Ayurveda101: Pitta

Let’s continue today with the next dosha, Pitta!

Literally translated Pitta means “that which cooks”. Its main elements are fire and water, which at first might seem contradictory. However, it is a humid heat, since Pitta is basically involved in processes of transformation and metabolism. That’s why its main qualities are:

hot, oily, sharp, liquid, acidic, light

A person with a dominant Pitta can be (it does not have to be the whole list, since we are all unique!):

PHYSIQUE

• medium built, easily loosing and gaining weight
• well-defined muscles
• well-proportional body/limbs
• oily skin, prone to acne, freckles and moles
• premature greying of hair, oily hair
• directed and sure movements
• prone to inflammation
• sweat easily
• intense hunger and thirst, need to eat regularly
• intolerant to heat, prefer cold

MIND

• sharp intellect
• quick to learn new things, good memory and comprehension
• structured, organised
• competitve
• natural leaders
• eloquent
• tend to judge

It’s no surprise that we will find Pitta mostly in the organs of the digestive tract:

• small intestine
• stomach
• spleen
• liver
• pancreas
• blood
• eyes
• sweat

Pitta is the principle of transformation, since it breaks down the food to its smallest parts in order to use them tobuild anew.

Now let’s have a look like a balanced individual with a dominant Pitta dosha will look like:

highly intellectual, confident, courageous, wilful, funny, naturally leading, great planners, eloquent and enthusiastic

But what about a Pitta-person out of balance? I would suggest to hide when meeting an imbalanced Pitta because it could get really nasty…!

overly intense, angry, jealous, arrogant, loud and aggressive, hot-headed (fire!), critical and judgemental, stubborn

COMMON DISORDERS

It is important to understand that in Ayurveda every doshic imbalance can lead to some kind of pathology over time. For Pitta we can mainly find problems in the digestive system and skin:

• heartburn
• hyperacidity
• diarrhea
• hot flashes and rashes on the skin
• overly sweating
• bad breath
• sore throat, tonsilitis
• prone to infection and inflammation
• food intolerances
• eye problems (bloodshot, dry)

NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE

Ok, so we have covered the main aspects of Pitta dosha. What to eat and how to stay healthy and well as a Pitta-person?

A balanced Pitta-diet

In this graph you have a very general rule of how to split up the components of your meals. Even more important is to balance the qualities above (hot, oily, sharp) with the food you eat. That means eat food which is cool, and dry/slightly heavy. This includes the tastes of sweet, bitter and astringent.

Since Pitta-people have a very strong digestion, you should definitely eat regularly, don’t skip breakfast but also don’t overeat (just because you have a good digestion!). Since Pittas are the workaholics and organisational masterminds, they like to use their lunch time to conduct business as well. I would strongly recommend to avoid that and give your fullest attention to your food, to give also your mind a rest. Limit stimulants like caffeine and alcohol since they give more acid to the already more acidic Pitta-body.

Here you can find a list of foods from different categories for your dosha, which I can highly recommend because it is very detailed.

Let me give you a few last tips for your life-style to pacify your Pitta 🙂 :

• eat in a peaceful environment
• eat regularly, a balanced breakfast and early lunch
• engage in calming activities
• exercise regularly but also without competition (hot-headed Pittas… 😉 )
• plan time to rest and restore daily
• take care of your diet in the summer to not overheat!
• journal to keep track of your emotions
• use rose and sandalwood scent to cool down
• give yourself cooling massages with coconut oil (perfect in summer!)

So this was my small introduction to Pitta dosha. Of course, there is way more to write about it but if you are interested, just start observing your own Pitta-body and do the research on yourself 🙂

Enjoy, try out what works for you and see you in the next chapter about Kapha….

M

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