vata dosha

combines the elements ether and air. It is considered the most powerful dosha because it controls very basic body processes such as cell division, the heart, breathing, discharge of waste, and the mind. Vata can be aggravated by, for example, fear, grief, staying up late at night, eating dry fruit, or eating before the previous meal is digested. People with vata as their main dosha are thought to be especially susceptible to skin and neurological conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, anxiety, and insomnia.

Common Vata dosha imbalances:

Nervousness, anxiety, panic, fear
Twitches, tics, tremors, spasms
Cracking and popping joints
Dry or chapped skin
Dry, hard stools, constipation or gas
Low body weight, emaciation
Dislike of cold and wind
Difficulty tolerating loud noises
Light, restless sleep
Spacey, scattered feeling
Excess thinking or worrying
Absentmindedness
Poor memory

Vata is cold, dry, light, rough, mobile and subtle. Vata dosha cannot be sensed directly, but it leaves its mark on our physical and mental activities with these qualities.

Diet

Using food as medicine to bring vata dosha back into balance is a very practical approach. We all have the power to choose what foods we put into our body each and every meal. Most of us our blessed with an unlimited variety of options that previous generations could never have imagined. However, to balance vata dosha one must choose wisely using taste as a guide.

Ayurveda classifies foods by 6 different tastes – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Each taste has qualities that have an effect on the doshas. The following chart illustrates how the six tastes affect vata.

Taste		Effect on Vata Dosha
Sweet		Balances vata
Sour		Balances vata
Salty		Balances vata
Bitter		Aggravates vata
Pungent		Aggravates vata
Astringent		Aggravates vata

As you can see from the above chart, when trying to balance vata it is best to favor the tastes of sweet, sour and salty and minimize your intake of bitter, pungent and astringent. Many foods have complex combinations of tastes. Here are some specific examples of

classic vata-balancing foods as well as foods to avoid:

Foods that will Balance Vata (Enjoy)	|Foods that will Aggravate Vata |(Avoid)
Fruits
Bananas, avocados, oranges, grapefruits, grapes, cherries, peaches, plums, mangos and papayas	|Apples, cranberries, pomegranite, |watermelon, pears
Vegetables
Beets, carrots, squash, tomatoes, okra, onions, asparagus, artichokes, cucumber, green beans, olives, sweet potato (cooked not raw)	|brocolli, brussel sprouts, |cauliflower, celery, eggplant, |tomatoes, white potatoes, |mushrooms, peppers, peas, |turnips
Grains
Amaranth, oats, wheat, white rice, brown rice, wild rice	|Barley, millet, corn, buckwheat, |rye, granola, quinoa, wheat bran, |oat bran
Beans
In moderation: Aduki, black and red lentils, mung, tofu	|Black, black eyed peas, |garbanzos, kidney, lima, navy, |pinto, soy, split peas, tempeh
Nuts
Almonds, walnuts, cashews, coconut, hazelnut, peanuts, pecans, pine, pistachio, macadamia	|Nuts are good for vata!
Meat
beef, chicken, turkey, duck, eggs, freshwater fish, seafood, shrimp	|Lamb, pork, rabbit, venison
Sweeteners
Honey, fructose, turbinado, maple syrup, molasses, sucanat	|White sugar

In addition to what you choose to eat, how you prepare your food also has a dramatic effect on vata. The key qualities to incorporate into vata meal preparation are hot, moist, and heavy.

Vata is cold. Thus favoring heat and avoiding cold whenever possible is the first duty of all aspiring vata balancers. Fresh foods are preferred to frozen foods. Iced drinks and cold foods, like ice cream, should really be avoided.

Warm, cooked meals pacify vata whereas cold, raw foods will aggravate vata. For example, hot oatmeal with a little maple syrup and warm milk is vata-friendly. However, a bowl of Cheerios, topped with white sugar and cold milk is going to aggravate vata.

Vata is dry, so moist foods are preferred to dry foods. Again the oatmeal is moist, soft and soupy. Those same Cheerios are dry and crunchy and even more aggravating if you eat them straight out of the box.

Oil or ghee can be judiciously used to further employ the moist quality that pacifies vata. Since many green vegetables are bitter, they tend to aggravate vata. Sautéing them in oil is one way to neutralize the vata-aggravating qualities. Sautéing vata-friendly vegetables like asparagus and okra is even better.

Since vata by nature is light, favor relatively heavy foods. This is not to be confused with overeating, but rather selecting foods that give a feeling of satisfaction after eating. Light foods, and thus vata-aggravating foods, include vegetable salads, rice cakes, and fruit juice. Heavier alternatives include vegetable cream soups, casseroles and pasta.

Using food as medicine is an art. A skilled vata-soothing artist will always seek to incorporate the qualities of hot, moist and heavy. Be creative and have fun.

How you eat your meals provides yet another opportunity to pacify vata. Vata is mobile and active, so taking the time to slow down and eat your meals while seated in a peaceful setting is ideal. Eating a quick snack in the car between errands while talking on your cell phone is not so ideal. Get the picture? Be slow, be calm, and be peaceful. Breathing deeply and chewing your food well are both conducive to a vata-friendly eating experience. In fact, if during your meals you are taking the time to breathe deeply and experience gratitude for the abundance that nature has provided, you are well on your way to balancing vata.


This Article was taken from: nccam.nih banyanbontanicals