What should a person do? there are many ideas on the bookshelves about how to eat and stay healthy. There are diets named after the people who wrote the books, diets named after the foods eaten, diets named after blood types and diets that promise to keep you in the “zone”. New books and ideas are published every month. Ayurveda is a 5000 year old science that aims to help a person understand what is right for them as a unique individual. By evaluating how a person’s digestive system, nervous system and other systems of the body function and by evaluating a person’s body structure, a clinical ayurvedic specialist designs a diet specific to clients needs.

Ayurvedic science teaches that people who have a “vata” nature, or those people who are thin, dry and often feel cold, need more grains, oils, salt and a little spice in their diet. Those who do not receive enough are prone to anxiety, constipation and sleeplessness among many other conditions. They need nourishing foods and often have difficulty maintaining a vegetarian diet. People of vata nature should avoid too many salads and fruits as well as beans and take in more grains, dairy and nuts.

People of “pitta” nature, or those who tend to be warm and have a more intense and highly focused nature, are understood to need more raw vegetables and food which are only mildly spiced. hot, spicy food is believed to lead to a greater incidence of skin rashes, liver weakness and anger. Large salads would do wonderful to them.

People of “kapha” nature, or those who tend to be overweight or stocky and often move and speak very slowly, benefit from lighter foods such as vegetables and salads and thrive on hot, spicy foods. if sweet, heavy, oily foods are taken in too great of a quantity it can lead to greater mucous accumulation as well as further weight gain and diabetes mellitus. People with a kapha nature should avoid all sweets, dairy and nuts and most grains such as wheat and rice. However, grains such as quinoa and millet can be taken.

Nothing is right for everyone, everything is right for someone. Ayurveda avoids the “everybody must” dogma in favor individually tailored food programs to meet the needs of individuals. With a proper diet and lifestyle, ayurveda’s goal is to help each person reach their maximum potential, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

simple ayurvedic food tips for each dosha

vata- best foods-cooked grains, butter,ý dairy, nuts, cooked vegetables
worst foods- raw salads, fruits, beans

pitta- best foods- raw salads, cooked grains, milk, seeds
worst foods- hot, spicy foods, sour foods, deep fried foods, fermented foods such as yogurt and vinegar.

kapha- best foods- salads, cooked vegetables, spicy foods, quinoa, millet, corn flour and buckwheat
worst foods- dairy, meat, cheese, nuts, wheat and rice