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Altering the Doshas
Doshas affect many things about us, as well as our health, however the Doshas
can be managed by the 6 tastes: salty, spicy (chilly), astringent, bitter, sweet
and sour. These tastes can aggravate and pacify different Doshas.
With this knowledge we are able to prevent disease, heal ourselves and understand
our interpersonal relationships better.
Finding out, which Dosha is out of balance, and then ‘appeasing’ it is a fundamental
part of Ayurveda. The table below can help to determine when one of the Doshas
is out of balance by knowing the signs that for each Dosha eing imbalanced.
| Vata |
Pitta |
Kapha |
|
Dry or rough skin |
Rashes, skin inflammations |
Oily skin |
|
Insomnia |
Heartburn |
Slow digestion |
|
Constipation |
Visual problems |
Sinus congestion |
|
Fatigue |
Excessive body heat |
Nasal allergies |
|
Tension headaches |
Premature graying, baldness |
Obesity |
|
Intolerance of cold |
Hostility |
Lethargy |
|
Underweight |
Irritability |
Dullness |
Diet is the primary way we can balance or imbalance the Doshas in our daily
life. The Vata, Pitta and Kapha fields are active to varying degrees in different
foods and as a result eating products constantly containing a high level of
a specific Dosha can lead to an imbalance in that Dosha.
The reverse is also true in that if we are low in a particular Dosha we should
eat foods with a higher content of that Dosha to correct the imbalance.
The following information shows what types of tastes affect the Doshas and
therefore can help us if we have a particular imbalance.
Sweet, Sour, Salty: Increase Kapha Decrease Vata
Pungent, Bitter, Astringent: Increase Vata Decrease Kapha
Pungent, Sour, Salty: Increase Pitta
Sweet, Bitter, Astringent: Decrease Pitta
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