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A Vata Pitta diet can be a bit confusing. Vata and Pitta doshas are opposite in nature.
If you’re a Vata Pitta type, how do you cater to both doshas? One dosha is a hot dosha and is responsible for warmth in your body. The other dosha is a cold dosha that makes you sensitive to excessive cold.
Should you eat cold foods or warm foods? Should you have alcohol at all as it is supposed to be Pitta aggravating? Which oil is best for me? Don’t worry. Two dominant Ayurvedic doshas are actually the most common body type.
In this article, we’ll share everything you need to know about the Vata Pitta diet. Here’s what you’ll learn.
Vata, if in balance, subtly ignites the digestive “fire” just as air helps a fire to start. But if it gets aggravated due to any cause, it can make the digestive fire (agni) go haywire and become irregular.
On the other hand, Pitta being composed of the fire and water element supports your agni if it is in a balanced state. In an aggravated state it will either give you ravenous hunger or will give you indigestion due to an increase in its fluid and sour properties.
So if your physiology is dominated by two doshas, you need to take care that your diet should fulfill the requirements of the two. It should not aggravate either of them.
What can you eat?
There are no absolute foods to avoid. There are definitely foods which are more likely to suit you over others and should be preferred more. Less suitable ones should be taken less frequently.
If you have a dual Prakriti, you need to listen to your body.
The dosha which is aggravated or depleted will need your attention. Pitta dosha symptoms are different than Vata dosha symptoms and Kapha dosha symptoms.
When a dosha is aggravated, use foods which have properties opposite to that of the dosha in question.
On the other hand, if your body gives symptoms which point towards the depletion of a dosha, use foods with the same properties as that particular dosha.
Don’t know your Ayurvedic Body Type or Prakriti? Click HERE to take the FREE Quiz.
Here’s a handy Vata Pitta Pacifying Food Chart.
If you would like to learn more about Ayurvedic nutrition and how different foods affect the doshas, check out this Ayurvedic course on Holistic Nutrition by Todd Caldecott.
If both of your doshas are balanced, follow these guidelines to keep the two in good health.
These guidelines will come in handy when you’re choosing a meal plan.
Warm Or Cold Foods?
The Vata Dosha in your prakriti demands warm and fresh food. Pitta being hot, may prompt you for a cold beverage.
You need to primarily follow the Vata Dosha and eat warm, easily digestible and freshly cooked food whenever possible.
To be in tune with Pitta the food needs to be low on spices, sour and pungent tastes.
It should include ingredients with an inherent cooling property like cooked zucchini and a plate of rice which will pacify Pitta even if they are served hot as they are cooling by nature.
Similarly too much raw food, and food directly from the refrigerator, without warming, should be avoided as it will aggravate Vata.
In peak summer you may enjoy cool and naturally sweet drinks like sherbets, coconut water, sweet lemonade or sweet buttermilk.
These should never be icy cold in any situation to avoid the aggravation of Vata. Smoothies that follow certain guidelines are also acceptable.
Quantity Of Food
Eat small quantities of food at regular intervals instead of big meals in one sitting. This is particularly good for your digestion as it will accommodate all states of your digestion.
Ayurveda gives importance to not only what you eat but also how you eat it.
Dining Environment
Sit and eat in a calm place and eat slowly, chewing the food properly. Eating while walking, working and talking is likely to cause gas, indigestion, and acidity which Vata Pitta types are prone to.
Liquids should be taken an hour before or an hour after meals so as not to dilute the digestive juices. A few sips while eating though are all right.
Oils, Spices + Yogurt
Eat lightly cooked food instead of raw food as stated earlier. Use spices like fennel, cumin, coriander seeds, garlic, turmeric, and ginger. Ginger being hot in property should be used in small quantities.
Use oil and ghee in cooking. If you gain weight easily, restrict your intake to 6-8 teaspoons per day. Ghee (clarified butter) is particularly good to pacify Vata and Pitta and will help you feel more grounded.
White meats, egg whites, and dairy are good sources of proteins for your Dosha type. Yogurt is also okay but should not be combined with fruits, not taken every day and never at night.
Tastes To Favor
Vata gets aggravated with astringent, pungent and bitter tastes. Sweet, sour and salty tastes pacify Vata.
On the other hand, pungent, sour and salty tastes aggravate Pitta, while bitter and astringent tastes (as in spinach) pacify it.
If both Doshas are aggravated then a sweet taste has to be used to pacify them. But sweet does not mean sugar.
Grains, Nuts, Fruits + Vegetables
Wheat, barley, rice, zucchini, tapioca, and squash all have a sweet taste and are healthy options to have.
Any food which is rich in carbohydrates is good for your prakriti. But choose whole grains over refined starches and sugars.
They will pacify Vata and Pitta and make you feel grounded. In other situations, specific taste as per the condition of the constituent dosha is to be used.
Oat, whole wheat, basmati rice, quinoa, and amaranth are carbohydrate options you can choose from. These will serve the purpose of balancing as explained above.
Keep breakfast and dinner light and have dinner by 8 pm. Lunch should be the heaviest meal of the day.
Fruits and pre-soaked nuts (for about 8 -10 hours in water) and lightly sautéed seeds can be taken as snacks in between the meals.
All vegetables except ones that are too fibrous like artichokes and broccoli are good for you. Mustard greens, green peppers, aubergine, and too much tomato may also be avoided as they have the potential to aggravate Pitta.
All fruits that are well ripened and sweet are good for you.
Sour fruits taken in excess can aggravate Pitta and should be avoided.
Don’t know your Ayurvedic Body Type or Prakriti? Click HERE to take the FREE Quiz.
You can start your day with a few almonds and raisins which have been soaked in water overnight. This can be followed by herbal tea like coriander. To make coriander tea, boil one teaspoon of coarsely ground coriander seeds in water and reduce to half. Strain and enjoy lukewarm.
You may also enjoy rose petal or mint tea.
Breakfast
Breakfast can be cereal with milk or milk substitutes like coconut or almond.
Lunch
For lunch, you can have cooked vegetables, a little salad, a carbohydrate and protein source.
For carbohydrates, you may have any of the above-mentioned cereals or tubers like sweet potato. For a protein source, you can have white meat (well cooked), eggs, moong beans or a lentil.
Kichadi is a convenient and easy-to-prepare meal which you may try for lunch. Just add a dollop of ghee while eating it.
Mix in a few finely chopped boiled vegetables to make it a complete meal.
Dinner
Dinner can be the same as lunch but you can have soup too.
Beans and lentils may prove gassy for a Vata dominant person. Enjoy them with appropriate spices like cumin seeds, coriander, garlic and a dash of lemon juice. Take in small quantities to begin with.
Chew half a teaspoon of lightly roasted fennel seeds along with a few crystals of sugar to aid digestion.
For supper, boil a cup of milk and serve warm, sweetened with a few raisins. A teaspoon of almond oil or ghee may be mixed into it. This will help you feel balanced and will also balance the Vata.
If you would like to learn more about Ayurvedic nutrition and how different foods affect the doshas, check out this Ayurvedic course on Holistic Nutrition by Todd Caldecott.
Enjoy these Vata and Pitta pacifying recipes.
Butternut Squash Benefits + Vata And Pitta Pacifying Soup Recipe
Vata And Pitta Pacifying Pumpkin Black Bean Side Dish
Vata And Pitta Pacifying Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Vata Pitta Pacifying Beetroot And Carrot Soup
Vata + Pitta Pacifying Breakfast Recipe: Sweet Potato Pudding With Hot Chai (Sweet Potato Kheer Recipe)
Please consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner before trying the dietary recommendations for Vata Pitta mentioned in this article.
Isn’t potato and onions a no go?
Love it!
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sanjay
September 13, 2022
thanks