

yeasty breads, acidic foods and pungent foods

• Avoid fried and oily foods

KAPHAGENERAL

GUIDELINES• Avoid eating first thing in

the morning• Limit the quantity of food• Eat light in the evening• Limit dairy and sweets

especially

SEASONAL CONSIDERATIONS

VATA

• Accumulates: Late Summer

• Precautions: In summer, try not to dry out/eat too light or cooling

• In early fall: eat nutritive foods like nuts, grains, oils and dairy

• Provoked: autumn

PITTA

• Accumulates: Late winter/spring

• In spring reduce hot/spicy, oily or fried foods

• Cleanse blood—herbs; eat sprouts, vegetables and cleansing foods in spring to prevent accumulation by summer

• Provoked: late spring/summer

KAPHA• Accumulates: Fall/early winter

• In winter watch out for too much comfort food—sweet, heavy, mucous forming

• The mucous in spring liquifies and causes disorder

• Late winter—spices, lighter diet, fasting, sauna and exercise

• Provoked: late winter/spring

ALL DOSHASCUT. IT. OUT.

• Refined sugar Instead: raw sugar/honey

• Refined white flour Instead: whole grain flour

• Refined oils Instead: cold-pressed oil

• Minimize: alcohol

• Minimize: coffee, black tea, chocolate

As with all other Yoga practices, Ayurveda returns its gifts of gradual integration and healing when you offer : reflection, continuous study, patience and dedication

HOW TO EAT:ATTITUDE OF LOVE

• Attitude: eating is a form of self love—lack of love inside eating causes illness (often food is substitute for lack of love)

• Prana is linked to heart—when this is stressed, digestive fires are neglected

HOW TO EAT: DETOX• Locally grown, in season,

organic, vegetarian—better for health than animal proteins in general

• Toxins in animal protein are stored in body more easily because they are concentrated in the fat of the animal

• Remove toxins with fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.

HOW TO EAT: COMPANY

• Choose company wisely

• Stress or over-concern with discussion will distract energy from digestion

• Talking too much while eating is discouraged in general

HOW TO EAT: ATTENTION

• Place attention on food and be mindful of digestion (this image is what not to do>)

• No strenuous activity for one hour after eating

HOW TO EAT: WHOLE FOODS

• Original form—gives life

• Life force—zapped by freezing, canning, pesticides

• Fridge, better than frozen, better than canned …

HOW TO EAT: ENERGY

• Energy of person preparing is important—prepare with love

• Cooking method—gas, stove, heat, microwave?

• Metal: stainless steal and cast iron are ideal (watch for chipping in cookware and note that aluminum is toxic)

RAW FOODS

• Good for Pitta, sometimes for Kapha, rarely for Vata

• In summer, better in general—think heat and fire

• It’s good—it has the most prone. Need some but watch forms and amounts.

ORDER OF OPERATIONS• Eating between meals—

discouraged (meals depend on dosha emphasized in person)

• Desserts—special occasions, vs the norm (they disrupt digestion)

• Fruits—outside meals

• Yoghurt/cultured milk—too heavy in evening (kapha time) and morning for kapha dosha: eat like a grain with one other food

OVEREATINGPuts out the fire. Know your limits and stick to them.

MOST IMPORTANT: ENJOYRemember 80/20 “rule.” Look into taste. Diets often associated with

sacrifice—but this is your life, and eating is about nourishing on all levels.

GHEEEEEEE

• Butter byproduct

• Organic—important

• Easy to make

• Critical for advanced yogis—nervous system, vata balance and general tissue health

• Healing/carrier of nutrients

KITCHERIA go-to. Doesn’t aggravate dosas and helps relocate prakriti, reset the palate and get in

tune with natural rhythms. Recipes vary, but foundation is: mung beans/dal, basmati rice, spices/herbs and vegetables.

NEXT WEEK• Herbs

• Panchakarma

• Kriyas

• Special considerations/tri-doshic constitutions/constitutions

• Abhyanga/oils

• Therapeutics