✦ Pitta Balancing Diet ✦

THE BEST FOODS FOR:

Pitta Season = Summer

Pitta Dosha

Teekshna Agni = Sharp Digestive Fire

EMPHASIZE: 

Sweet, Bitter and Astringent Taste

REDUCE: 

Salty, Sour and Pungent Taste

Pitta qualities are: oily, sharp, hot, light, moving, liquid and acidic

Pitta balancing foods are: cooling, drying, more dull or bland, simple, and heavy

The pitta balancing diet is for the summer season, anyone who is experiencing higher pitta in their body/mind, or anyone with a sharp, teekshna digestive fire.

When the fire is strong (in the digestive tract, the mind, emotions, tissues of the body, and in the sky) it’s time to have an easy, cooling and calming diet and lifestyle. The most cooling foods come from the sweet and simple tastes of fresh juicy fruits, sweet veggies, bitters (such as bitter greens, cauliflower or broccoli) and astringent foods like beans, pomegranate, kale and turmeric.

Cooling greens, lettuces, sprouts and cilantro cleanse the heat and toxicity from the liver and blood. This keeps pitta chill,  calm and clear. It prevents redness or rashes in the skin and a ‘hot blooded’ temper, irritability, anger and a heavy menstruation.

Eating a very simple diet, that is almost bland or a lot of mono foods, is also helpful; less fancy, flashy, extravagant meals and more basic, wholesome foods. Because pitta has the strongest fire, people with more pitta can handle a more raw diet that requires a strong digestion.

Sweet, neutral grains are also good- such as rice, barley, couscous or quinoa. And beans, lentils and legumes are also great for pitta. They have a cooling effect due to the astringent taste, and the high pitta increases the ability to digest.

Because pitta is already oily, less oil and healthy fats are necessary. When oil is used, coconut is the best choice because it is cooling. It can also be applied to the skin.

Sour, salty and pungent tastes are heating and should be reduced or eliminated depending on your needs. Sour includes – tomatoes, sour cream, yogurt, ferments like Kombucha or sauerkraut.

Stimulants like coffee, caffeine, cacao, hot sauce will strongly imbalance pitta and should be cut out. Alcohol is also highly heating and will set the blood aflame. If you choose to indulge, a wheat beer is better than hard liquor or wine.

Best Foods For Pitta Dosha

FRUIT: 

sweet, juicy, hydrating and neutral fruits are wonderful. avoid sour or pungent.

Apples, Apricots, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Cherries, Cranberries, Dates, Dried Fruit,  Figs,  Grapes,  Guavas,  Mangoes, Melon, Nectarines, Oranges (sweet), Peaches, Pears,  Persimmons,  Pineapple,  Plums,  Pomegranates,  Raspberries, Strawberries, Tangerines (sweet)

VEGETABLES: 

It’s better to eat vegetables fresh, raw, steamed, or baked rather than fried, sauteed or grilled.

Alfalfa Sprouts, Artichokes, Asparagus, Avocados, Bean Sprouts, Beet greens, Bell Peppers, Bitter Melon,  Broccoli, Cabbage,  Cauliflower,  Celery,  Chicory, Cilantro, Collard Greens,  Corn,  Cucumbers,  Dandelion,  Eggplant, Endive, Fennel, Green Beans,  Jicama,  Kale,  Lettuce,  Mushrooms,  Okra,  Parsley,  Peas, Pumpkin,  Seaweed, Snow Peas, Spinach, Squash,  Sweet Potatoes,  Swiss Chard,  Turnip Greens,  Watercress,  Zucchini

GRAINS: 

Barley, Oat, Quinoa, Rice, Wheat

LEGUMES: 

Legumes are astringent, which makes them drying and cooling. They are also light in taste, and offer great protein to the stronger digestion and help to balance blood sugar.

Adzuki, Bean Sprouts, Black Gram, Chick Peas, Fava, Garbanzo, Kidney, Lentils, Lima, Mungs, Split Pea, Tofu

NUTS & SEEDS: 

Coconuts and coconut water, milk, meat, oil, sugar, etc is great for cooling the heat of pitta.

Almonds, Coconut, Flax, Macadamias, Pinon, Pumpkin, Sunflower

DAIRY: 

Go for sweet and bland, not sour.

Butter, Cheese (moderation), Cottage Cheese, Ghee, Ice Cream, Milk, Rice/Soy Milk

OILS: 

Pitta is oily in nature. Use oil sparingly, or when dryness is present.

Almond, Avocado, Coconut, Flax, Olive, Soy, Sunflower, Ghee

HERBS & SPICES: 

Cooling, bitter or astringent, not spicy or pungent 🙂

Aloe, Anise, Asafoetida, Cardamom, Cilantro, Chamomile, Chicory, Coriander, Cumin, Dandelion, Fennel, Hibiscus, Mint, Peppermint, Saffron, Spearmint, Turmeric

*Food lists are adapted from Dr. John Douillard and “Eat Taste Heal” by Thomas Yarema.

To learn more about the Ayurvedic diet, understand your digestive type, and how to adjust your food choices, check out my workshop: Ayurvedic Diet 101

In the workshop, I’ll cover the four main digestive types and the best diet for each one, particularly with using the six tastes.

I’ll share tips on easy versus hard to digest foods, creating a healing diet, and spices or herbs to support you.

We’ll also talk about compatible and incompatible foods. What goes good together and foods you shouldn’t pair together.

Last, we’ll go over essential practices on healthier eating guidelines. Because HOW you eat can impact your digestion just as much as WHAT you eat.

Click here to check out Ayurvedic Diet 101 and really dive into the power of Ayurveda and food as medicine!