Correcting Your Diet : The Ayurvedic Way.

 According to Ayurveda, everything in the universe is made up of various proportions of the same five elements(panca mahabhutas), they are- Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. This article aims to explore the concept of the individual nature of an individual or the 'Prakriti' of an individual.

There are infinite combinations through which these aspects manifest themselves in our physical bodies and that is what gives rise to the 'Individuality' of each person and their own genetic makeup. This is called the 'Prakriti' of the individual and does not generalize a set of rules by following which a person can maintain their health.

Prakriti as mentioned; is formed by the five elements. Further, it is categorized as Vata(Air & Space), Pitta(Fire & Water), and Kapha(Earth and Water). In a way, the word 'Prakriti' can be said as 'the first formed nature', hence it remains the same throughout life. A person's health can be made prime by various spiritual practices, yogas, and definitely by a correct diet. 

By understanding these qualities of our natural constitution or our Prakriti, we are able to understand ourselves better. This Prakriti plays an important role in our health and how we function in the world. We also become aware of certain factors like the type of food, change of season, etc that have an effect on our health and hence can make informed decisions and better care of our health. 

A person is usually a combination of the constituents of Prakriti, few people belong to the category having pure Vatta, pure Pitta, or pure Kapha. Usually, one is in a dominant role, while the other one plays a secondary role. For example, You might be a P-K person that has Pitta dominance, while Kapha is secondary. Or a person can be V-P, where Vatta is primary and Kapha is secondary, all combinations are possible.

Here, try and find your Prakriti and the foods you should be avoiding.

Types Of Prakriti

 1. Vatta-

Understanding Vatta Personality:

• Feel hungry at any time of day or night.
• Love excitement and constant change.
• Sleep at different times every night, skip meals and keep irregular habits in general.
• Display bursts of emotion that are short-lived and quickly forgotten.
• Walk and speak quickly.

Foods to avoid:

• Avoid unsoaked dry fruits as they can cause problems like constipation and indigestion.
• Vegetables that cause gas like cabbage, cauliflower, etc.
• Millet, Corn, Rye, Barley, Oats, dry preparation like muesli, flakes, etc.
• White bread, cookies, pastries, pizza.
• Difficult to digest beans like Chickpea.
• White Sugar
• Green and Red Chilli

2. Pitta-

Understanding Pitta Personality:

• Feel frantically hungry if dinner is not on time.
• Lives by their watch and regret wasting time.
• Wakes up in the night feeling hot and thirsty.
• Takes command of situations or feels like doing so.
• Others may find you too sarcastic or critical sometimes.
• Have a determined step while walking.

Foods to avoid:

• Very sour fruits.
• Carrots, beet, tomato, onion, radish.
• Curd, cheese, sour cream, preserved milk.
• Raw or roasted nuts.
• White Sugar.
• Pickle, spicy condiments, sour salads.
• Vinegar, red and green chili.

3. Kapha-

Understanding Kapha Personality-

• Thinks over a very long time before making a decision.
• Wake up slowly, lie in a bed a long time.
• Is happy with the status quo and preserve it by conciliating with others.
• Respect other people's feelings with whom you feel genuine empathy.
• Seek emotional comfort from eating.

Foods to avoid:

• Banana, Litchi, Mango, Watermelon
• Cucumber, Tomato
• Curd, Full cream dairy.
• All nuts
• Sesame oil, Coconut oil
• White Sugar

These lists roughly denote common indicators of your doshas and are non-comprehensive. An accurate diagnosis from a suitable and skilled practitioner must be considered before altering any food habits and to find out your Prakriti. All in all, Ayurveda in itself is all-encompassing in its knowledge of the science of medicine and our diet forms a substantial part of it. Hence, It is our duty to maintain optimal health by treating our bodies like temples they are.

Cheers 

Sarthak