Have you ever wondered?... Why can some people enjoy dairy products like cheese and yogurt in abundance with literally no health issues?... and why is it a nightmare for the skins and bodies of others, causing them breakouts and indigestion?
The 5000-year-old Ancient Science of Ayurveda has all the answers with reasonings!
These peculiar digestive quirks and sensitivities towards different types of food, as Ayurveda explains, might be directly related to your body type or Dosha!
Vata. Pitta. Kapha.
Everyone inherits a unique mix of the doshas while your wellness and health are determined by their balance or imbalance. If there is a dosha imbalance, then the chances are one of or both of your doshas are agitated. That is why some food items are toxic and dosha aggravating while others are dosha pacifying for you.
Later in this article, we will be sharing some amazing recipes catering to your specific dosha (It's worth the wait!).
Consult an Ayurvedic practitioner who can determine your Dosha. An even better option is to take this Dosha quiz and find out your body type without even leaving your couch.
‘Eat supper like a pauper’, install this expression permanently in your minds! Your body will thank you later.
The dietary rules of Ayurveda say that a healthy individual can have three meals a day. Ayurveda suggests reserving the lightest meal of the day for dinner as opposed to the popular belief of having a heavy hearty meal with family for dinner. The reason is our digestive vigor weakens post sunset. It is advised that you should always have dinner in the early hours of the night, between 6 and 7:30 pm.
What are your best choices for a healthy, homestyle dinner?
Share with the community in the comments below!!!
So here are Time-Proven Ayurveda-approved dietary tips for you, according to your dosha!
1. Have steamed, above-ground vegetables!
Ayurveda recommends a light dinner with foods that are low in carbohydrate content for dinner. That is why Ayurveda recommends above-the-ground vegetables as they are usually low in carbohydrate levels when compared with below-the-ground vegetables.
These include non-starchy vegetables like kale, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cucumber, and asparagus.
Tubers such as sweet potatoes are acceptable but avoid potatoes, beets, carrots, and corn.
Don’t forget to choose the vegetables according to your dosha.
- A Vata person, for example, can have a plate of baked and buttered sweet potatoes and green beans.
- A Pitta person can favor asparagus, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green leafy vegetables, pumpkins, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, okra, lettuce, green beans, and zucchini.
- A Kapha person can have sautéed cabbage or diced tomatoes.
2. Load on seasonal fruits!
Seasonal fruits are fresher, tastier, and more nutritious than food consumed out of season. Hence, it is best to consume your favorite fruits during their peak time!
- A plate of seasonal fruits like apples, pears, apricots, and cherries with a pinch of cinnamon is perfect for Pitta.
- Sweet-tasting ripe fruits like bananas, apples, pineapples, figs, melons, dates, and coconut are great for Vata.
- Mango, peaches, persimmon, and dried fruits like figs work well for Kapha.
3. Incorporate Grains + Lentils!
- A small bowl of cooked rice (or any other grain) along with lentils chosen for your Dosha is a simple Ayurveda-approved dinner.
- For Pittas, have quinoa or basmati white rice. Cooked moong beans with grated coconut are also great for Pitta.
- Wheat, all types of rice, quinoa, or oats are good for Vata.
- Oats, millet, quinoa, and basmati work well for Kapha
4. Have heart-warming soups!
- A bowl of light soup like black-eyed pea or moong dal is good for Kapha.
- Moong daal or toor daal soup is nice for Vata.
- In the case of Pitta, if given a choice between a soupy, liquid meal and one that is denser and drier, go for the latter. Have cooked or mashed dal rather than soup.
- Try our Mom's Ayurvedic Soup - With Yellow Lentils and Ashwagandha , a protein-rich, nourishing, and filling savory goodness! The perfect comfort food you don’t want to miss.
Ayurveda’s take on Dinners!
Make sure you eat fewer carbohydrates for dinner. To do this like an Ayurvedist, make the plate half-filled with cooked veggies, a quarter with whole grains and lentils, and a quarter with protein – like eggs, chicken, lentils, or soy protein.
Your plate should look something like this:
- Avoid red meat since it’s hard and difficult to digest
- Drink a cup of warm milk with turmeric or saffron before bedtime
- Dinner and a cup of milk should have at least a 45-minute gap.
If you have a milk allergy, you can substitute it with almond milk or soy milk.
Just like we dress according to the occasion, Ayurveda states that you must also eat
according to your body needs and your body type.
So here it is! The wait is over!
We have prepared 3 dosha-specific Ayurveda-Approved dinner recipes for each body type.
Try it, you might like it!
1. Vata Pacifying Sweet Potato Latkes
Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tbsp ghee
Directions
- Take a bowl and put potatoes, Scallions, flour & eggs
- Stir the mixture and season with salt and pepper.
- Set it aside as you heat ghee in a skillet.
- Pour the mixture into a pan with a ladle.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook until golden brown about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.
- Transfer the latkes onto paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
It's ready! Serve it warm! If you are a vegetarian, you can substitute the eggs with 1/4 cup of buttermilk or a commercial egg replacer.
2. Pitta Pacifying Quinoa Bowl with Veggies
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- fresh mint leaves and coriander leaves (small handful)
- ¼ cup pumpkin
- ¼ cup broccoli
- 1 tsp ghee
- ¼ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 handful of veggies (Pitta-pacifying)
Directions
- Heat the ghee in a pan
- Add the cumin seeds, warm the seeds until they pop
- Add the veggies and Sauté until cooked.
- Add the pepper, mint leaves, and coriander leaves.
- Finally add cooked quinoa
Your hearty Pitta pacifying meal is ready! Serve it warm and enjoy.
3. Kapha Pacifying Pressure Cooker Lentil Veggie Soup
Lentil soup is a healthy and satisfying dish. It is especially good for Kapha types. It’s light on digestion and easy to assimilate.
Ingredients
- ½ cup lentils (masoor daal)
- 1 cup of carrots, sliced into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup of green string beans, sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup of celery, sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 3 medium-size tomatoes, cut into 8 pieces
- About ½ inch ginger, thinly sliced
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Wash the lentils before soaking them in 2 cups of water for one hour.
- Heat 4 cups of water in a pressure cooker on medium-high heat.
- Add the soaked lentils, salt, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, carrots, green beans, celery, and tomatoes.
- Close the lid. As the pressure cooker starts steaming turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 6 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and wait until the temperature drops enough to lower pressure to a normal level naturally.
Try these recipes and share your experiences with us and the community in the comments. We would love to hear from you!!!
According to the world of Ayurveda, how we eat is as important as what we eat!
Digestion begins at the first sight of food, so the environment that is hosting your breakfast, dinner, or lunch should be appealing to the senses for optimal and healthy digestion. It helps bring harmony to your mind and body!
So, bring out that exquisite Bone China Dinnerware that you saved for the guests (because why not), put on your favorite soft music in the background, light a candle, and savor your dinner enjoying every bite to your heart’s content!