Ayurveda Tips for Vata Body Types

Seeking the right diet for optimal health? Confused by the profusion of nutritional advice on the market, all claiming to have the perfect solution to your weight-loss efforts, the right foods to aid your digestion, and the ultimate guide to the ingredients you should presumably not be consuming? Whether it's fat-free, gluten-free, sucrose-free, dairy free, high-carb, low-carb, all protein, vegan, vegetarian, or any combination of sacred and forbidden foods, the problem is that when it comes to diet, there is no one-size-fits-all solution!

Enter the time-honored science and practice of Aryuvedic medicine. Hailing from ancient India, Aryuveda places nutrition at the top of the list when it comes to living optimally and in good health. However, unlike other nutritional plans, Aryuveda prescribes a diet that is tailor-made to suit your personal, biological constitution! By learning what to eat to create and maintain balance in your own mind-body system, the guesswork will be taken out of diet and you will be able to wisely and consistently choose foods that cater to your makeup - allowing you to thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally.

How to Eat for Your Body Type

According to Aryuveda, nutritional balance does not merely mean correct portion sizes; rather, each of us comes wired with one of three dominant body types or "doshas", which make us vulnerable to certain balances and imbalances in nature and which imbue us with certain strengths and weaknesses.

In the area of nutrition, an Aryuvedic diet recommends foods, herbs, and ingredients that optimize your digestion in accordance with your personal body type. The three doshas are called: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, and each can be identified by specific personal character traits. Simply take the online Dosha Quiz and you will be well on your way to knowing which foods favor your digestive system and which ingredients to reduce or eliminate in order to balance irregularities.

Vata Balancing Diet

Vata body types are associated with the winter principle and tend to be thin, have cold hands and feet, dry skin, and are averse to the cold. Vata personalities also tend to be frenzied, tense, or anxious, constantly thinking, moving about, or fidgeting. They often have a hard time sleeping. A Vata balancing diet thus includes easy-to-digest, warm foods that lubricate the gastrointestinal tract and build a sense of stability or groundedness.

Food Plan for Vata Dosha

According to your dosha, there are foods you should favor, reduce, or eliminate. Some of the foods Aryuveda recommends for Vata body types include:

• Warm beverages and warm foods softened with butter or fats (i.e. warm milk, herbal teas, creams, heavy stews, hot cereals, and freshly baked bread).
• Sweet fruits
• In moderation, include dairy products, legumes, nuts and seeds, not-too spicy spices, natural sweeteners, and oils such as olive, sesame, and almond.
• Vata doshas should avoid ice cold drinks, cold or raw salads/ vegetables, and dry fruit.

Dosha Questionnaire

If you have yet to take the Dosha Quiz, now would be a good time so that you can begin eating dosha-friendly foods and reap the benefits of optimal physical, mental, and emotional functioning.

Finally, keep in mind that we are all comprised, in various proportions, of all three doshas. So as you embark on your new Aryuveda diet, pay attention to food recommendations for mixed body types as well, such as vata-kapha or vata-pitta.

Good luck!