Ayurveda

Even though many of of my knowledge on asian nutrition comes from macrobiotic and chinese point of view Ayurveda is another concept that I keep in mind as well

It is based on the idea that the body has certain rhythms and your body is healthy when they are balanced. And good health can be maintained through diet and lifestyle.

Rather than treating the symptoms of disease directly, Ayurvedic treatment aims to rebalance your doshas according to your individual constitution, resulting in a body and mind that is healthy and sound.
The three main types of dosha are :

Vata – air type which means all movements in the body and mind - for example, breathing, heart beat, elimination, pulsation, blood circulation, and thinking. These are all due to air. Our body weight is due to air and the pressure it creates on our bodies. When the air element is too high all of the things listed above will increase and the person will become sick or mentally imbalanced.
Pitta – the fire/heat type. This is responsible for the metabolism and digestion in the body. Without adequate heat, your food cannot be properly digested and will become toxic in your system. Pitta is also responsible for keeping the body warm.
Kapha – the water type. Our body is made up of 70% water and this is controlled by Kapha dosha. It is also responsible for lubrication in the body and provides stability. Lubrication is needed in the joints, skin and mouth.

everyone is composed of these three doshas. yours can be mono, which means one of them is predominant, bi (two predominant types and tri- (all three types)

So what is your type???

It is just a brief question so if you'd like to obtain an accurate observation please contact your professional ayurvedic consultant.



Vata:

body frame is light with prominent joints
lose weight easily and find it hard to put it back on
skin complexion is dull and varies in colour
don’t have a lot of hair and it is dry and wavy
circulation is poor and I often have cold hands and feet
prefer warm climates and sweat little
appetite varies and I like warm food
find it hard to fall asleep but have many dreams when I do
tend to have gas and constipation
move quickly and try to do many things at once
tend to be chatty and speak quickly
have a good imagination but become distracted easily
learn new things quickly but forget them easily
tend to be nervy and worry about things
find it hard to concentrate



Pitta:

I have a medium size frame that is moderately developed
weight is stable
skin colour is yellowy, red or pink and warm in relation to other people of my race
hair is thin, fine and light coloured in relation to other people of my race
circulation is good and I generally feel warm
enjoy cool climates and sweat profusely
have a strong appetite and I like cool foods
sleep well but not for long
have regular bowel movements with a tendency to loose stools
move calmly and am very focused
articulate, speaking clearly and precisely
able to focus easily and carry out plans fully
learn quickly and have good mental retaining capacity
become angry easily and can be critical
have an intelligent and stable mind



Kapha:

have a large and solid frame
heavy and gain weight easily
skin is pale, smooth and soft
hair is thick, soft and wavy
circulation is slow and I tend to feel cool
prefer warm climates and sweat moderately
have low appetite and prefer warm food
sleep deeply and enjoy sleeping for long periods but often feel lethargic when waking
have slow bowel movements with solid and well formed stools
move calmly and steadily
speak slowly and methodically
slow to get started but have good mental stamina
take time to learn but have good long term memory capacity
can be possessive
tend to be calm and content

so how did you go?
me? I am mixed of all three.
Apparently that means I am either very unbalanced or perfectly balanced. well, I'd like to think positively.
It is quite fun to do.
After determining your dosha type you can apply that to your diet and your lifestyle to bring it more in balance, choosing certain food to meet your body and mind needs. some foods are good for certain types and some are considered to have negative effects.

If you are interested in what foods are good for your type let me know. Maybe I will list them next time.