Pitta
is made up of the two elements fire and water.
The most revered
ayurvedic text, the Charaka Samhita, defines the characteristics of
Pitta dosha: hot and a little unctuous sharp, burning ,liquid and
acidic, always flowing in an unbounded manner, pungent and sharp. Pitta
contains fire, but it also contains water. It is the source of the
flame, but not the flame itself. Compare Pitta to gasoline--it is not
hot to the touch, but it can be the source of flames.
People
with more Pitta in their constitutions tend to be of medium proportions,
with a frame that is neither petite nor heavy, warm skin that is very
fair or ruddy and may be sensitive, and fine hair that tends towards
premature graying or thinning. They are sharp and determined in thought,
speech and action. There is an element of purpose to their step, an
intensity to their voice. Ambition is usually their second name. They
are moderate sleepers and gravitate towards cooler environments.
Self-confidence and an entrepreneurial spirit are hallmarks of balanced
Pitta.
If your prakriti or original constitution has more Pitta
in it, you will exhibit many of the characteristics and qualities of
Pitta when you are in balance than people who have more Vata or Kapha in
their make-up. And that's natural. But if the qualities become extreme,
or more pronounced than usual at a given time, then the Pitta in you has
in all likelihood become aggravated or imbalanced, and needs to be
brought back into balance. And if a predominantly Kapha or Vata person
starts exhibiting many Pitta qualities, that indicates a Pitta imbalance
in that Kapha or Vata body type. In both cases, it is then time to
follow a Pitta-balancing diet and lifestyle to help restore the level of
Pitta in the physiology to its normal proportion.
Factors that
can cause Pitta dosha to increase in the physiology include a diet that
contains too many hot or spicy foods, fasting or skipping meals,
over-exposure to the sun Pitta dosha governs metabolism and
transformation in the body. Answer these questions to see if you need to
balance Pitta.
- Do you tend to be demanding or critical?
- Are you often frustrated, angry or intense?
- Is your skin ruddy and prone to rashes and eruptions?
- Are you often irritable or impatient?
- Is your hair prematurely gray or thinning?
- Do you wake up in the early hours and find it difficult to fall
asleep again?
- Do you feel discomfort in hot weather?
- Are you a perfectionist?
- Do you experience hot flashes?
- Do you have excess stomach acid?
- Do you experience loose bowel movements?
Pitta - Balancing Diet
- Cool or warm but not steaming hot foods.
- Bitter, sweet, and astringent tastes.
- As far as practical use less butter and added fat. Consume food
with moderately heavy textures.
- Since Pittas have strong efficient digestion, they can generally
eat just about everything. Most Pittas get into trouble by continued
use of too much salt, overuse of sour and spicy food and overeating.
- Take cool, refreshing food in summer. Reduce the consumption of
salt, oil, and spices, all of which are "heating" to the
body. Salads are good, so is milk and ice cream.
- Avoid pickles, yogurt, sour cream, and cheese. Avoid vinegar in
salad dressing; use lemon juice instead. Alcoholic and fermented
foods should be avoided. Their sour Rasa aggravates Pitta. Coffee is
also pitta aggravating due to the acid in coffee. Herb tea is good.
Prefer mint, licorice root or other pitta pacifying tea.
- Breakfast: Cold cereals, cinnamon toast, and apple tea is a good
breakfast for Pitta. Avoid coffee, orange juice and doughnuts - they
aggravate pitta.
- The vegetarian foods are the best for pitta. Consuming red meat
tend to heat the body from the fat. Consume abundant amounts of
milk, grains and vegetables.
- Avoid oily, hot, salty, and heavy foods such as fried food.
Instead consume starchy foods such as vegetables, grains and beans.
Avoid the tendency to overeat under stress.
- Avoid processed and fast foods as they tend to be heavy on salt
and sour tastes. Japanese and Chinese food are good choices. Avoid
highly spicy food such as is found in Mexican restaurants.
- To bring down aggravated Pitta, take two teaspoons of ghee
(clarified butter) in a glass of warm milk. (Avoid taking the ghee
if you have problem with high cholesterol).
