The Yogic Kitchen. Jody Vassallo
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Habits and lifestyle factors that imbalance Pitta
Eating too many hot, spicy, pungent, salty or sour foods; excess meat in the diet; too much alcohol; overanalysing or overworking; overexposure to heat and sun; intense conversations, pushing oneself too hard, emotional trauma, holding emotions in; skipping meals or fasting; exercising outside in the sun in the middle of the day in summer; not rinsing off the saltwater after swimming at the beach in summer.
Environmental effects
Determined high achievers, Pittas do well to spend time in nature connecting with the earth. Winter is the time they will feel their best if they can allow themselves to slow down and enjoy the cooler weather.
KEY Moderation, rest between work, quiet calm atmosphere, meditation, coolness, nature’s beauty
AVOID Skipping meals or overeating, artificial stimulants, too much sun and sauna
BALANCING PITTA
Heat can very easily send Pittas out of balance and although they are often drawn to hot, spicy flavours, they would do well to stay away from these flavours, especially in summer or when they are feeling angry and stressed. When out of balance, the fire rises up and out in the body and can show up as fever, impatience, ulcers, indigestion, skin rashes, headaches and reflux.
Pitta types are attracted to beautiful things and are very focused on making money and acquiring beautiful things. They are hard workers who need to learn how to relax and temper the fire within them before it overwhelms them.
Activities that will calm Pitta
Eating when you are hungry rather than when you are starving, gentle calming exercise, spending time in nature, being by the water, moonlight walks, yoga, dance, non-competitive sports, walking, swimming, gardening, writing, massage with coconut oil as it is cooling, meditation, expressing emotions, getting to bed before 10pm, staying cool, sipping cooling herbal teas.
Cooling remedies – rubbing coconut oil into the skin, chilled rose tea bags over the eyes, cooling the feet
Cooling lifestyle choices – music, meditation, yin yoga, spending time in nature out of the sun, resting by still water
So-called healthy foods that may overheat you – ferments, yoghurt, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut
Lifestyle factors to limit – running in the middle of the day, sunbaking, hot yoga, power yoga, holding in emotions, alcohol, out in the sun without a hat, smoking, saunas
HOW PITTA MANIFESTS IN THE BODY
Hot – Pittas have strong digestive fire which means they can usually eat a lot, and often, and they tend to get quite cross if they try to go without food when they are hungry. They tend to have a higher body temperature than other doshas and can become quite agitated in the heat.
Sharp –They can have pointed sharp teeth either side of their front teeth, and sharp piercing eyes. Their features are strong and distinct, and quite angular. Pittas’ minds are quick and extremely sharp, and they are blessed with a strong memory, but their speech can be cutting. They tend to work in short sharp bursts and can become irritable if overworked. When they suffer from pain it is usually hot and piercing.
Light – Their frame is usually light/medium and, because Pitta rules the eyes, they can also suffer from an intolerance to bright lights. Their skin is light and lustrous.
Liquid – The liquid attribute is demonstrated in the waste products, loose light oily stools, excess sweat and urine. Pittas usually have a greater thirst than other doshas.
Spreading – This can be seen in the form of skin rashes, acne, inflammation and heat that moves in the body. Pitta individuals like to be well known and want their name to be spread all over the world.
Oily – They have soft oily skin and hair. They may find it difficult to digest deep-fried foods.
Sour – Pitta can often experience stomach acid, increased reflux and excess salivation.
Pungent – Often Pittas will experience heartburn, or strong burning feelings both physically and mentally. Their bodies may omit a pungent smell either from the mouth, armpits, feet or faeces.
Bitter –They will often be left with a bitter taste in their mouths following heated exchanges. They tend to have an aversion to bitter flavour. They can be bitter and twisted if they don’t get their own way.
Red – They can have fiery red hair, flushed red skin, nose and cheeks, red rashes, red skin from sunburn. Red will aggravate Pitta.
Emotions and diet
Pitta females who have not learned to temper their fire can struggle with hot flushes and insomnia during perimenopause and menopause, and this is a time when they need to look closely at the way they are managing their emotions and perhaps question if they are being honest with themselves about how they feel. They may also need to alter their diets and remove heating foods and drinks like red wine, hard cheeses and meats to reduce the fire in the body.
Or they may just stuff any negative emotions down as they present a very competent persona to the outside world.
For Pitta dietary recommendations, see the back of the book, pages 242–3.
Routine and exercise
One of the biggest challenges for Pitta individuals is to slow down and to see life from another person’s perspective. Fire governs the eyes in the body so they can often be so focused on what they want and need, forgetting to ask what those around may need and instead assuming they know best.
Because Pitta energy governs the years from 18 to 50–55, it is easy for these types to burn out in their middle years of their life as they tend to push themselves beyond their means both physically and mentally.
Pittas need to avoid overheating so exercising in the middle of the day, especially in summer, is a big no-no. Hot yoga, surfing, sunbaking or any physical work in summer in Pitta hours between 10am and 2pm will not serve them well. Because Pittas like to look good, they can become obsessed with exercise and their body shape, and may become frustrated and moody if their exercise regime is disturbed in any way.
KAPHA
Kapha individuals tend to be heavy set and often experience problems with their weight when they are out of balance. They are calm, caring and compassionate and possess incredible stamina. Kaphas have a strong constitution and tend to live longer than the other doshas.
Elements
Time of day
6am–10am and 6pm–10pm. This is the