Which tastes balance Vata, Pitta Kapha

Which tastes balances Vata

Pungent, Bitter, Astringent strengthen Vata:

Pungent, bitter and astringent tastes increase Vata and all phenomena to do with movement, penetration and cleansing of channels.

If you need to pacify Vata, therefore, you need to focus on the sweet, sour and salty tastes and eat more warm foods.

Which tastes balances Pitta

Salty, Sour, Pungent strenthen Pitta:

Salty, sour and pungent tastes strengthen Pitta. That is, they strengthen all those functions associated with a rise in temperature; for example metabolic processes.

An excess of these tastes, however, aggravates Pitta and needs balancing out with sweet, cooling foods.

Which tastes balances Kapha

Sweet strengthens Kapha:

Sweet or madhura taste is a builder of those tissues that are formed from earth and water. Hence, sweet substances strengthen Kapha.

An overload of sweets, on the other hand, can create a Kapha imbalance, which needs to be corrected with pungent, bitter and astringent tastes and warming foods.

Maharishi Ayurveda identifies ten distinct body types and three major seasons of the year.

Once you know your body type the chart below will help you what diet will suit you best at different times of the year.

(1) Balance of Vata and Kapha diets. Select equal proportions of food from the "favour" section of each diet. (The "minimise" sections can be ignored at this time.)

(2) Balance of Pitta and Vata diets. Favour especially the foods in the
"favour" sections of both diets. Otherwise go by the Pitta diet.

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