With the number of people suffering from obesity and diseases increasing by leaps and bounds, Ayurvedic diet provides a good respite to all. It is an ancient form of medicine originated in India and is now being followed worldwide, thanks to its many benefits.

In this type of a diet, people are divided into types depending on their age, gender, constitution (dosha) and the season. The most significant part is to attain a balance in the body as per the type of dosha so that a healthy body and mind are achieved. Let us now look at each one of them:

Vata dosha (space and air ailment)

The qualities of this dosha are cold, dry, light, hard and rough.

Foods which should be had should be moist, heavy, soft and oily. They should also be sweet, sour and salty. Some of the examples are ghee, dairy products, wheat, rice, bananas, etc. Vegetables should include beetroot, carrot, green beans, okra, onions, garlic, etc. Fruits that should be had are bananas, coconut, mangoes, etc. Grains include wheat, rice and oats.

The foods that should be avoided are raw vegetables, frozen food, alcohol, sugar, tea, cabbage, aubergine, potatoes, etc.

Pitta dosha (fire and water ailment)

The qualities are hot, sharp, oily and light.

The balancing foods include those that are cool, dry, heavy and mildly sweet. Milk, rice, beans, cooked vegetables and fruits are best for this dosha. Vegetables of almost all varieties can be had and so are fruits. Rice, wheat, oats and barley are good grains.

The ones that should be avoided are spicy and oiled foods like curries. Garlic, ginger, onion, etc should be kept at bay. Alcohol, pickles, coffee, fried foods, curd, mustard oil will aggravate the dosha. The vegetables which should not be included are aubergine, carrot, beets, tomatoes, etc and fruits like bananas, grapes, apricot, etc are best avoided.

Kapha dosha (water and earth ailment)

The qualities are cold, heavy, liquid and unctuous.

People of this constitution should have food in smaller amounts. Warm light food should be had which is cooked without using much water. Butter, oil sugar should not be used. Spices like ginger, turmeric and chili are good for such people. Almost all vegetables can be had and if you are suffering from diseases such as congestion, asthma, obesity, etc, all sweet and juicy vegetables should not be had.

Dairy products and sweet and juicy fruits are the aggravators.