When we talk about Ayurveda and its concepts, the first and very important concept to be understood by all is of Dosha&Prakriti. According to Ayurveda there are 3 types of doshas; vata, pitta and kapha. Based on these three doshas different people have 3 different types of Prakriti:vata, pitta and kapha. Each and every person, based on their prakriti, have distinctive physical and psychological characteristics.
Pitta Dosha in Ayurveda
Pitta can be interpreted as fire. It does not mean fire in a literate sense. Pitta dosha can be defined as the heat energy inside the body. Our whole body works on pitta as it manifests itself inside our metabolism. Pitta dosha is made up of fire element with a small contribution of water element.
There are mainly five types of pitta
- Alochaka pitta (governs visual perception)
- Bhrajaka pitta (governs healthy glow of skin)
- Sadhaka pitta (governs emotions, desires and drive.)
- Pachaka pitta (governs digestion)
- Ranjaka pitta (governs healthy, free of toxins blood)
Distinctive characteristics of pitta prakriti
Pitta types can be distinguished from their blazing mindset and personality. These people are born leaders and are very productive as well as creative. Their passion is their drive. They do have an appreciable intellect and are full of ambitions. These people love challenges professionally or even in sports. They also have an athletic build. Their body structure is average, have medium sized eyes and piercing glance. They have a tendency to be perfectionist and to win. Their hands and feet are comparatively warmer than other prakriti’s people, even in winters.
Diet and lifestyle preferred by pitta types
Diet
The pitta types usually prefer food which is sweet in taste. They also like spicy food. These people are big fans of astringent tastes. Many of them are also highly proneto the consumption of alcohol beverages.
Usually, the Diet preferred by pitta types can cause excess vitiation of pitta dosha. This excess of pitta dosha may result in many metabolic disturbances like bloating , burning sensation in stomach, hands and feet after the intake of food, nausea, indigestion, low or increased appetite, frequent skin infections, profuse sweating and colorful or violent dreams.
So, to keep the body doshasbalanced one should follow a proper diet and lifestyle according to each and every season so as to avoid any kind of disturbing health issues.
Lifestyle
Pitta type people are very ambitious as mentioned above due to which they push themselves beyond extremes in order to reach their goals. They do a lot of concentration work, and usually let their sleep suffer. Due to above all reasons these people become impatient, get irritated easily and often burn in rage for not so important reasons.
Diet and lifestyle for pitta types in winters
Winter season is calledshishiraritu in Ayurveda. The season has typical characteristics i.e. cold weather along with cold wind, & catabolic energy.Ayurveda describes different kinds of diet regimen and lifestyle changes for people according to their dosha type for this season like all others.
Diet
Pitta types should not skip their meals so that the metabolic equilibrium remains maintained. In winters, they should avoid food which is too sour, too hot, too salty and pungent. Some fruits like lemons should also be avoided. Oils like almond oil, sesame oil should also be avoided. Eggs can be consumed in moderation but chicken and meat should be consumed as less as possible.
WHAT TO EAT?
Fruits: bananas, pomegranates, grapes, oranges, apples (fruits should be consumed at least one hour before meal preferably in afternoon but not in evening).
Vegetables: all sweet and astringent taste vegetables, green leafy vegetables, mushrooms, potato, sweet potato, green beans, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, peas, sprouts.
Pulses: lentils, beans of all types
Grains: barley, wheat, rice, corn
Milk products: unsalted butter, cow’s milk, paneer
Herbs and spices: coriander, fennel, turmeric, cloves, black pepper, fenugreek, ginger
Fluids: plenty of water, fennel tea
Anupana (to be taken with food): ghee, mild warm water, unsalted butter
LIFESTYLE
Waking up early in the morning and going early to bed is the best technique for all including pitta people as it helps to maintain the equilibrium of the body.
- Early morning exercising can also be of great help in maintaining concentration.
Type of exercises that can be performed:
Pranayam:Nadishodhana, Kapalbhati (helps in coping up with aggression)
Yoga: backward and forward bending poses (relaxes body).
Meditation: for at least 15min.(improves concentration and calms the emotions down)
- Cycling, running, playing any sport in which physical strength is required, and some static exercises are also good.
- A good oil massage over hands and feet with any suitable oil can also be done after exercising.
- Bathing should be done with mild to moderate hot water in case of pitta types.
Diet and lifestyle changes are must in order to live a healthy life. Avoiding self-care is not an option. Not only for pitta types, diet and lifestyle changes are must for all people according to their doshatype., also the timing to have meals matters a lot. A pitta type person should eat according to their appetite (not in excess nor less), light food, too hot, too cold, and oily food should be avoided. In case, ifany person feels constipated or observes belly bloating then one should avoid heavy meals for a short duration otherwise the problems may persist giving rise to some other condition.
Moreover, Pitta people who always push themselves beyond extremes, should avoid doing that as it is mentioned above “this can lead to many bad effects on mind, body as well as behavior.” They must show some concern towards their sleep cycle because avoiding that can also lead to irritation, aggression, and lack of concentration.
So, Stay Amazing and Growing.
