TriDosha corresponds to human biotypes in Ayurveda. Know your dominant Dosha, its characteristics and the foods that suit you best

If you have read the book The Art of Healing: Living Food, the alternative to nourish and heal yourself in this time , you will know that each person is unique, therefore, their characteristics, the exercise system that suits them and their diet are unique and individual.

The ancient medicine of India, Ayurveda, which means the science of long life, already took this into account and that is why one of the fundamental pillars of its medicinal treatment is called TriDosha Tatwa, which in Sanskrit means tri=three, dosha = vitiated factors or imbalances and Tatwa=theory.

The three main Doshas and their combinations encompass the types of psycho-physiological constitution of humans. Ayurvedic medicine has used and continues to use these references to apply the proper treatment through food and herbs to restore physical and mental balance to the person. This system also takes into account environmental influences such as climate, time of day, meal times and life stages.

Furthermore, the TriDosha of Ayurveda provides a different way of understanding how the foods we eat directly affect our health and well-being. The three Doshas are Vata, Kapha and Pitta.



Before continuing to learn about the Doshas, ​​their characteristics and the ways to balance them through food and certain habits, I recommend that you take the Ayurveda Test here so that you know your dominant Dosha(s) (some people may have two or three). By the way, I recommend that you explore my page and sign up to receive the totally free starter guide.

Nature, classes and functions of the Doshas

There are signs, symptoms and functions that the Doshas express in normal and abnormal environments, according to the scholar Acharya Sayan quoted in the Madhabendranath pal .

The Vata Dosha is related to air-ether and its functions, when not in a state of imbalance, are breathing and actions related to the organs of thought: strength, oral expression and the proper excretion of feces, urine, sweat, etc.

If the Pitta Dosha remains in the assimilative functions and the normal temperature of its state is in balance, clear vision, body, brilliance, joy and intelligence arise.

If Dosha Kapha is kept in balance, there will be flexibility and mobility of the joints, skeletal-muscular stability, strength and vigor; courage and selfless work.

When the nature of the Dosha is unbalanced, signs and symptoms appear, for example :

In Vata : sense of loss, dislocation, extension and expansion of the organs; sadness, thirst, pain in the whole body, roughness of the skin, stiff organs, reluctance to act, flushing of the body, sensation of alkaloid taste, perspiration, paralysis, contraction of the organs, etc.

Physically, Vata people are thin, have little pectoral development, prominent veins, and have difficulty gaining weight. There is a lot of dryness in their system, which makes their skin dry and rough. Vata people tend to have irregular motility: sometimes constipation, other times diarrhea. Women tend to have irregular menstrual periods.

In Pitta : burning sensation in the body, heat, discharge from the part of the body that may be injured, reddish coloration in the affected parts.

In Kapha : The body feels white, feels cold, feels heavy, feels inconsistency, feels greasy, and tends to taste sweet. There is a tendency to postpone actions.

These are some of the characteristics found in ancient Ayurvedic texts, however, there are very precise modern versions and studies regarding the foods and activities that favor the balancing of the Dosha.

Feeding

Vata

The key concept to balancing your diet is to eat fatty foods such as avocado, soaked nuts and seeds, seed and nut butters and/or patés. Nuts and seeds that have been soaked have the water that Vata needs to balance its dryness and the oil to balance its squalor. Herbs such as ginger and cayenne pepper provide Vatas with the heat they need to store in their bodies.

Vata people are unbalanced by cold, dehydration, dryness, bitter, astringent and irritating tastes.

These people should eat at regular intervals.

Vata people do well with soup, especially if it is a vegetable smoothie, as it contains the water element that provides hydration and the heat that balances them. They need mealtimes to be in a comfortable, quiet space and with a meditative attitude.

Cold foods and ice water aggravate Vata.

Ideal foods:

Seaweed in large quantities.

Sweet spices such as cinnamon, fennel, cardamom, coriander seeds, parsley, cayenne pepper, ginger, cumin and fenugreek.

Vegetables such as asparagus, beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, peas, okra, radish, sweet potato and zucchini.

Fruits such as avocados, berries, cherries, coconut, citrus fruits and plums.

Kapha

Kapha people tend to gain weight easily. Women tend to accumulate weight in the lower part of their bodies, i.e. the hips and thighs, especially. They tend to retain fluids, especially during their moon time, but these periods are regular and without excessive flow.

Kapha people have a dense bone structure with broad shoulders and hips. Their skin is smooth and slightly oily. These people have long and deep sleep.

Kapha digestion is slow and regular. It is especially slow if they consume too much fat or oily foods combined with vegetables, grains and fruits.

Kapha people have a moderate appetite and are the least thirsty of the three Doshas. In fact, excess water throws them off balance. The best diet for Kaphas consists of light, warm, dry meals. They are well served by eating two meals a day, about six hours apart.

The vegetables that are best suited to Kapha people are green leafy vegetables due to their astringent qualities (which produce a dry and bitter sensation when in contact with the tongue).

Vegetables with a little warm food combined with some pungent spices (intense or slightly spicy, for example onions). This combination allows intestinal motility to be activated, which is so necessary for Kapha people.

Ideal Foods:

Cucumbers are neutral because they contain a lot of water, but they are bitter and astringent. Tomatoes are the least aggravating for Kaphas.

Green leafy vegetables are excellent for Kapha. Also good for Kapha are asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, lettuce, parsley, green beans, peppers, spinach and all kinds of sprouts.

Fruits: Pears, apples and pomegranates.

Nuts and seeds are best consumed in small quantities due to their high fat content, although soaking and sprouting them allows Kapha to assimilate them better. Thus, the best seeds for Kapha are sunflower, pumpkin and linseed.

Spices: ginger and garlic.

Pitta :

These people have a well-balanced body, are very muscular and are physically graceful and strong. The skin of the Pitta person is clear, coppery and sensitive to the sun, some with freckles. They have a warm body temperature to the touch. They have a good appetite and get irritated when they are hungry and cannot eat, in fact, food calms them.

Pitta likes cold drinks, even if it's cold outside.

Their intestinal motility is regular and frequent. Due to their inner heat, Pitta women bleed more and for longer during their moon time.

Pittas enjoy vigorous exercise until they overheat.

This dosha is the most sensitive to toxins in the air, water and food, although Vata people are also sensitive to them. It is very important for everyone, but especially for Pitta and Vata people, to eat organic foods and drink filtered water.

Pitta is balanced by sweet, bitter and astringent tastes, and foods that are fresh and dense. While very oily, spicy, salty and acidic foods unbalance Pitta. Also, overeating and stimulating foods unbalance Pitta as they tend to cause acidity.

In general, Pittas are better off avoiding or consuming very sparingly pungent foods and herbs such as cayenne pepper, mustard and ginger in excess.

Due to its active metabolism, Pitta needs to eat three meals a day, 4 hours apart.

Cold flavors that are bitter and astringent, such as green leafy vegetables, balance them.

Sweet flavours also balance Pitta, except molasses and honey, which are overheating. Protein should also be consumed in moderation, as it increases metabolic heat and this destabilises Pitta.

Ideal foods :

Carrots and beets, which cleanse the liver, are neutral for Pitta.

Balancing herbs include coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, cumin and turmeric (with a little black pepper to enhance their properties), but black pepper alone is best used occasionally.

Vegetables are particularly good for Pitta, except tomatoes, whose energy is hot and pungent, as well as radishes, onions, garlic and chili peppers.

All vegetables in the Brassica family are good for them, including cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Also asparagus, cilantro, cucumber, celery, green leafy vegetables, beans, lettuce, okra, peas, parsley, sprouts and the squash family.

Sweet citrus fruits such as orange and tangerine are acceptable, as are avocados and coconut.

Seeds and nuts, because they are greasy and hot, should be used occasionally, but if they are previously soaked and sprouted, they should be used more often. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are preferred.

As mentioned above, all three doshas influence the course of a meal. Kapha is at the beginning, Pitta in the middle and Vata at the end.

The climate

For the balance of the doshas, ​​the climate (dry and rainy seasons) plays an important role in how you approach your diet. One of the key concepts in Ayurveda is that there is a constant interaction between the energy of the person, the energy of the food and the energy of the environment around you. In the spring and summer or dry season, it is best to eat more sweet, cool, bitter, raw and water-rich foods, for example, lots of vegetables, especially greens and sprouts. In the winter, you should opt for drier, warmer foods with more pungent, astringent and bitter tastes. In the fall, you are better off with naturally sweet, salty foods, warm and high-fiber foods, soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds, green vegetables and some legumes.

The age

The time of life plays an important role in the selection of the diet. Every person, regardless of their dominant dosha, from birth to the age of 12 needs to eat according to the Kapha dosha as children tend to have an imbalance in kapha. From the age of 16 to middle age a diet to balance Pitta is needed. Once the aging process begins, we need to consume a diet suitable for balancing Vata.

The time of day

According to the California College of Ayurveda, “Time periods always begin with the Kapha dosha. Ayurveda teaches that it is best to get up in the morning before 6 a.m. This is because 6 a.m. is the time when Kapha dominates until 10 a.m. It is the energy of water and earth and that is why it is dense and slow; as the hours go by, these qualities increase within the person, the feeling of being up late and having difficulty waking up become stronger. According to Ayurveda, it is best to get up before 6 a.m. and do some invigorating physical activity to give you energy for the day.

Kapha transitions into Pitta which starts at 10am and continues till 2pm. Pitta rules the time of productivity, the time of day when the sun is highest in the sky, there is more natural heat in the world. Pitta is the Dosha of heat as it is made of fire and water, so heat predominates in the body and mind. The heat of midday drives us to be productive and achieve our goals.

Pitta time fades away when Vata time begins, from 2pm to 6pm as day gives way to night. Vata is made up of the elements air and space or ether which govern the time of transition. The natural, etheric qualities of light promote creative and expansive thinking to the max, making this a great time for problem solving and creative fulfilment. However, it can be a time when those of a Vata nature feel agitated, so it is worth seeking an environment where sensory bombardment such as bright lights and loud noises can be minimised in order to work. Instead, ground yourself, drink aromatic water and wrap yourself in a warm blanket. Vata is the most delicate of the Doshas and the most easily thrown out of balance, as it is the Dosha of movement. By trying to remain peaceful at this time of day, your creative gifts can come through.

As the cycle continues, it is once again Kapha time: 6pm-10pm. This is the time when the water and earth elements accumulate again. These qualities signal to us that it is time to get up early, eat light dinners without eating too much or heavy meals. By going to sleep during these hours, the dense qualities of this Dosha ensure that you fall asleep easily. During the last two hours of this period, try to do calming activities that will induce rest. Try to avoid any agitation, tense conversations, violent films that interfere with sleep.

From 10pm to 2am you should be in the middle of deep sleep. This is important because Pitta governs activity and sleep is no exception. Activity is internal and this is the time when the body cleans itself. If you are awake during these hours, you are missing out on the benefit of body renewal. In fact, if you are awake, you will get hungry and want to snack and end up exploring the fridge looking for ice cream or a warmed-up dinner as the digestive force will be looking for something to digest. You should know that your body would prefer to skip this and be better at rebuilding the body during sleep.

Vata returns from 2am to 6am making another transition and although these early morning hours are not Vata's time of creativity, they are the time of receptivity. It turns out that for yogis this time of ether is ideal for meditation, chanting and spiritual practices.

By listening to the signals of nature and following its rhythms, it rewards us with health, balance and spiritual peace.” ( article )

How to adapt the Tridosha method if you are looking to do fasting, intermittent fasting or ketogenic diet

If you want to take advantage of the benefits of fasting and intermittent fasting, but are aware of your dosha and have felt the harmonizing benefits of dosha foods and timing, you will find that it is not very difficult to make the adjustments so that you can get the benefits of both practices.

To learn more about intermittent fasting read my article on Autophagy here .

You can find more information about the ketogenic diet and how to get organized here .

For example, when you do intermittent fasting you only have to abstain from food during the hours you have chosen to do so. Let's say your last meal was on Sunday at 6pm and you want to fast for 16 hours.

Your next meal should be at 10am on Monday, at which time you can have breakfast including foods that balance your dominant Dosha.

It is recommended that if you do any exercise, you do it before breaking the fast , in this case, around 8am or 9am.

Remember that there are several types of fasting :

An example is a 12-hour fast, in which there is a 12-hour “window” for eating. So, you can have your last meal at 8 p.m. and abstain from food until 8 a.m. the next day. This is relatively easy since you spend most of this time sleeping and your body is taking advantage of the time to cleanse and regenerate itself from within.

Ketogenic diet cycle :

For the day you decide to do a ketogenic cycle you need to consume approximately 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbohydrate. During this day the Tridosha does not apply but, as soon as you finish your cycle, you can include foods that balance your Dosha in your diet again.