..
.
According
to the ancient Indian philosophy of Ayurveda, each of us is made up of a
unique mixture of elements--space, air, fire, water, and earth--that make
us who we are. By discovering which of three combinations (or "doshas")
you fall under, you can alter your lifestyle to make sure your elements
always stay balanced, keeping you healthy and stress-free. Take the quiz
in the July issue of Seventeen to discover whether your dosha is vata,
pitta, or kapha, then read this to see how eating right can help you feel
your best.
Eat cooked vegetables, which are rich in "prana" (life force)
and don't require as much "agni" (digestive effort) as raw
vegetables do. Stick to warm, well-cooked foods with sweet, sour, or salty
flavors--raw, bitter, and spicy foods require too much detoxification and
metabolic activity in the vata body and can aggravate an already-disturbed
balance. Try small amounts of protein like beef or chicken, and sweet
fruits and vegetables like beets, oranges, avocados, sweet potatoes, and
asparagus. Warm beverages, like tea, are also good for you.
You feel calmer and more grounded. Even when you're feeling worried or
stressed, you won't toss and turn before falling asleep. Your skin will
feel softer, and your thoughts will slow down, allowing you to focus.
You'll feel warmer all over--even in your hands and feet. Overall, you'll
have a greater sense of harmony in all aspects of your life, which will
boost your creativity and energy.
Avoid sour, salty, and spicy foods, which increase the fire element in
your body and could make you feel even more aggressive or compulsive.
Irritated, temper-prone pittas need cooling, soothing, and calming
elements to restore their balance. A good cooling diet includes sweet,
bitter, and light foods like chicken, apples, and mangos and dark, leafy
greens (which are good for the liver and should be a staple for pittas).
If you're agitated and your metabolism is in overdrive, stick with healthy
snacks (instead of artificial sweets) to keep your energy level from
spiking. Watch out for seafood, as it can have a high sodium content,
which aggravates the fire element.
You're not as anxious, tense, or easily provoked. Even when you encounter
conflicts or arguments, you'll feel more calm. Also, your strong
appetite--caused by your fire element--will be more manageable. You'll
generally be a more pleasant person to be around!
Sweet foods aggravate the kapha dosha, as kapha already has sweet
tendencies. In Ayurveda, like increases like, and balance is all about
keeping your dosha qualities in the middle. Kaphas love cakes, cookies,
and ice cream, so the best thing you can do is not give in to your sweet
tooth when you're feeling stressed--you'll just end up tired and cranky.
Try to reduce your intake of heavy, sugary, and sour foods like most carbs,
dairy products, avocados, bananas, and tomatoes. Eat light, bitter, and
spicy foods like chicken, shrimp, curry, apples, pears, leafy greens, and
most veggies, all of which decrease kapha. Eat your largest meal in the
middle of the day, have a soup and salad for dinner, and avoid eating late
at night.
You'll feel lighter and less congested, and you may even want to extend
that feeling to your emotions to increase the sensation of lightness--you
might be ready to talk about things that have been bothering you for
awhile, which will further decrease your stress levels. Even when they're
not overweight, kaphas' naturally heavy dispositions mean they often need
to compensate for mental sluggishness, so mentally or physically
stimulating activities help. Try not to sleep too much and regulate your
food cravings, and you'll feel more energy and more curiosity, you'll be
more driven to venture outside and be active, and you'll find it easier to
lose weight.
.
This
article on stress & others can be found at
..