Conscious Eating Part 7

In addition to one's given dosha const.i.tutional type, from birth to the teen years the kapha dosha is the predominant force since kapha governs growth. Because kapha is predominant, no matter what one's const.i.tution, kapha will tend to go out of balance the most easily during these years. This is why one sees a tendency for so many colds, flus, runny noses, and earaches in young children. These mucous conditions are typical of unbalanced kapha energy. This is often made worse by the excess consumption of dairy products in our culture. It is also true that many in our Western culture are outright genetically predisposed to be intolerant of dairy. During these years it is best to slant the diet toward those foods which balance kapha. That means minimal ice cream, cake, cookies, candy, and dairy.

From p.u.b.erty to the sixties, pitta predominates. It is most obvious in the teenage years when the fire of life begins to express itself in such well-known forms as high s.e.xual energy, pimples, heightened emotions, and rock and roll music. During the teenage years, more emphasis should be put on avoiding pitta-unbalancing foods, such as hot, spicy pizzas and Mexican foods. Alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs should be avoided, especially after the teen years and early twenties. Young adults need less focus on the pitta-unbalancing foods and more attention on avoiding foods and habits that unbalance their particular dosha.

After age sixty or seventy, the vata force tends to predominate. Of course, if one doesn't take care of oneself, pitta will "burn out" more quickly and the vata phase will arrive sooner. The vata phase shows itself with the tendencies toward arthritis, emaciation, nervous system disorders, sensitivity to cold weather, and a decrease in the power of both digestion and memory. These vata-unbalancing tendencies are balanced in the same way that one balances const.i.tutional vata (as outlined in the vata section).

Dosha Energy Cycles of the Day.

The day cycle begins with the movement of vata from 2 AM to 6 AM. The vata force creates movement and lightness and is the upward awakening force. Kapha predominates from 6 AM to 10 AM. It is the time when those with a predominant kapha const.i.tution are most easily thrown out of balance. Kapha people do well not to eat or drink too much for breakfast, especially if the food is still cold from being in the refrigerator. People with the const.i.tution of a kapha may even want to take a little ginger or cayenne to bring heat to the system and clear the mucus at this time.

From 10 AM to 2 PM pitta predominates. This is the time of best digestion for most everyone. Because of this it is the optimal time to eat the largest meal of the day in the Ayurvedic system if all other factors are in balance. Whereas a kapha or vata person may enjoy some sun and do exercise to warm up, the pitta person will do well to avoid the sun and other heating activities during this time of day.

From 2 PM to 6 PM the vata dosha predominates. This is the time of day that many people may experience bloating and fatigue. Kapha then begins to predominate from 6 PM to 10 PM; therefore, it is better to eat early in the evening because kapha has a slowing force on digestion. It is particularly advisable for kaphas to eat lightly and earlier in the evening. Pitta again predominates from 10 PM to 2 AM. Pittas may find that their appet.i.tes are stimulated during this time. Although generally it is not recommended to eat late at night, pittas can get away with it if they eat lightly.

The Changing Dosha Forces of the Seasons.

The seasons and the change of seasons have a powerful effect on the balance of the dosha. By maintaining an awareness of the predominant dosha-unbalancing force with each season, one is able to shift diets, clothing, and lifestyle to maintain the doshas in a balanced state.

The healthy practice of eating with the seasons is well-known in Chinese medicine also. In the Ayurvedic system, the change of seasons is a time of significant dosha imbalance. The peak energy change times are the equinoxes on March 21 or 22 and September 21 or 22, and the solstices on June 21 or 22 and December 21 or 22. During these transition times when the natural energies are in the extremes, it is beneficial to eat lightly and be particularly careful to follow a balanced, harmonious lifestyle.

Fall is usually a time of cooling temperatures and increased wind. These two forces aggravate the vata dosha. For vata people in particular, it is important to dress warmly in order to minimize exposure to the cold and wind. It is a time to eat more warming foods and to increase the intake of foods that have a more sweet, salty, and sour taste. These are foods that balance vata. Moderate amounts of pungent and warm foods may have a healing effect at this time. In the Chinese system, fall is a time when the air element (vata) and lungs and large intestine meridians tend to become most easily unbalanced. Fall is an important time to make sure one's bowels are moving regularly and to eat high-fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to aid the elimination process. It is also a time to work on the a.s.similation of vitamin O, oxygen, with a focus on breathing exercises to build lung function. Ginger root is a good tonic for the whole system and especially the lungs and sinuses during this time. Other good lung teas are burdock and comfrey Coltsfoot is another good general lung herb to have occasionally. Licorice root is good for the adrenals and is a mild laxative to support the bowels. Grief is the emotion in the Chinese system that is a.s.sociated with the lungs and large intestine. Repressed grief can inhibit the function of these organs, so the fall is a significant time to get in touch with one's grief and express it and release it.

Winter is a time of dampness and coldness. Damp and cold unbalance kapha and kapha-vata most strongly. Disorders of excess mucus such as bronchitis, colds, flus, and pneumonia happen more frequently during the winter. Heating activities such as physical exercise, saunas, certain breathing exercises, and consumption of warming herbs and foods that are dry, pungent, hot, bitter, and astringent will help to balance kapha. The winter is a time for kaphas to minimize fatty, oily, sweet, sour, salty, and dairy foods. It is distinctly not a time to eat ice cream. Raw, unpasteurized honey in small amounts, although a sweet, is a warming kapha balancer. In the Chinese system, winter is a time for the water element to become most vulnerable to imbalance. This often correlates with the tendency for the mucus imbalance of the kapha. The kidneys and bladder meridians are most easily unbalanced at this time. Herbs that support the kidneys include juniper berry, flaxseed, marshmallow root, nettles, fenugreek seeds, cornsilk, and parsley. Ginger and cayenne are particularly good for this season as well. Aerobic exercises that heat the body and stimulate circulation, and hatha yoga to keep the muscles loose, are also good for maintaining balance during this season. According to the ancient Chinese system, the kidneys are said to hold fear. Winter is a good time to make yourself feel safe and secure and even to work on your fears. Meditation and prayer are both soothing to the mind and help to eliminate fear.

Eating with Doshas of the Seasons SUMMER Eat more sweet, cool, bitter, astringent, raw, and high water-content foods: fruits, melons, vegetables, greens, sprouts SPRING Eat similar to winter but increase raw food, greens, sprouts, vegetables, fruits, and low-fat foods and decrease grains WINTER Eat more pungent, bitter, astringent, warm, dry, and light foods: ginger, cayenne, vegetables, grains, greens, and sprouts FALL Eat more sweet, naturally salty, sour, warming, heavy, and high-fiber foods: ginger, grains, vegetables, soaked nuts and seeds Spring, with the melting of the snow and the arrival of wind and rain, is another time of kapha and kapha-vata imbalance. In addition to the balancing activities recommended for winter mentioned above, spring is a good time to fast to clear out the excess kapha buildup from winter. It is a time to eat more lightly and to eat more raw fruits, vegetables, and raw, soaked nuts and seeds, and to cut down on grains. Spring is the time for green foods, sprouts and salads; they should be eaten abundantly. In the ancient Chinese system, it is the time the wood element, which involves the liver and gallbladder, is most easily unbalanced. Thus these organs need the most support during the spring. Sour foods are particularly balancing for the wood energy as well as for vata. Lemon is a great cleanser for the liver. Foods that unbalance kapha, such as alcohol, fatty, fried and oily foods, dairy, and an excess of grains, also stress the liver. These should be avoided, as well as junk foods and processed foods. Avoidance of these foods gives the liver a chance to do its spring cleaning. A short fast during this time is also beneficial for this cleansing process. Herbs that are supportive of this process are dandelion, chaparral, milk thistle, barberry, and chelidonium. In the Chinese system, the liver is where anger is stored. During this spring season it is beneficial to the liver and the whole organism to begin to express these feelings in ways that are not harmful to others.

In late spring and summer the pitta energy of the sun predominates. Those who are predominantly pitta will do best to avoid the noontime sun, excessive physical exertion, and oily, hot, salty, and sour foods. Balancing agents are cool baths and sweet, cool, and high-water-content foods, such as watermelon and cuc.u.mbers. Foods with sweet, astringent, and bitter tastes are also good for balancing pitta. Late spring and summer is a time to maximize raw foods, sprouts, salads, greens, fruits, and vegetables in the diet. It is a time to minimize grain and dairy. Stimulants such as coffee and tobacco are best avoided. It's a time for less heating grains and beans. In the Chinese system summer corresponds to the fire element. The heart and small intestine meridians are the most easily unbalanced. Hawthorn berry is a good herb to take occasionally to support the heart, as well as peppermint, tansy, and sorrel. Although ginger is good for the heart, it is also heating and thus best taken in the fall. The emotions a.s.sociated with the heart and small intestine are joy and sorrow. If there is some sorrow, try to let it be released so the joy of summer can be expressed without any holding back.

Dual-Dosha Const.i.tutions.

RARELY DO PEOPLE HAVE JUST ONE DOSHA. Most people have a const.i.tution that is a mixture of two doshas. One is usually the primary const.i.tutional energy and the other the secondary const.i.tutional energy. The combination dosha const.i.tutions are vata-kapha, kapha-vata, pitta-kapha, kapha-pitta, vata-pitta, pitta-vata, and vata-pitta-kapha. In denoting a combination dosha, the predominant dosha is named first. A vata-kapha, for instance, would be more vata energy than kapha. A kapha-vata would have more kapha than vata.

Under certain conditions either one or the other dosha may be unbalanced at a particular time. Although a two-dosha const.i.tution can be thought of as a dual const.i.tution, it still is one const.i.tution with more tendencies of which to be aware. Sometimes these tendencies cancel each other out, and other times they may reinforce each other. Often the symptoms of only one dosha aspect will appear at a time if one is living in a way that is unbalancing that particular dosha.

An example of how one learns to work with this is my experience with my const.i.tution, which is kapha-vata. The vata and kapha tendencies amplify each other in their coldness. Yet the kapha gives some protection against the cold that a regular vata does not have. Kapha-vata types tend to have a low digestive fire, are sometimes constipated, and produce much mucus. My raw-food diet minimizes the mucus production and stimulates bowel function by its high fiber. After several years on raw foods, my body heat has increased as my circulation and overall health have improved. Because most of the energetic and nutritional value remains in fresh live foods, I am able to eat less and get the same, or greater, nutritional value than if I ate more cooked food. Less food means less strain on my kapha-vata low digestive fire. The digestive fire and general health of a kapha-vata are improved by pungent, salty, and sour foods.

As the seasons change, one dosha may tend to predominate. Warm weather is best for me since vata and kapha both do better in warmth, but being aware of vata imbalances in the fall, and kapha tendencies to unbalance in the winter and spring, allows me to be more in tune with the appropriate foods and balancing activities.

The vata creative, theoretical, explorer, and spiritual tendencies balance my kapha tendencies to be too grounded and routine. The kapha grounding tempers my vata spiritual, inspirational life. My homebody kapha aspects allow me to be grounded enough to write books, have a 30-year marriage, and to raise and support my two children through college. My dosha tendencies express themselves in different ways. If I fast too much, I tend to lose my kapha buffer and fall into vata imbalances. However, my kapha dosha makes it easier for me to regain lost weight after fasting.

Food selection of a dual dosha requires some awareness and trial and error. For example, some oily foods in moderation, such as avocado, which are not the best for a pure kapha, turn out to be balancing for me, particularly during the summer when it is easy to get too dry. By understanding one's dosha characteristics, one learns to use the tendencies of the different doshas to best advantage.

Each combination has its own unique limitations and strengths to work out. Vata-pitta people need warmth, but their pitta dosha limits their tolerance of heat. They like to eat, but their vata tendencies limit how much they can eat without getting indigestion. An unbalanced vata-pitta may not be able to control their fiery emotional const.i.tution and will alternate between pitta anger and vata fear. A vata-pitta has the pitta leadership drive and some of the lack of confidence of a vata. This can blend to make a humble and good leader, or result in the possibility of becoming a domineering, insecure leader. A balanced vata-pitta combines the vata capacity for original thought with the pitta ability to manifest the theory. Vata-pitta types have a tendency to amplify instability if they become unbalanced. Since vata and pitta are balanced by the moderate intake of sweets, vata-pitta people benefit from a moderate use of sweets, such as sweet fruits and grains. Sweets that are helpful do not include white sugar, which unbalances everyone.

Pitta-kapha types combine the pitta leadership, ability to balance energy, and adaptability with kapha's stability Pitta's strong metabolism balances a kapha's tendency to a slow digestion, and adds to the kapha's strong physical body to bring robust health. The mental stability, calmness, and patience of a kapha helps to modify the anger, impatience, and irritability of the pitta. The pitta-kapha can do well in any climate. Pitta-kaphas tend to unbalance with an excess of oil. Pitta's overconfidence combined with the kapha's lack of openness to change may result in poor response to feedback. The pitta-kapha combination amplifies the drive, insight, and lack of spiritual discipline of the kapha. Pitta-kaphas tend to be the great business leaders, school princ.i.p.als, warriors, and athletes, but not the great saints.

Marriages may often serve to balance each mate's dosha. For example, if the wife is vata-pitta it adds fire to a kapha-vata husband. Kapha adds stability to her vata-pitta. A good choice for them might be to live in Northern California because it is neither too warm for her pitta nor too cold for his kapha-vata doshas. A marriage of the doshas doesn't always work out so comfortably. The marriage of a predominant vata and pitta type might amplify instability, anger, and fear. The polarity between the pitta need for coolness and the vata need for warmth is ground for a continual struggle between opening the windows to bring in the cool breeze and closing the window and turning on the heat. The vata will choose sweet, sour, and salty food whereas the pitta does better with sweet, bitter, and astringent foods. It takes some insight and tolerance to work this out in marriage and to have the balancing foods for each dosha at a shared meal. Knowing one's const.i.tution can be of help in finding an appropriate mate as well as an appropriate diet.

Dietary Patterns for Dual Const.i.tutions.

WHEN A PERSON HAS A DUAL CONSt.i.tUTION there are two guidelines to follow. Eat to balance the dosha by the seasons or any other unbalancing force at that time, and practice trial and error. The trial-and-error element is created by the merging of the two doshas. For example, as I previously explained, avocado in moderation, which is aggravating for a pure kapha but balancing for a vata, works well for my kapha-vata const.i.tution in all seasons. I will have less avocado in the winter, however. Generally, those with a kapha-vata const.i.tution may get the best results by eating foods that decrease vata in the summer and fall and decrease kapha in the winter and spring. This means more pungent, bitter, and astringent foods in the winter and spring, and more sweet, sour, and salty foods in the summer and fall.

Pitta-kapha const.i.tutional types do best following a pitta-decreasing diet in the late spring through the fall. Bitter and astringent tastes help to decrease both pitta and kapha. In the summer there can be more sweets and cooling foods and in the winter and spring, more mild, pungent, and heating foods. Salt and sour tend to aggravate both pitta and kapha so they should be minimized.

Vata-pitta const.i.tutional types do well if they follow a vata-decreasing diet in the fall and winter and a pitta-decreasing diet in the spring and summer. Sweets help to decrease both vata and pitta, and pungent, spicy foods may aggravate both vata and pitta. In the summer there can be more bitter, astringent, and cooling foods, such as raw salads. In the winter there can be more sour and salty foods to balance the vata.

Summary.

SMALL IMBALANCES IN THE DOSHA SYSTEM create the seeds for the growth of future disease. Maintaining the doshas in balance helps to bring us toward an optimal level of health. Although our focus in this book is on food, everything we eat, think, say, feel, or act on affects the overall state of harmony and balance in our lives and therefore requires some attention.

The awareness of our dosha const.i.tution increases the knowledge of how to change food and other lifestyle habits to prevent disease and create optimal health. Knowing one's mind-body type makes disease prevention and treatment considerably more specific and individual. The dosha const.i.tution helps us understand how nature specifically intended us to live. Simply eating the foods that balance our doshas can exert an astonishing positive influence on every aspect of our lives. Eating what is specifically best for ourselves, and not trying to fit into any external, generalized dietary concepts, is a major step in developing an individualized diet.

Preview of Chapter 5.

SOME FOODS WORK BETTER with some types of people and do not benefit other types. In this chapter you will find a detailed discussion of what food and food categories work best with the different const.i.tutional types. Understanding this information is part of the process of conscious eating. This does not mean you necessarily cut out all the other types of foods that are not optimal for you, but that you begin to explore what works best for you and to minimize those foods that tend to unbalance your const.i.tution. Are you ready to take the time to understand what foods are best for your psychophysiological const.i.tution? Are you ready to make the changes necessary to take advantage of this understanding?

I. Vata food guidelines A. Food varieties B. Blended and pre-blended foods C. Oils, vegetables, and salads D. Soups E. Fruits F. Nuts and seeds G. Grains H. Legumes I. Dairy J. Spices and herbs K. Drinks L. Sweets.

II. Kapha food guidelines.

III. Pitta food guidelines.

IV. Guideline chart.

Foods That Can Balance or Unbalance Your Const.i.tution.

Guidelines and Perspective for Vata Food Intake for Vata People.

VATA PEOPLE ARE MOST BALANCED when they eat regular, small meals three times a day plus snacks. Excesses in eating, both in timing and amount of food at one time, may lead to vata imbalance. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are extreme examples of this type of imbalance.

For vata, a meal is best if limited to a small number of food varieties. This is because of the tendency for vatas to become unbalanced when there is too much variable input. According to some styles of Ayurvedic thinking, several foods made into a soup is easier for vatas to a.s.similate than eating these foods at the same meal separately. The fire and water used in cooking serve as alchemical agents to transform the separate ingredients into a unified whole that is easier for vatas to handle.

This same thinking seems to be found in some Western, natural, herbal healing traditions, as well as in Chinese food preparation. In the Chinese system, there is a definite awareness of the synergistic effects of combining their herbal medicines. In other words, the energies of each individual element combine in a way that enhances their separate qualities, as well as creates a new whole that is more effective than the herbs or foods taken separately. In my own food experiments with live, unheated soups and blended foods, the same principle of synergistic improvement of foods for vatas applies. This has been the experience of others as well. The change agent in this case is the blender's ability to break down the individual ident.i.ties of the foods into one ident.i.ty and to break open the cells so that the enzymes further the digestive process. These foods are easier to digest and often are given to people recovering from illnesses or who have digestive disorders. Those with vata const.i.tutions and others whose digestion is compromised due to ill health have been able to successfully digest blended foods that in their separate, preblended state would not be the best food combinations. For example, people are able to a.s.similate, without digestive difficulties, blended combinations such as bananas or figs with grains, tahini, and fruit, and fruit and vegetable juices. Each of these becomes its own synergistic food. In addition, the liquidity of these blends counters the vata dryness.

The traditional Ayurvedic teachings discourage vatas from eating a lot of raw foods, but in my clinical research I have found that many vata const.i.tutional types such as vata, vata-kapha, and vata-pitta do quite well with live foods if they follow certain principles. Vata-pittas do particularly well with raw food because they have the additional fire of the pitta energy to give heat to the system. One approach is the use of soaked nuts and seeds, particularly in the seed sauce form. There are many raw foods that are high in oil content, such as avocado, nuts, and seeds, which I have found to be balancing for vatas. Sprouted or soaked grains can be blended with water or juices, which balances the dryness of the sprouted or soaked grains. Warming the blended grains, raw soups, and blended vegetables adds heat to compensate for the vata coolness. A warmed, blended, soaked, raw grain cereal in the morning is very soothing for vatas (please see recipe section). Warm-to-the-touch temperature, approximately 118 F, does not destroy enzymes and supplies the needed warmth for a vata. Some people have even benefited by placing their food in an oven for a minute or two to bring the food up to body temperature.

Using herbs to balance vata by improving digestion, adding heat and water to the system, and decreasing the vata tendency for gas are general strategies for a healthy vata eating style. Vatas have less vata imbalance from gastric stress if they eat simple meals because the dryness and the instability of the vata digestive system prevent it from handling a lot of different food types at once. Blended foods and soups help with this. Food-combining practices and mono meals have the most relevance for vatas. Using these practices, I've witnessed a growing number of vatas doing extremely well on live foods. Some even find themselves getting unbalanced if they go off the raw-food diet. Some of my vata clients who are primarily eating live foods have even begun to change the traditional att.i.tudes of their Ayurvedic teachers. There are also some modern Ayurvedic pract.i.tioners who are beginning to acknowledge that this raw-food approach for vatas does work to produce the best health for their vata clients.

The key taste for a vata is sweet because it satisfies and calms the system and makes it feel secure. Salty tastes add some heat, and sour-tasting foods increase acidity. Bitter-, pungent-, and astringent-tasting foods tend to create emotional instability by "drying out" the nervous system. Heavy, oily, and hot foods balance vatas. Cold, dry, light foods tend to unbalance vatas. Vata people are benefited by a warm, oily, sweet, salty, watery, soupy cuisine. Pungent spices are okay unless used in excess. Actually, any taste in excess may eventually unbalance vata, and any food in excess aggravates vata. Cold foods, carbonated drinks, and ice water aggravate vata. A little warm water with ginger at the beginning or end of a meal is soothing. Ginger is the best spice for vatas. It is most important for those with vata const.i.tutions to eat in a warm, comfortable, calm setting and perhaps meditate before eating.

Vatas may have the full range of vegetables and salads, particularly if they are combined with high-oil-content foods, such as avocado or soaked nuts and seeds. These high-oil-content foods can be made into salad dressings or blended with vegetables in the form of raw soups. Although I do not generally recommend extensive use of extracted oils even if they are cold-pressed, a person with a predominant vata const.i.tution may find that a little of these extracted oils provides a balance in the transition to eating only foods with naturally occurring oil in them. Combining the watery vegetables such as cuc.u.mber and squash with the drier, bitter, and astringent ones such as the leafy greens can balance the drying effects of these bitters. The drier greens are still best taken as a minor rather than major part of the diet. The vegetables that help to balance vata are asparagus, beets, carrots, celery, cuc.u.mber, garlic, green beans, okra, parsnips, radishes, turnips, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and onions (if cooked). The cabbage (Bra.s.sica) family, which tends to produce air (gas), and the nightshades, from which allergies may produce joint pains, should be taken in moderation and with an experimental att.i.tude to see if one is affected by these foods. Vegetables that cause gas and vegetables with a lot of roughage should be minimized or blended into raw soups for the vata raw-food person. The blending creates more water in the food and releases the cellulase enzymes stored in the vegetables for digesting the cellulose film on them, which is generally difficult for vatas to digest. Warmed vegetables are easiest for the vata const.i.tution to consume, but raw vegetables, leafy greens, and sprouts that are balanced by oily dressings and warming spices are neutral to balancing for vatas. Often just warming the vegetables to 118 F, which doesn't destroy the enzymes, supplies enough heat to balance the vata person.

Raw cultured vegetables are an excellent way to take in the healing power of cabbage. In its fermented form there is better nutrient a.s.similation of the cabbage. Fermented cabbage has high amounts of lactobacilli and plantatum bacteria, which have predigested the cabbage for us. These micro-organisms add much energy to our systems and aid in our general digestive process. The lactobacilli create an intestinal environment that is unfriendly to candida.

Raw cultured vegetables have been found to be effective in the treatment of a number of disease processes, including candida, peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, colic, food allergies, cyst.i.tis, and constipation. According to Dr. Johannes Kuhl, author of Cancer in Check, the regular consumption of raw cultured vegetables is an effective cancer prevention approach. According to Lita Lee, author of Radiation Protection Manual, cultured vegetables have an antiradiation effect.

At the Tree of Life we serve cultured vegetables on a regular basis. Raw cultured vegetables are balanced in terms of yin and yang and are less vata-aggravating than plain raw cabbage.

Recipes for making cultured vegetables are found in Part IV. For those of you who are unable to make your own cultured vegetables, one of the best commercial sources of raw cultured vegetables is Rejuvenative Foods at 800-805-7957. They have a delightful variety of veggie combinations. Dairy and Food Labs found 5.5 million lactobacilli per gram in their Vegi-Delight Live Zing salad.

In summary, although traditionally prepared raw vegetables can be unbalancing to vatas, blending the vegetables into soups, juicing them, warming them to 118 F, adding spices that are warming or adding digestive stimulants, and using oily or creamy dressings make it possible to eat most raw vegetables without aggravating the vata dosha.

Many fruits, especially sweet fruits, are balancing for vatas, except for astringent, unripe, drying, and dried fruits, which are aggravating for vata. Unripe fruits such as bananas are astringent and therefore mildly aggravating for vata. Ripe bananas, however, are balancing. Dried fruits, unless reconst.i.tuted in water, may accentuate the dryness and thus also cause imbalance. Astringent fruits, such as unripe persimmons, cranberries, and pomegranates, are best taken in moderation, if at all. Apples and pears may have a slight drying effect but can be neutral in their effect on vata if they are taken with some warming spices like ginger or cinnamon. Melons in excess can unbalance vata. Mangos and green grapes are particularly good for vata. The fruits that seem to be the most balancing for vatas include apricots, avocados, bananas, berries, cherries, coconuts, dates, figs, citrus, melons, nectarines, papayas, pineapples, and plums. Some fruits are good for all three doshas. They are called tridoshic, which means "balances all three doshas." They are mangos, raisins, sweet grapes, sweet cherries, sweet apricots, fresh sweet berries, and pineapple.

Nuts and seeds with their high oil content may be balancing for vata if eaten in small amounts. Almonds are the best nut, and sesame seed is the best seed, as it is heating and oily. One reason for avoiding nuts and seeds in excess is because they are concentrated foods. They are not easy to digest and may cause gas, especially since vata digestive energy is usually not very strong. Soaking overnight alleviates some of this difficulty. Overnight soaking washes away inhibitory digestive enzymes and starts a predigestive process for proteins and fats that makes a.s.similation easier. Seeds and nuts are well-absorbed by a vata person when made into seed sauces and seed milks. In this form they are predigested. Liquid has also been added, which makes them less concentrated and less dry. Seed and nut b.u.t.ters are also a more a.s.similable form.

Grains are generally good for vata. Wheat and rice are the most balancing and soothing. A warm oat cereal in the morning is quite nourishing. Amaranth and barley are balancing in moderate use. Millet, buckwheat, corn, and rye, although listed as aggravating, can be eaten in moderation if cooked in plenty of water with a little oil added to make them less drying. Yeasted breads are not as balancing as nonyeasted grain preparations because yeasted bread has the gas of fermentation.

Legumes are not easy for vatas. Legumes tend to be gas-producing. Mung beans, garbanzo beans, tofu, and black and red lentils are acceptable (if cooked well, and if certain spices are used, such as asafoetida, c.u.min, ginger, and garlic). These are the safest beans that a vata should even attempt to eat. In general, I have observed that the legumes, whether sprouted or cooked, tend to produce gas in many people who are not even predominantly vata. Even frequent use of tofu for a vata person may cause a vata imbalance. If legumes are eaten in small amounts, however, an aggravation in vata can be avoided. Garbanzo beans, if made into a spiced hummus (see recipe section), are acceptable. Sprouted legumes tend to be aggravating for everyone, especially vata, and should be minimized.

Oils are generally good for vata. Sesame seed oil is particularly good. Safflower oil is the least balancing. Although I generally do not recommend free-flowing oils, limited amounts may be balancing for vata const.i.tutions at different stages of their health evolution. The oils should be cold-pressed and fresh so that some enzymes are preserved. I do not suggest cooked oils because the fatty acids become transformed from a cis to the trans configuration. A cis structure for fats contains the same number of atoms as a trans structure, but its shape is curved rather than a straight-line like trans structure. The cis structure is biologically active because of the electromagnetic field of the curve, whereas the trans straight-line structure is not biologically active. The cooked fatty acids become incorporated into the cell membrane and because they are not biologically active, they consequently have the effect of weakening cell membrane structures in the body.

All dairy products are good in moderation. The oily and watery qualities of dairy products may be balancing for a vata person if they are consumed in a raw form and if the person is not allergic to dairy products. The only exception to the balancing effects of dairy is use of hard cheeses, which are drying for vatas.

Sweets, such as grains, sweet fruits, vegetables, and honey, are all acceptable, except for white sugar and any foods containing white sugar, such as baked goods and candy.

Spices and herbs are generally balancing for vata. Ginger is the most balancing herb. The best spices and herbs are those which aid the digestive process, minimize gas, and bring warmth to the system. The sweet spices, such as cinnamon, fennel, and cardamom, are also good. Asafoetida is particularly good for those with gas problems. Garlic is another excellent vata-balancing herb. c.u.min is also beneficial. The one danger for vata is using too many hot spices, which may eventually aggravate vata. Coriander, saffron, parsley, and fenugreek are neutral to unbalancing for vata. Cayenne in small amounts is good for its heating quality, but in excess may sometimes be too activating and drying.

Drinks that aggravate vata contain caffeine; are carbonated, ice cold, or cooling; or are astringent and bitter. Cathartic drinks, such as prune juice, also aggravate. Most teas are acceptable unless they are bitter, astringent, diuretic, or drying teas. Blackberry, cornsilk, dandelion, and yarrow teas are best avoided because they have these vata-aggravating qualities.

Guidelines and Perspective for Kapha Food Intake for Kapha People.

THOSE WITH A PREDOMINANT KAPHA CONSt.i.tUTION-kapha, kapha-vata, or kapha-pitta-generally do well on live foods. Kapha-pitta people have the easiest time being on raw foods because the pitta energy gives additional gastric fire for the winter. Raw food can tone up the digestive power of kapha and kapha-vata people so that they may do quite well all year. Kaphas tend to have excess mucus, so the living foods help them feel better because raw foods are less mucus-producing than the same foods in cooked form. Kaphas do best if they avoid fried, fatty, oily, heavy, and cold foods. These foods further slow and strain the already-slow digestion and increase the tendency to gain weight. Because of their slow digestion and tendency to gain weight, kaphas generally do well on just two main meals a day which are separated by at least six hours. It is best for their system if they avoid snacking between meals and train themselves to not overeat.

Sweet, sour, and salty foods unbalance kaphas. Pungent, bitter, and astringent foods tend to balance them. During seasons or day cycles in which kapha tends to be unbalanced, watery foods should be eaten with great care, if at all. (The times for kaphas to be particularly vigilant are between the hours of 6 AM and 10 AM, and 6 PM and 10 PM, during the winter and spring seasons, and when it is raining.) Vegetables are a particularly balancing food for kaphas. Leafy green vegetables, because of their dry, astringent qualities, are probably the most healing for a kapha person. Vegetables and warmed raw foods, in combination with pungent spices, make an excellent diet for kapha. By eating some astringent and bitter foods at the beginning of the meal, kaphas create a stimulant to digestion that helps their whole process of digestion. Having a salad first or some fresh raw ginger in a little warm water or in the salad dressing are examples of this. Raw vegetables also supply fiber to stimulate the bowel function.

The sweet, sour, and watery vegetables may be neutral to aggravating unless taken during a season and time of day when kapha is less likely to be aggravated. Cuc.u.mbers are neutral because they are watery, yet bitter and astringent. Tomatoes are the least aggravating for kapha. Black and green olives, which are oily and salty, aggravate kapha. Sweet potatoes, because of their sweetness, also aggravate. Warmed, raw, leafy greens and vegetables are excellent for kapha. Root vegetables are acceptable, but because they have more earth quality, they may reinforce the inertia of a kapha person who is already too earthy and fixed. Good vegetables for kaphas are pungent and bitter ones, such as asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, leafy greens, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, parsley, peas, peppers, white potatoes, spinach, and all types of sprouts.

Fruits that are drying and astringent, such as pears, apples, and pomegranates, are preferred. Fruit juices can be taken if they are diluted by 33 to 50%. Sour juices such as orange are best taken in minimal amounts. Bananas, if spiced with herbs like dried ginger, are neutral for kapha. Sweet and sour fruits are neutral to aggravating for kapha unless eaten in the right season and time of day. For example, on our fasting retreats, when we served watermelon juice in the morning, several kapha people got congested because the morning is a time of kapha aggravation. When the watermelon juice was given at the pitta time of day (10 AM2 PM), all the kapha people who had previously become congested did well. Particularly good fruits for kaphas are apples, apricots, cranberries, mangos, peaches, pomegranates, dry figs, persimmons, prunes, raisins, berries, and cherries. Oily fruits, such as coconuts and avocados, should be eaten in moderation for the pure kapha, but can be eaten more liberally by the kapha-vata or kapha-pitta types.

Nuts and seeds are heavy and oily and therefore best eaten in minimal amounts. Nuts and seeds that are soaked or sprouted do well for a kapha type on a raw diet, however. The partially digested oils in sprouted and soaked seeds allow kaphas to comfortably obtain adequate amounts of the essential oils without suffering any ill effects. Although kaphas don't do well on large amounts of oil, there is a minimum amount of oil the body needs for its basic functioning. The best seeds are sunflower, pumpkin, and flax.

Grains are not the best food for kapha because they are heavy and mucus-producing, and kaphas already have a tendency to produce excess mucus. Millet, buckwheat, corn, and rye, which are heating and drying, are the best grains for a kapha. Wheat, which is cold, oily, and heavy, is the worst grain for a kapha. Rice and oats are moderate aggravators. All raw, sprouted, and soaked grains are acceptable.

Legumes are a heavy food that is not needed for the kapha const.i.tution because legumes are concentrated foods and body builders. Since kapha bodies almost effortlessly build and add weight to the point of excess, they don't need this extra push. Black beans, mung beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, and red lentils are safe legumes for kaphas. The heaviest legumes, such as black lentils, kidney beans, and soybeans, are best taken in minimal amounts. A little tofu, although a soybean product and high in fat, can be eaten by kaphas.

Oils in the extracted form are specifically aggravating. In minimal amounts, almond, sunflower, and corn oil can be tolerated.

Dairy is heavy, oily, cooling, and sweet. With the exception of ghee and raw goat's milk, dairy products are very aggravating for a kapha const.i.tution.

Sweets aggravate kaphas into the heaviness of mental inertia and physical weight gain. Raw honey, which is heating, specifically balances kapha; taken at one tablespoon or less per day, honey is acceptable.

Spices in general are beneficial to kapha. Garlic and ginger are two of the most healing herbs for kapha. With the exception of salt, which is specifically aggravating for kapha, the same spices and herbs that benefit vatas are also an aid to kaphas. Kaphas are significantly aggravated by salt; this includes canned soups and juices with salt already added, most processed and junk food because of their added salt, and salted potato and corn chips. A minimal amount of miso soup is neutral but in excess will aggravate kapha. Tamarind is another spice that aggravates kapha. Sea vegetables are fine if they are soaked and rinsed with fresh water.

Drinks that are warm and pungent are balancing to kapha. Sour, salty, and carbonated drinks are aggravating. This includes miso in excess. Cold soy milk is also aggravating.