The Ayurveda vata diet is aimed at balancing the vata dosha. The Ayurveda diet is one developed in India and is based on balancing three different "doshas," or vital bioenergies, in your body: vata, pitta, kapha. According to the Ayurvedic practice, the doshas are responsible for the physical and emotional tendencies of the body.
Characteristics of the Vata Dosha
Vata is made up of the two elements of air and water and consists of many qualities. The vata dosha is rough, dry, cool, weighs little, and is small, unbounded and always moving. Therefore, people with a high amount of vata in thier diets are usually thin and have delicate and dry hair.
People with vata characteristics are usually light and happy, make friends easily, and are quick and airy. They are very enthusiastic and make friends easily. Usually vata people will live in warmer climates and be lighter sleepers.
Signs of Imbalanced Vata
If your vata is imbalanced, it may show in many physical and emotional ways. Symptoms include feeling overly anxious, having trouble sleeping but feeling tired normally, and feeling spaced out and unable to sit still. The physical symptoms of an imbalanced vata dosha include dry or flaking skin, brittle hair, chapped lips, digestion issues, and irregular bowel movements.
How to Balance a Dosha
The Ayurvedic practice is about balancing the three doshas, and the way to do this is through your diet. Each dosha has a list of characteristics and to balance a dosha that is imbalanced, you should eat foods with the opposite characteristics of the dosha. By eating foods that exhibit the opposite traits of the imbalanced dosha, the level of the dosha will decrease.
Balancing the Vata Dosha
To balance the vata dosha, you need to look at its characteristics. To even out the dryness, eat more liquid foods. More heavy foods should take care of the lightness aspect of vata dosha. Smooth and warm foods should balance out the other characteristics of roughness and coolness. Also, the three tastes that help balance vata are sweet, sour and salty.
Specific Foods for Balancing Vata
There are a few particular foods that can help balance the vata dosha very successfully. Every day you should be eating some olive oil, butter or ghee with your meal. If you put olive oil over cooked vegetables or warm bread, this can be very beneficial.
Cooked food is crucial for balancing vata, making soups and cooked fruit and vegetables such as carrots, asparagus, sweet potatoes and squash is ideal. Nuts and warm milk are also a great vata pacifier and thus should be part of your daily diet. Finally, be sure to use spices on your food, as it helps balance vata. Some of the best spices to use are tumeric, cumin, coriander, and black pepper.
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