Foods for kapha dosha. Energy meridians of the body Nutrition according to the type of kapha dosha

Kapha dosha is balanced by a diet of freshly prepared, whole foods that have light, dry, and warming qualities that are relatively easy to digest. These foods pacify Kapha by regulating moisture levels in the body while maintaining adequate warmth and supporting normal digestion and cleansing of the body.

1.FRUIT

Fruits that pacify Kapha will have a somewhat astringent and slightly sweet taste. Of course, dried fruits are also acceptable for Kapha dosha, but they should be used only in small quantities because they are very nutritious and calorie dense. Fruits to avoid include those that taste exceptionally sweet or sour (such as oranges or grapes), or those that are heavy, dense, or watery, such as bananas, dates, melons, pineapple, or plums.

And don’t forget that for optimal digestion, you need to consume fruits or fruit juices 30 minutes before a meal or 1 hour after any other meal.

2.VEGETABLES

Vegetables that balance Kapha have a pungent, bitter or astringent taste. Most vegetables contain several of these flavors, making vegetables the basis of any effective diet for balancing Kapha dosha. Cooked vegetables are generally easier to digest than raw ones, so it is best to eat raw vegetable salads in small quantities, in the middle of the day, when the strength of the digestive fire (Agni) is at its peak. It should also be noted that raw vegetables are more suitable for consumption in the spring and summer seasons.

3. GRAINS

Grains that pacify Kapha should be light, dry and hard in quality. In general, grains tend to be staples in our diet due to their nutritional qualities. But when it comes to balancing Kapha dosha, these qualities are best kept to a minimum, so reducing your grain intake in general can be a huge benefit for reducing Kapha dosha. You should especially avoid eating grains that are heavy, moist or dense (for example, wheat and wheat products - flour, bread, pasta). For Kapha, grains are best consumed in combination with vegetables or legumes, which are also rich in nutrients, but more suitable for Kapha dosha.

4.LEGUMES

Legumes generally have an astringent taste, which is one of the Kapha-balancing tastes. Therefore, those with a Kapha constitution can enjoy a wide variety of legumes, but they must be well cooked and well seasoned with appropriate spices to make them easier to digest.

5.DAIRY PRODUCTS

Dairy intake is best kept to a minimum because it can increase mucus and is difficult to digest. As a general rule, milk should be consumed at least an hour before or after any other meal. Ideally, the milk is boiled and served hot with a pinch of nutmeg or ginger to aid digestion. Goat milk and goat milk products are preferred over other types of milk for the Kapha dosha diet. A good substitute for animal milk is almond or rice milk.

6.NUTS AND SEEDS

Nuts and seeds are heavy, dense and oily and are generally not suitable for reducing Kapha dosha. But there are several types of nuts and seeds that are acceptable in small quantities. When trying to balance Kapha, nuts and seeds are best used only occasionally.

7. ANIMAL PRODUCTS

Animal foods that are best for balancing Kapha are those that are light and relatively dry in quality (such as chicken or freshwater fish), as opposed to heavy and oily (such as beef, pork or duck).

8. OILS

Kapha needs the least amount of oil. When you are trying to balance Kapha, you can minimize your oil intake. It is better to stew vegetables with the addition of a small amount of oil, such as corn, mustard, sunflower or ghee.

9.

Since sweet taste increases Kapha, most sweeteners are best avoided. On the other hand, honey, which is dry, light and warming, is the only exception if consumed in small quantities. Foods and drinks containing refined sugar or corn syrup can be especially harmful to Kapha dosha and should be avoided if possible.

10. SPICES

Most spices balance Kapha dosha, so feel free to experiment with a wide range of new and exotic spices that will help strengthen your digestive fire (Agni) and improve your metabolism.

Now I would like to focus on specific foods that are suitable for this dosha, as well as those that should be limited.

Fruits and berries

In general, fruits are good for kapha, especially those with. However, you should limit too sweet, sour and very juicy fruits, because... sweetness, acidity and juiciness are the qualities that...

Dried fruits are good, but their influence is twofold: on the one hand, they are dry, so they are suitable, on the other hand, they are dense, which is not very good for this dosha.

It is better to eat fruits and fruit juices separately from the rest of food: half an hour before meals or an hour after them. True, this rule is not relevant with avocados, which are sometimes classified as vegetables.

Suitable: apples, applesauce, apricots, cherries, cranberries, dried figs, grapes (red, purple, black), lemon, lime, mango, peaches, pears, persimmons, pomegranate, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries.

Limit: bananas, cantaloupe, coconut, dates, fresh figs, green grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, melon, oranges, papaya, pineapple, plums, rhubarb, tamarind, watermelon.

Vegetables

Vegetables that have an astringent taste calm kapha dosha. Since most vegetables contain these flavors in some combination or another, vegetables themselves form the basis of the diet of kapha people.

Vegetables can be eaten raw, but cooked ones are easier to digest, so still focus on them. If you want raw foods, it is best to eat them in season, in the warmer months, to compensate for the cooling effect that most raw foods have. The ideal seasons for raw vegetables in your diet are spring and summer. They can be eaten in the form of salads, and are also best eaten at midday, when digestion is strongest. The same applies to some vegetables that should be limited: they are best eaten in small portions at lunchtime.

Restrictions apply to vegetables that are dense, heavy, oily or too juicy (see list below).

Suitable: artichoke, asparagus, beet greens, beets, bell peppers, bitter melon (Karela), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, burdock root, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili, coriander, herbs, corn, daikon, dandelion greens, eggplant, garlic, green beans, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, green leafy vegetables, leeks, lettuce, mustard, okra, onion, peas, peppers (hot and sweet), potatoes, radishes, rutabaga , spinach, tomatoes (cooked), turnips, watercress (watercress), wheat germ.

Limit: avocado, cucumber, olives, parsnips, pumpkin, zucchini, sweet potatoes, fresh tomatoes, zucchini.

Cereals

Light, dry and coarse grains reduce kapha dosha. Typically, grains are dense and filling in nature and therefore form the basis of the diet, but these are the qualities that need to be limited in the case of kapha. Therefore, firstly, do not eat too many grains, and secondly, limit or avoid those that are heavy, dense and moist: wheat, flour, bread (especially yeast), oatmeal with a delicate texture and pasta.

Instead of grains, the bulk of your diet should be vegetables and legumes.

Suitable: amaranth, barley, buckwheat, porridge (without sugar, not liquid), corn, couscous, granola, millet (millet), muesli, oat bran, dry oat flakes, polenta, quinoa, Basmati rice, wild rice, rye, seitan,
spelled wheat (real spelled), sprouted wheat bread, tapioca, wheat bran.

Limit: boiled oatmeal, pancakes, pasta, white and brown rice, wheat, yeast bread.

Legumes

Most legumes have an astringent taste, which is beneficial for kapha dosha. Legumes should be cooked sufficiently for better absorption and served with appropriate spices (or spices added during cooking) to help the legumes be better absorbed.

For cooking, you can use tofu, tempeh, and soy milk (along with spices).

Suitable: adzuki beans, black beans, green beans, snap peas, lentils, lima beans, mung beans, pinto beans, split peas, soy milk, soy meat, tempeh, hot tofu, toor dal, white beans.

Limit: beans, miso, soybeans, soy cheese, soy flour, soy sauce, cold tofu, urad dal.

Dairy

In general, it’s better not to get carried away with milk, because... Dairy products themselves are by nature. They are quite greasy and lead to mucus formation. It is better to consume milk an hour before or an hour after meals. The milk should be boiled until the first rise, add a pinch or ginger to it, and serve hot. If possible, you can drink goat's milk instead of cow's milk, because... it provokes kapha less, but even then moderately. Instead of regular milk, almond or rice milk is suitable.

Suitable: buttermilk, cottage cheese (preferably skim milk), ghee, goat cheese, goat milk, yogurt (plain, fresh, low-fat or diluted).

Limit: butter, cheese, cow's milk, frozen yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, yogurt (fat, with additives, with sugar).

Nuts and seeds

Both are dense, heavy and fatty in nature, so kaphas should eat them with caution and in very small quantities. If there is, then you should avoid seeds and nuts altogether.

Suitable: Almonds (peeled and soaked before eating), chia seeds, popped corn (no salt or oil), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.

Limit: Brazil nuts, cashew nuts, coconut, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, sesame seeds, tahini, walnuts.

Animal products

Animal products other than dairy products lead to imbalances between vata, pitta and kapha, so it is recommended to gradually eliminate them completely from your diet.

Kapha and oil

Most oils are heavy and, well, too “oily” for kapha. 🙂 Suitable oils can be used in small quantities, but they must be of the highest quality. Excellent quality oil is necessary because waste products tend to accumulate in fats, and high-quality oil can significantly reduce this tendency. Therefore, for kapha dosha, the issue of buying good oil is even more important than the issue of buying good fruits and vegetables.

You can reduce the amount of oil in your diet by using water when stewing, or even steaming (at least from time to time). If preferred, the best oils for kapha are corn, sunflower and ghee.

Suitable: ghee, corn, sunflower, almond, and linseed oil.

Limit: avocado oil, apricot, coconut, olive, sesame, soybean, primrose oil, safflower, walnut oil.

Sweeteners

People with kapha dosha should avoid most sweeteners because... increases kapha. The best option is to use honey, which is dry, light and warming in nature. But you shouldn’t abuse them either.

In general, honey helps remove toxins and fat from tissues, so it is good for kapha. However, remember that heating honey, on the contrary, creates toxic substances in it, so you should only eat raw honey that has not undergone any heat treatment. As for sweeteners that are especially harmful to kapha, these are foods and drinks with a high content of white refined sugar, as well as corn syrup - try to limit this greatly, or it is better not to eat it at all.

Suitable: raw, fresh honey, as well as fruit juice concentrates.

Limit: white sugar, artificial sweeteners, date sugar, fructose, rice syrup, maple syrup, barley malt, molasses, sucanat.

Spices

Most spices and herbs are suitable for Kaphas, so there are no special restrictions on their use. Moreover, kapha is the only dosha that can eat very spicy and very spicy foods. If you don’t particularly welcome this, then use mild spices to improve digestion: ginger, black pepper, chili pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Suitable: ajowan (azhgon), allspice, anise, basil, bay leaf, black pepper, cumin, cardamom, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander (seeds or powder), (seeds or powder), dill, fennel, fenugreek (shamballa) ), garlic, ginger (fresh or dried), asafoetida (hing), marjoram, mint, mustard seeds, neem leaves, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, parsley, peppermint, pippali, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, savory, tarragon , thyme, trikatu, turmeric, vanilla.

Limit: salt.

These are the foods for kapha dosha. We hope these recommendations will help you maintain your dosha balance and enjoy excellent health.

People of Kapha constitution have a large build with large feet and hands, and heavy bones. They gain excess weight very easily and have difficulty losing it. At the same time, people of this type often overeat, but have weak digestion. Some of the obvious symptoms of Kapha dosha imbalance are difficult awakening in the morning, long sleep, procrastination, runny nose, and constipation. Proper nutrition will restore the harmony of energies.

Kapha is an inert dosha, so light, dry and warm foods are suitable for it. These are low-calorie, unsalted, unsweetened foods in very moderate quantities.
Kapha is aroused early in the morning, late in the evening and in spring. Be especially careful about your diet during these periods, excluding large breakfasts and meals immediately before bed.
Qualities of food that balance Kapha: spicy, light, dry, astringent, bitter and hot. Use exactly this type of writing.
Qualities of food that disturb the balance of Kapha: sweet, heavy, sour, oily, salty and cold. Use this type of writing as little and as rarely as possible.

Nutrition Discipline for Kapha Dosha

Kapha people are the only ones allowed to skip breakfast. Favorable time for eating is from 11.00 to 18.00. As a first step, a glass of water with lemon or tea is enough.
It is recommended to eat twice a day. The time between meals should be 5-6 hours.
Choose light, lightly salted foods with pungent, bitter and astringent tastes and minimal amounts of fat and sugar.
Your daily diet should include 3-4 servings of whole grain cereals, 2 servings of high-quality foods low in fat and high in protein; 4-5 servings of fresh vegetables; 1 serving of fruit.
Eat less sweets and include more spices, herbs and seasonings in your diet. Spicy and pungent foods are especially beneficial in winter, when they compensate for cold and dampness that irritate Kapha.
Dishes prepared without water are favorable - baked, fried (but not too much) in a frying pan or on the grill. One of the recommended meals could be boiled vegetables lightly seasoned with ghee.
Every meal should include fresh herbs, vegetables, salads, legumes, fruits and a variety of spices. And before eating, it is advisable to drink a glass of hot or warm water.
After eating, it is recommended to take a walk, but not sleep. Poor digestion and inertia weigh down the body.
You should fast once a week.
In general, the best recommendation for Kapha is to reduce the amount of food consumed.

Useful in small quantities cereals foods that help you feel full and maintain energy. Among the recommended ones: unsweetened muesli, puffed corn, multigrain bread without sugar.
Yeast bread, pastries, pancakes and pancakes should be excluded.
Legumes for Kapha are very important, as it is the best source of proteins with low fat content. But beans and soy are not recommended. For best absorption, beans should be peeled or soaked overnight before cooking. Use turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic and asafoetida as seasonings when cooking legumes.
From meat products choose white chicken or turkey meat, fish and shrimp. Avoid all processed meats, as well as pork, lamb and other red meats.
For Kapha the majority dairy products not recommended. Only skim boiled milk and lassi (diluted yogurt or kefir with honey, black pepper, ginger) are allowed.
All are favorable vegetables that grow above the surface of the earth. They can be consumed raw or boiled; toasted on the grill.
Among fruit choose ones that are not too sweet and have an astringent taste. All dried fruits are recommended.
Choose only oil ghee, sunflower and corn oil, but only in small quantities.
Honey is the only one sweetener, recommended for Kapha. All other sweets should be limited or excluded. Never cook or heat food that contains honey. When heated, it becomes toxic.
From spices You can use anything, ginger is especially useful for Kapha. However, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, and mayonnaise should be excluded.
Kapha people can drink black tea and coffee with the addition of cardamom, ginger, and nutmeg. Drink only when you feel thirsty. It is allowed to wash down food with weak wine. Drink hot beverages instead of cold ones.
If you are eating outside the home, then choose vegetarian, Thai, Indian and Chinese restaurants. Prefer salads to soups and burgers.
Practice regularly, 1 day a week starvation on warm boiled water with honey. Weekly diets with sugar restriction are also recommended.

Diet to balance (lower) Kapha energy

Used in cool, damp or damp weather in October or May. The diet should be light, food and drinks should be warm and not oily.

Product type	Kapha Balancing Foods	Foods that increase Kapha
Cereals and cereals	Toasted grains become lighter. Corn, Basmati rice, wild rice, raw oats, rye, barley, millet, buckwheat	Wheat flour pancakes, pasta, cooked oats, oat bran, wheat, polished white rice, brown rice
Boiled vegetables	Carrots, onions, artichokes, celery, young eggplants, spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, ripe zucchini, beets and tops, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, red, white, turnips, bell peppers, potatoes, leafy vegetables,	Sweet potato, zucchini, black olives, cucumbers, young zucchini, all sweet and juicy vegetables tomatoes, pumpkin
Fresh raw vegetables	Fresh ginger, onion, white radish, red radish, green pepper, red pepper; corn, dandelion leaf
Fruits and berries	Persimmons, plums, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, mangoes, dried currants, ripe gooseberries, cranberries, asparagus berries, tamarind, prunes, sweet peach, apricot, pomegranates, pears, apples, dried fruits, cherries, soaked raisins, unripe bananas, pineapple	All sour fruits, ripe bananas, oranges, melons, figs, green and sour grapes, coconut, rhubarb, papaya, kiwi, dates, sour peaches, lemon, lime, watermelon, grapefruit
Dairy	Everything is low fat. Ghee (clarified butter), unsalted buttermilk*(in small quantities), whey, lassi, cottage cheese	Most dairy products. Boiled cow's milk, butter, peasant butter, yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, country cheese, hard cheese and old cheese, soft cheese
Legumes	White beans, mung beans (mung dal), chickpeas, toor dal, urad dal, brown, green, red beans green and yellow peas	All soy products, tofu
Animal products	Turkey (white meat), shrimp, rabbit, venison, chicken (white), freshwater fish, egg whites, egg yolks	Any fried or fatty food. Beef, lamb, lard, buffalo, chicken (dark meat), turkey (dark meat), seafood, pork, duck. All other fish
Sweets and sweeteners	Any honey that has not undergone heat treatment (in small quantities)	White lump sugar, candy, caramel, chocolate, sugar cane juice
Nuts and seeds	Charoul nut, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, popcorn (preferably sprouted seeds)	All other nuts, sesame seeds
Vegetable oils (in small quantities)	Ghee, sunflower, mustard, corn, almond, grape seed	Peanut, castor, coconut, sesame, almond, olive, safflower, soy
Spices, herbs, seasonings	All spices and herbs. Garlic, ginger, fennel, red pepper, chili, as well as basil, coriander leaf (cilantro), chicory, burdock root	Pickles, salt, vinegar
Water and drinks	Clean warm water, boiled, not sweet, ginger tea, cranberry juice, coffee (1 cup per day), almond milk, a glass of wine with meals	All cold drinks, carbonated drinks, other alcohol

When using an anti-Kapha diet, you need to:

Enlarge Pungent, Bitter and Astringent Taste
-reduce Sweet, Sour and Salty Tastes - reduce the amount consumed
- food should be dry, warm, light, low in calories
- do not eat cold, mucous or rich foods
- remove all sweets from your diet, with the exception of honey (in small quantities, it aggravates Kapha)
- reduce the consumption of any oils, dairy and fermented milk products, cheeses
- eliminate rice, wheat, corn, oats from your diet
- exclude all juicy fruits (retaining water in the body) - watermelon, melon, grapes, pineapples, citrus fruits, bananas
- exclude fatty vegetables and fruits - avocado, coconuts
- exclude potatoes
- if you are a meat eater, then at least reduce your pork consumption
- reduce your consumption of fish and seafood
- do not have dinner in the evening (during Kapha - from 6 to 10 pm), as this is the time of worst absorption of food

Kapha is an inert dosha and is best suited to a warm, light and dry diet. People of this type need to avoid cold, fatty and sweet foods that promote the development of Kapha. The best diet for people of this type is to generally reduce the amount of food consumed, both its quantity and frequency of intake. You can greatly help your body if you fast at least once a week. Kapha should give preference to a light breakfast and dinner, fresh vegetables and fruits, lightly boiled or fried foods.

Rules of Ayurvedic nutrition for Kapha-type people:

Choose foods that are hot, light, and dry (cooked with little water), with pungent, bitter, and astringent flavors and minimal amounts of fat and sugar. Sweet, salty and sour tastes should be avoided as they increase Kapha.

Every Kapha dish must have pungent, bitter and astringent tastes. Spicy foods improve digestion and warm the body, while bitter and astringent foods help curb Kapha's appetite.

Eat less sweets and include more spices, herbs and seasonings in your diet. Spicy and pungent foods are especially beneficial in winter, when they compensate for cold and dampness that irritate Kapha.

Dishes prepared without water are favorable - baked, fried (but not too much) in a frying pan or on the grill.

Breakfast should invigorate, not fill, Kapha people, so it is optional. In the morning, a glass of water with a spoonful of honey and a small amount of squeezed lemon juice is enough, although it is acceptable to drink a glass of hot unsweetened (ginger) tea, coffee or bitter cocoa with croutons.

Every meal should include fresh herbs, vegetables, salads, legumes, fruits and a variety of spices. And before eating, it is advisable to drink a glass of hot or warm water.

A good light dinner for Kaphas would be steamed vegetables lightly seasoned with ghee.

Very hot or spicy foods (causing tears) are good for both warming Kapha and flushing out excess mucus.

DAIRY PRODUCTS. Only skim boiled milk and a minimal amount of other dairy products are beneficial. Dairy products are completely unhealthy for people of this type.

SWEETS, HONEY and SUGAR. Honey is the only sweet food recommended for Kapha. All other sweets should be limited or excluded.

VEGETABLE OILS. Only ghee, sunflower and corn oil are beneficial, but they are only in small quantities. For external use, the best is sesame oil. All other types of oil should be excluded.

BREAD PRODUCTS. You need to limit yourself in baking, and also exclude pancakes, pancakes, pasta and yeast bread from your diet. It is possible to eat only bread made from sprouted wheat, as well as crackers or biscuits, bread or cereal breakfasts (cold, dry, in the form of flakes).

VEGETABLES. Almost all vegetables are beneficial, but especially spicy and bitter ones, such as eggplants, radishes, any types of cabbage, peppers, turnips, beets, carrots, spinach, onions, garlic, peas, corn, green leafy vegetables, asparagus, celery, spinach , mushrooms. You should limit your consumption of juicy and sweet vegetables: cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini, olives, okra.

Fruits and berries. All fruits with an astringent taste are beneficial: apples, pears, pomegranates, apricots, peaches, mangoes, persimmons, cranberries, lemon, lime, strawberries, as well as all dried fruits. Limit the consumption of sweet and juicy fruits: watermelons, oranges, pineapples, avocados, bananas, grapefruits, plums, grapes, bananas, melons, kiwis, raspberries, papaya, dates, figs.

CEREALS and LEGUMES. Most grains are suitable, especially barley, millet, rye, buckwheat and corn, as well as most legumes. Reduce your intake of wheat, rice or oats as much as possible, as well as beans and soybeans.

SPICES and SPICES. Everything is beneficial, but especially ginger. Limit the consumption of ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar, soy sauce, chocolate, and especially table salt.

NUTS and SEEDS. Only sunflower and pumpkin seeds are beneficial. Everything else must be excluded from the diet.

MEAT and SEAFOOD. Favorable: white chicken or turkey meat, fish and shrimp (all in small quantities). Exclude: animal meat, seafood.

TEA, COFFEE AND DRINKS. Favorable: hot natural and soy milk with spices, coffee from cereals, dry wines (both red and white), juices: apricot, pineapple, grape,

Cherry (sweet), pomegranate, apple, pear, carrot, peach, plum, mango, as well as cranberry and other berry juices. Avoid: carbonated and iced drinks, lemon water, coffee, iced tea, meat broths, strong alcoholic drinks, sour juices, as well as orange, grapefruit, tomato and papaya juice.

HERBS AND PLANTS: Benefits: Wintergreen, Cloves, Hibiscus, Blackberry, Jasmine, Ginseng, Strawberry, Ginger, Yerba Mate (Paraguayan tea), Cinnamon, Nettle, Red Clover, Lavender, Lemongrass, Burdock, Alfalfa, Raspberry, Melissa, Mormon Tea (Ephedra), Spearmint, Peppermint, Dandelion, Fenugreek, Chamomile, Sassafras, Passion Flower, Yarrow, Chicory, Juniper Berries, Barley. Not suitable: Marshmallow, Licorice, and Rosehip.

STARVATION. Regularly, 1 day a week in warm boiled water with honey. Weekly diets with limited sugar are also recommended - only honey is allowed (one tablespoon per day), which can be diluted in hot water.

For a person with Kapha dosha, becoming thin does not mean becoming healthy.

As in any other area of health, Ayurveda recommends a holistic approach to weight loss. In Ayurveda, the emphasis is on identifying the cause of excess body weight. Ayurveda offers a personalized approach that includes diet, daily routine and herbal formulas. There are three main causes of excess body weight, which can be viewed in terms of the three main doshas: Kapha, Pitta and Vata. Kapha imbalance is the most common and can be managed through diet, lifestyle and herbal formulas.

Kapha is a slow metabolic type

The most common type of weight gain is due to a slow metabolism. This is typical for a person who is a classic Kapha type.

Kapha dosha consists of the elements earth and water. A Kapha person is constitutionally larger, with larger bones, and is a stable and gentle personality. For a person with Kapha dosha, becoming thin does not mean becoming healthy. If you tend to be overweight, no matter how little you eat, you will be going against your nature if you ever become thin. It is better to balance the metabolism, increase the ability to digest sugar and carbohydrates, follow a Kapha diet and an appropriate lifestyle. These changes will allow the body to find its ideal body weight. In doing so, you will feel better and look healthier, and you will also lose most of the excess weight. The process of losing weight will occur naturally, but not to the point of exhaustion.

Losing weight for Kapha through diet

The main principle for balancing Kapha is to introduce some fire elements into your food and lifestyle. This will balance the earthy and watery elements of Kapha dosha.

It is good to add mild hot spices to vegetables and soups: black pepper, fresh ginger and turmeric. Studies have shown that it promotes digestion, lowers cholesterol, improves fat metabolism, and also eliminates allergies. Turmeric activates the liver, so if you have liver disease or bile duct disorder, consult your doctor.

Bitter and astringent tastes can also balance Kapha dosha. These include green leafy vegetables, legumes, astringent vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts). It is important to prepare dishes from these vegetables and not eat them raw. Raw vegetables are difficult for the body to digest. To balance Kapha dosha, you need to eat warm, fresh, cooked foods.

Quinoa is an excellent grain for weight loss because it is high in protein and zinc (4 mg zinc per cup). But it needs to be cooked with a small amount of ghee or olive oil.

Basmati rice is also a good grain for Kapha dosha as it has a more drying effect than other types of rice. However, quinoa is better because it has fire properties, which is important for weight loss.

The fire element can even be added to the water you drink. If you boil water for five minutes on the stove, you are adding the element of fire to it. If you sip water throughout the day, the fire will penetrate the water molecules and thus penetrate your body. You won't notice anything right away, but over time you will begin to feel less tired. This is because Kapha dosha tends to create a feeling of lethargy, and with the introduction of the fire element in water, you will gradually feel more energetic.

If you are a Kapha by nature, then you should stay away from heavy, cold desserts such as ice cream and cheesecake. This will slow down your metabolism and also increase the cold, heavy Kapha qualities in your body. Rich desserts, fried foods, products made from refined sugar and flour, cold foods and drinks will hinder weight loss.

Losing weight for Kapha through lifestyle

Regular exercise is the most important change you can make to improve your metabolism. The problem is that people with excess Kapha dosha often feel so sluggish that it is difficult for them to start exercising daily. Generally, Kapha types need more vigorous exercise over a longer period of time to have the same effect that moderate exercise has on Vata dosha.

Even the habit of breathing deeply can help recharge your metabolism with the fire element. If Kapha dosha is out of balance, a person begins to breathe shallowly and intermittently. Deep breathing is healthy for all types, but especially for Kapha dosha because deep breathing awakens the body's metabolism. When metabolism is low and breathing is shallow, the body's channels are blocked and even more lethargy occurs. Pranayama - yoga breathing exercises - prepares the mind and body for meditation. These gentle exercises cultivate deep breathing and help clear the channels and prana, or breath of life, resulting in increased metabolism.

People with Kapha dosha should eat their main food when the sun is strongest, at noon. This is because the body's internal digestive fire, Agni, is also strongest at noon. If you eat your staple food when it can be more easily digested, it will create less digestive waste, the ama toxins that block the channels and slow down the metabolism.

Digestive fire is weaker in the morning after waking up and in the evening before going to bed. Therefore, there should be light dishes for breakfast and dinner. An excellent breakfast to speed up your metabolism consists of an apple or pear with prunes and figs. This light breakfast keeps the body full until midday, when a person may eat a heavy meal. A healthy dinner for Kaphas is vegetable soup, grains and dhal, seasoned with spices like cumin, fresh ginger, black pepper and turmeric. Kitchari is a light dish that is prepared with rice.

Losing weight for Kaphas should be a natural process of balancing the doshas. When you change your lifestyle, diet, and even your breathing, your metabolism speeds up and natural, healthy weight loss occurs.