THE PITTA DIET
A pitta diet is suitable for anyone who needs to pacify and reduce pitta, whether or not pitta is one of the dominant doshas in their constitution. It aims to purify the blood, and reduce heat and sourness in the body.
A pitta diet is suitable for anyone who needs to pacify and reduce pitta, whether or not pitta is one of the dominant doshas in their constitution. It aims to purify the blood, and reduce heat and sourness in the body.
If pitta is one of your dominant doshas and your doshas are in balance, you do not need to follow a special pitta diet. You should aim to eat a balanced diet containing all six tastes.
If you need to follow a special pitta diet (see below), you will benefit from eating plenty of vegetables, fruit, and carbohydrates; a good amount of protein; and not too much fat. Healthy pitta is the only one of the three doshas that benefits from raw foods, such as salad.
You should follow a pitta diet if:
• You have elevated pitta
• You feel your pitta may become elevated as a result of your lifestyle, or because you have a lot of pitta in your constitution
• During the summer and early fall, and in hot and humid weather, when pitta is high
• When you are in regions that aggravate pitta, such as the tropics
The way you eat and how you prepare your food is important. To pacify pitta, select foods with opposite qualities and tastes to hot, liquid, and light. Be careful, however, not to eat too many cold and heavy foods, which compromise agni. These are the most important aspects of the pitta diet:
• Qualities: dry, mild, warm or cool, slightly heavy
• Tastes: sweet, bitter, astringent
• Regular meals
• Eating in a friendly atmosphere
• Plenty of fruit and vegetables
• Eating four small meals a day or three meals a day and an afternoon snack of sweet fruit
As part of your pitta diet, make simple changes to your meals that will help to pacify pitta. Try adding the following to your usual dishes:
• Ghee (in moderate quantities)
• Fresh herbs that are bitter and cooling, such as cilantro and mint
• Green cardamom in moderation—it is cooling but also pungent
• Rosewater, which is cooling
• Coconut milk or oil, which is cooling
If you are following a pitta diet you should reduce or avoid:
• Qualities: hot, light, oily
• Tastes: pungent, salty, sour
• Fried food
• Foods that are too hot
• Hot or pungent teas
• Eating when angry or irritated
• Eating in a hurry
• Having heated conversations during a meal
• Skipping too many meals
Even though pitta and agni share the element of fire, an elevated pitta does not necessarily mean a healthy digestive fire—in fact, often, the opposite.
If you have an irritated or elevated pitta, take care of agni with:
• Bitter foods
• Physical exercise
• Herbs and spices—cook with long pepper (pippali), cloves, cardamom, and mint
“Do not eat when you are angry. Rest for a while until the mind becomes calm and then take your food.”