Vata makes the appetite and digestion erratic while the secondary dosha Kapha, by virtue of its properties, has a dampening effect on both.
So typically, a Vata Kapha appetite and digestion are either erratic or weak. However, practically we may see many people having Vata Kapha prakriti who gain weight, having ravenous hunger.
This is a deviation from their Vata dominated dosha type and is called ‘vikriti’, literally meaning deviation from prakriti or nature.1
In fact, this is because of the excessive accumulation of fat tissue in the body and has a pathophysiology of its own behind increasing the appetite.
Although, an increased appetite does not always translate into a good ‘digestive fire’ or for that matter the ‘metabolic fire’ which is controlled by the ‘digestive fire’. Usually, there is an increase in the appetite but a decrease in the overall metabolism.
Barring this unusual state governed by the ‘vikriti’ state of weight gain, Vata Kapha digestion will show a typical pattern as mentioned earlier.
So, consideration of the nature of the Vata Kapha digestion becomes a primary factor in deciding which foods are to be consumed and how they should be consumed. One may argue, why only digestion?
Food affects the other properties of dosha also and as such will affect all the physiological, and psychological aspects of the person influenced by the constituent dosha Vata and Kapha. Well, there is no denying this fact, but unless the food is properly digested, it cannot perform its other functions.
So not only in this dosha type, rather in all dosha types the effect of a particular food on the digestion, characteristic of the said dosha type, should be thought of while selecting the food.
However, we have a peculiar situation here which gives another angle to the selection of foods for this body type: there are many properties of Vata and Kapha which are antagonizing!
So, it becomes challenging for one to design a diet plan which can be used to cater to two dosha having so many opposite properties. It is just like a mother trying to accommodate two siblings having different food choices! So, what does she do?
She would just try to heed to one’s choice at one time and to the other at another time. Alternatively, she will prioritize as per the situation.
Say if one is malnourished, or sick or one has come home from school or is more aggressive (not a criterion I would approve of but it does happen), she will give preference to this child.
This is exactly what one must do; one has to see if any of these two dosha needs immediate attention, that is, it may be aggravated or may be depleted.
If you’d like to learn more about Ayurvedic nutrition, check out Todd Caldecott’s course below.
In both conditions, one should ignore the other for the time being and plan the diet for the day or the next meal according to the latter.
Not only the condition of the dosha in question, the time of the year (season) and time of the day (whether it is Kapha time or Vata time) also matter in planning a meal. All this is to be considered if any dosha needs immediate attention.
But in other situations, you may have two separate dishes in a meal that cater to either dosha or you can tweak the recipe of a dish in a way that it caters to both dosha.
For example, Apple could be aggravating for both Vata and Kapha but a baked apple with cinnamon can be good for both dosha.
Another point I wish to make at this juncture is that it is not necessary to always go for pacifying foods for the constituent dosha.
If constituent dosha is not aggravated, you may go for those foods which have properties akin to a particular dosha, of course along with other balancing foods (with antagonizing properties), as a precaution. This will not allow them to aggravate the dosha in question.
Practically it is quite difficult to know and memorize the properties of each food item and its effect on dosha.
So, we have another way of classifying foods, through their tastes or ‘Rasa’ as it is called in Sanskrit.
There are six tastes in all. Out of these sweet, sour and salty pacify Vata but aggravate Kapha. On the other hand, the other three, pungent (like black pepper), bitter and astringent (like spinach) aggravate Vata but pacify Kapha.
Here also one is in a catch-22 situation as is while deciding foods based on properties.
Pungent (like black pepper), bitter and astringent (like spinach) aggravate Vata but pacify Kapha.
That is why having a Kapha Vata prakriti poses a great challenge to decide on the food to be selected.
However, there is no need to always use the antagonizing tastes or properties (so as to pacify the dosha) but in the normal state, a blend of foods having antagonizing properties and tastes to both constituent dosha can be chosen.
Applying this principle, one can realize that in the case of Kapha Vata or Vata Kapha prakriti, in normal circumstances, one can afford to use foods with all the six tastes without fear.
This does not happen in other dosha types except for the tridoshic prakriti. The only caution is to be a little biased towards the dominant dosha as it has more chance of getting aggravated than the other, as our hypothetical mother may heed to the more aggressive child.
Speaking particularly of choosing foods as per the properties, if one really wishes to dwell deep into the subject, generally, foods which are heating, irrespective of other properties they have will be pacifying for both the dosha as coldness is one property that is common to both.
But there are many exceptions to the rule and hence selecting foods by taste and relating them to dosha is easier and relatively accurate.
All said and done, we do have certain rules which if followed will see that both the dosha generally remain in balance. This will be followed by a list of foods that includes foods that are to be frequently taken, less frequently taken and sparingly taken in normal circumstances.
A sample menu for a Vata Kapha diet can look like this.
Start Of Day
A glass of warm water can mark the start of the day. This can be followed by 8 almonds and 10 raisins which have been soaked overnight. They should be chewed properly and swallowed with the help of a little water. This can be followed by a cup of herbal tea.
For this 1 teaspoon of coarsely ground coriander seeds and 5 leaves of mint and 2 leaves of basil and 1/2 crushed peppercorn in one and a half glass of water is boiled in one and a half cups of water. It is reduced to half and strained.
It can be had lukewarm or hot 2-3 times a day. A little raw sugar or maple syrup may be added to it for taste. This is for balancing all the three doshas.
Breakfast
Breakfast can be composed of cereal or milk or multigrain bread with a little butter, or a platter of fruits followed by the herbal tea. The breakfast is best-kept light so that the lunch is not hampered. Skipping breakfast altogether aggravates Vata and is not advisable.
Lunch
Before lunch, a glass of buttermilk as suggested above or herbal tea with fruit can be taken.
The lunch can be comprised of cereals in the form of bread or grains cooked with liberal amounts of ghee or other fats, proteins in the form of white meat or lentils and beans and cooked vegetables.
Lentils and beans should be spiced using the spices mentioned earlier to counter the Vata aggravating effects.
Dinner
Dinner can be the same as lunch but lighter and can include soups. Bone broth could prove to be very beneficial in Vata aggravation conditions and in peak winters. It can be spiced with peppers and ginger to counter its effect of increasing Kapha.
If you’d like to learn more about Ayurvedic nutrition, check out Todd Caldecott’s course below.
Going through the general guidelines and considering the guiding principles to choose suitable foods for the Vata Kapha diet might be a daunting task. So here is a cheat sheet of a list of foods which one can have more often, less often or sparingly in accordance to Vata Kapha prakriti.
Please consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner before following the dietary recommendations mentioned in this article.
References
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Noureen Merchant
April 03, 2020
Very useful and relevant information for me. Can you share some more sample meal plans