Cart

Your cart is empty

Continue shopping now

Eating for Your Ayurvedic Dosha

Sporty & Rich Wellness - Eating for Your Ayurvedic Dosha

 By: @islandem_

 

We are what we digest. While gut health is gaining an increasing amount of mainstream attention, so much of the information being promoted dates all the way back to ancient India, where Ayurveda, known as "the science of life," originates from. This is one of the original natural systems of medicine created in India alongside the foundations of yoga. It is a holistic practice that involves working with each person's physical, psychological, and spiritual health. This practice acknowledges the fact that every person is unique and therefore, requires different treatments and healing mechanisms.

While Ayurvedic healing is about changing your diet, it doesn’t solely focus on the foods you consume. Ayurveda believes we are not what we eat, but rather, what we digest and eliminate. It believes that where, when, how, and why you’re consuming the food has the biggest impact on your gut and body. If you are eating what is believed to be the healthiest food but you aren’t properly digesting and eliminating it, it is thought that the food will actually harm your body. In Ayurvedic medicine, digestion has so many factors, starting with your dosha.

The doshas come from the Ayurvedic philosophy that the world is made up of air, ether, earth, water, and fire. The energies of these elements exists in us all, but each dosha contains a greater amount of certain elements than others. This balance influences your personality, emotions, physiology, and mental health. There are an abundance of online quizzes that can help you to identify your dosha, or you can see an Ayurvedic practitioner for an in-depth dosha analysis. 

 

Kapha: Water + Earth

Qualities: heavy, slow, solid, earthy, calm, fluid, oily, excess weight, lethargic, is nurtured by light and dry foods that are raw or lightly cooked. Favor spicy foods and should avoid heavy meals.

 

Pitta: Fire + Water

Qualities: Hot, intense, sharp, multitasker, powerful, athletic, overwhelmed, indigestion, balanced by cooling and refreshing foods with moderate texture. Avoid spicy, sour, and fatty foods. 

 

Vata: Air + Ether

Qualities: Cold, light, dry, thin build, airy, moves quickly, head in the clouds, bloats easily, balanced by heavy, cooked meals. Avoid crunchy, raw foods, and favor oily and dense meals.

The key to Ayurveda is not to change your dosha, but to balance it through counteracting. For example, if you are a Vata and always on the go, you need to eat foods that ground you, because any raw or lighter foods will aggravate your airy nature and create gas. 

Ayurveda heavily focuses on eliminating any waste within the body. You can do so by panchakarma, colonics and enemas, and high-fiber supplements. 

Ayurvedic medicine also encourages you to change your lifestyle habits. Besides focusing on the foods you consume, start to eat on a regular schedule and eat your last meal in the early evening to give your body enough time to digest the food prior to sleeping. Moreover, make sure you are fully present when eating. In other words, remove any distractions and avoid eating on the go. Lastly, aim to be in a positive mindset prior to eating and remember to express gratitude for your food. If you think it’s going to taste gross or upset your stomach, it will. Since Ayurveda and yoga are sister-sciences, it’s highly recommended to incorporate a yoga or meditation practice into your daily routine in order to relieve stress and anxiety - another influential factor of poor digestion.

Previous
Next

The Wellness Club

Nutritional Support for Hashimoto’s Disease and Hypothyroidism

Nutritional Support for Hashimoto’s Disease and Hypothyroidism

Translation missing: en.blogs.article.by Taylor Davis

  By: Megan Tomlin @gooodmoodfoood Did you know that up to 60% of cases of Hashimoto’s disease go undiagnosed? Or that women are 5 to 8 times more likely to have a thyroid condition? Knowing these facts, it is shocking that so many of us are still unclear about...

Read more
Are Collagen Supplements Worth Taking? A Dermatologist Weighs In.

Are Collagen Supplements Worth Taking? A Dermatologist Weighs In.

Translation missing: en.blogs.article.by Taylor Davis

By: @dermahealthnutrition The pursuit of youthful, glowing skin is a timeless quest. It fuels a booming industry of skincare products, treatments, and supplements, including collagen, all claiming to improve the signs of ageing. Here's what you need to know to navigate the abundance of collagen powders, capsules, and liquids.  Skin ageing is a multifaceted...

Read more
Sporty & Rich Wellness - Collagen-Rich Foods vs. Supplements

Collagen-Rich Foods vs. Supplements

Translation missing: en.blogs.article.by Taylor Davis

By: @coreflexpilates founder Chris Bardawil What is the best way to boost your body's collagen production? Supplements or diet, here is a run down of the basics to help you navigate your way around understanding collagen and how you can boost your body's supplies. Collagen...

Read more
The Power of Spending Time in Silence

The Power of Spending Time in Silence

Translation missing: en.blogs.article.by Taylor Davis

@emily_campbell In today’s age, even if you don’t live in a hustling and bustling city, you may still experience constant noise. We have become so accustomed to noise everywhere we go, including our homes. Without knowing it, you may prefer “background noise” to block out any unwanted thoughts or feelings that pop up....

Read more
Sporty & Rich Wellness - How to Navigate Job Insecurity

How to Navigate Job Insecurity

Translation missing: en.blogs.article.by Taylor Davis

By: @ericabassotherapy Experiencing a layoff at your workplace or losing your job can be extremely stressful. It's normal to feel a range of emotions during such times. Job loss or insecurity can threaten components of psychological well-being, such as one’s financial health and identity, and leave individuals feeling vulnerable and...

Read more
Irregular Periods: What Do They Mean?

Irregular Periods: What Do They Mean?

Translation missing: en.blogs.article.by Taylor Davis

By: drmelissa.co A woman’s period is a vital sign. Just like your blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and breath rate, a woman’s cycle is indicative of her health overall. An imbalanced period indicates suboptimal health.  The menstrual cycle is incredibly complex and requires a constellation of factors to align for it to occur at regular intervals. Factors that can delay a period or cause...

Read more
The Health Benefits of Ghee

The Health Benefits of Ghee

Translation missing: en.blogs.article.by Taylor Davis

By: @islandem_ Ghee, or clarified butter, is the product of slowly heating cow’s butter to 100°C until the fat, milk protein (casein), and sugar (lactose) separate. The protein and milk are...

Read more
The Power of Napping

The Power of Napping

Translation missing: en.blogs.article.by Taylor Davis

By: @inceipek1 In today's fast-paced world, where work schedules are demanding and screens keep us connected around the clock, finding time to rest and rejuvenate has become increasingly challenging. However, one simple yet highly effective practice that offers us a potential solution is napping. Often underestimated, napping holds a plethora of benefits for both physical and mental health. The Science Behind Napping

Read more
Should You Workout on an Empty Stomach?

Should You Workout on an Empty Stomach?

Translation missing: en.blogs.article.by Taylor Davis

By: @coreflexpilates founder Chris Bardawil  This is a topic that has so many variables but this article will give you some real world experience and ideas on how you can come to your own conclusion when it comes to working out on an empty stomach. The first thing to consider...

Read more
5 Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

5 Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

Translation missing: en.blogs.article.by Taylor Davis

By: @coreflexpilates founder Chris Bardawil  Most of us know about the physical benefits of exercise: improved posture, weight management, increased energy, looking stronger...but what about the psychological benefits of exercise? Here are five key benefits your mental health will get from regular exercise.  Better Sleep: Exercise can help regulate our circadian rhythm which is our body's internal clock that influences when we feel tired and when we feel...

Read more
Nourishing The Mind: How Nutrition Impacts Mental Health

Nourishing The Mind: How Nutrition Impacts Mental Health

Translation missing: en.blogs.article.by Taylor Davis

By: @inceipek1 The saying "you are what you eat" holds more truth than we might realize, especially when it comes to our mental health. The connection between nutrition and mental well-being is a complex and intricate web, with scientific research increasingly highlighting the profound impact that our dietary choices can have on our mood, cognition, and overall mental...

Read more
Sporty & Rich Wellness

Understanding the Complexities of Histamine Intolerance

Translation missing: en.blogs.article.by Taylor Davis

By: @dermahealthnutrition Histamine plays several important roles in the body, including regulating gastric acid production, controlling blood vessel dilation, modulating immunity and response to allergens. Histamine is found in varying amounts in almost all foods. Histamine intolerance results from an imbalance between histamine intake and histamine metabolism in...

Read more