Balancing Vata Dosha With Diet And Lifestyle

As per ayurveda our body and mind are governed by either of the three doshas namely Vata, Pitta and Kapha. By using the Dosha calculator you can determine your dosha^[2] and if you are Vata then this post will help you maintain the balance of your dosha.

In this post we will discuss how to balance the Vata Dosha^[3]. Many a times our mind and body starts reacting aggressively or unfavorably to conditions or situations, as per ayurveda these reactions are caused due to Dosha imbalance. Ayurveda then suggests various means to restore and maintain the dosha balance.

Balancing the Vata Dosha:

Through Diet:

1. If you need to restore the Vata balance in your body then you have to include little fat in your everyday diet. Cook your everyday meals with little amounts of ghee, butter or olive oil. Try and avoid dry fruits like crackers and any dry cold^[4] cereal.

2. You should eat properly cooked food when it is hot or warm to balance Vata. Strained soups, warm cereal and rice pudding are great foods to ease aggravated Vata. You should reduce your intake of raw salads and even sprouts. If you wish to eat salads then boil them a little and eat them warm.

3. There are three main tastes which are helpful in restoring the Vata balance namely sweet, salty and sour. Have foods more of the above tastes every day. Eat fewer foods which are bitter or pungent in taste.

4. Basmati rice is a very good food for balancing Vata in your body. You can cook it with ghee^[5] and little salt and eat it warm.

5. Have as much warm water in a day as possible.

6. Such spices when taken in small quantities can help balance the Vata Dosha. The spices you can have are turmeric, coriander, black pepper, cumin and dried ginger.

7. Almonds are excellent in balancing Vata. You should soak about ten almonds the night before and eat it in the morning after peeling the skin. It gives you extra energy for the day.

8. The vata balancing vegetables are carrots, green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, zucchini, asparagus as well as beets. You can cook these vegetables with Vata balancing spices mentioned above for a complete Vata dish.

Vata balancing lifestyle suggestions:

1. You must protect yourself during the cold weather. Wear lot of layers and keep yourself warm throughout the season.

2. Walking is a very good physical activity to balance the Vata. You can go for a walk in the morning for half an hour every day.

3. Do not skin any of the three meals. Have a healthy meal during the lunch hour and a light one at night.

4. Make sure you take out ten to thirty minutes for meditation every day. It will help relax the mind.

5. You must take care of your dry skin. Hence, you should massage your body with a good ayurvedic oil before taking your bath to nourish the muscles and improve circulation.

6. To avoid ama accumulation in the body passing stool everyday is very important. Have triphala^[6] everyday for better digestion and a healthy digestive system.

7. Go to bed early so that you can get restful sleep every night.

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