Pitta?

As per Ayurveda, the body is made up of tissues (dhatus), waste products (malas), and doshas (loosely translated to Energetic Forces). It is the Tridoshas’ job to assist with the creation of all of the various tissues of the body and to remove any unnecessary waste products from the body. It is also the Tridoshas that influence all movements, all transformations, all sensory functions, and many of the other activities in the human body and mind. Out of this tridoshas the Vata dosha is the most important of the three doshas. The Pitta dosha is associated with fire or heat. Kapha is the heaviest of the three doshas. It provides the structures and the lubrication that the body needs.
Now lets understand what is Pitta Dosha, What are Pitta Body Types, and what is important for them to consider with respect to food and what all they need to avoid.

The Pitta Type Body
In Ayurveda Pitta is known as Energy of Digestion and Metabolism. Pitta dosha (bio-energy) is a combination of water and fire elements and formulated by the dynamic interplay of the both. These elements are transformative in nature thus they constantly modulate and control each other. In human body Pitta represents the fire element; it includes gastric fire or digestive fire, action of enzymes and amino acids that play a major role in metabolism, and the neurotransmitters and neuropeptides involved in thinking. People with pitta personality are known for warm friendly behavior and leadership qualities.
Pitta is hot, sharp, light, oily, liquid, and spreading in nature. It is sour, bitter, pungent to the taste, and has a fleshy smell. All these characteristics are revealed in the body of the pitta person. The main centers of pitta in human body are small intestine, stomach, sweat glands, blood, fat, eyes, and skin. Pitta governs digestion, absorption, assimilation, nutrition, metabolism, body temperature, skin coloration, the luster of the eyes, intelligence, and understanding. It gives the person appetite, vitality, and the capacity to learn, understand and determine what is right or wrong. The imbalanced pitta can cause many physical and psychological problems like anger, criticism, negative emotions, acidity, ulcers, heartburn, rashes and thinning hair. Pitta can be thrown out of balance by, eating spicy or sour food; being angry, tired, or fearful; or spending too much time in the sun. People with a predominantly pitta constitution are thought to be susceptible to heart disease and arthritis.

Pitta provides the following functions:
• Metabolism – at all the various levels from digestion of food to transformation of all other material
• Thermogenesis – maintains the proper body temperature
• Vision – converts external images into optic nerve impulses
• Appetite – the feeling of hunger and thirst
• Comprehension – of information into knowledge, also reasoning and judgment
• Courage & Braveness – to face the situation
• Complexion – gives color and softness to skin
Indications of Balanced Pitta
A balanced pitta is an indication of sound physical and psychological health of an individual. When in balance pitta ensures:
• Good digestion
• Energy
• Goal-setting inclinations
• Good problem-solving skills
• Keen powers of intelligence
• Decisiveness
• Boldness and courage
• Bright complexion
Indications of Imbalanced Pitta
• Acidity, Heartburn
• Fitful sleep, Disturbing dreams, Insomnia
• Diarrhea, Food allergies
• Bad breath, Sour body odor
• Sensitivity to heat, Hot flashes
• Skin rashes, Boils and Acne
• Ulcers, Hot sensations in the stomach or intestines
• Bloodshot eyes other vision problems
• Weakness due to low blood sugar
• Fevers, Night sweats
• Anemia
• Jaundice

Pitta Dosha Foods General:
You can balance excess pitta with foods that are dry, cool and heavy with a mild, naturally sweet, bitter or astringent taste. Milk, beans, rice, steamed vegetables and fruits are good for pitta people. Pitta body types generally like a lot of protein. The sweet items like maple syrup, brown rice syrup, barley malt, and honey are good.
• Mild spices: Coriander, cumin, and cilantro
• Vegetables & Fruits: can eat most vegetables and fruits.
• Grains: Barley, oats, wheat, parboiled rice.
General Tips on Health and Wellness For Pitta
When in balance, pitta promotes intelligence and understanding but when disturbed or imbalanced it produces anger and jealousy. To ensure sound and healthy living one should be aware with the causes and factors that can influence pitta dosha and also the ways to regulate them.
It is very important for Pitta people that they lead a pure and moderate life and try to keep cool. Pitta is a fire element; hence to balance it one should avoid excessive heat, oily, steamy and salty food, rigorous exercises that increase body heat, etc. Such people should opt foods, attitudes, behaviors, personal relationships, and environmental conditions that can be instrumental in balancing pitta.
They should take food that is sweet, bitter, and astringent because these tastes decrease pitta influences, do exercise during the cooler part of the day, and do things that cool the mind, avoid conflicts and choose cool climates. On behavioral front developing the virtues of honesty, morality, kindness, generosity, and self-control also help in balancing pitta dosha.
Pitta prakriti people should do meditation as it helps to control negative thoughts and calm mind and body. Optimum meal times for pitta people are: breakfast at 7 a.m., lunch at noon, a snack at 3 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m.
The pitta people should use colors that are cool and calm, for example, blues and greens. These colors provide a soothing effect and help to control pitta. The stone should be worn by pitta people is Moonstone as this stone associate well with pitta dosha and drive positive influences.

Pungent and oily foods like curry, fried foods and spicy condiments should be avoided by people with pitta constitutions. Spices such as cayenne, garlic and dry ginger should completely be avoided. Stimulants like alcohol, smoking, coffee, vinegar, fried foods, pickles, spicy foods, fermented foods, almond, curds, corn, til, mustard oil are not good for pitta people. Beets, brinjals, carrots, garlic, hot peppers, onions, spinach, tomatoes need to avoided. Fruits that are to be avoided are like sour and unripe fruits, including grapefruit, papayas, peaches, bananas, apricots. Grains like brown rice, corn, millet, rye should not be taken.

List of favorable food items
Vegetables	Fruits	Grains	Dairy	Meat	Oil	Beverages	Nuts & Seeds	Herbs& Spices
Asparagus Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Celery Cucumber Green beans Green (sweet) peppers Leafy green vegetables Lettuce Mushrooms Okra Parsley Peas Potatoes Sprouts Squash Sweet potatoes Zucchini	Apples Avocados Cherries Coconut Figs Dark grapes Mangoes Melons Oranges Pears Pineapples Plums Prunes Raisins	Barley Oats Wheat White rice (prefer basmati rice)	Butter Egg whites Ghee (clarified butter )- unless you are watching cholesterol Ice cream Milk	Chicken Shrimp Turkey (All in small amounts)	Coconut Olive Soy Sunflower	Almond milk aloe vera juice apple juice apricot juice berry juice (sweet) black tea carob chai (hot, spiced milk)* cherry juice (sweet) cool dairy drinks grain “coffee” grape juice mango juice mixed veg. juice orange juice peach nectar pomegranate juice prune juice pear juice rice milk soy milk vegetable bouillon	Coconut Pumpkin seeds Sunflower seeds	Spices are generally avoided as too heating. In small amounts, the following sweet and astringent spices are OK Cardamom Cilantro(green coriander) Cinnamon Coriander seed Dill Fennel Mint Saffron Turmeric Plus small amounts of cumin and black pepper

List of unfavorable food items
Vegetables	Fruits	Grains	Dairy	Meat	Oil	Beverages	Nuts & Seeds	Herbs& Spices
Beets Carrots Eggplant Garlic Hot peppers Onions Radishes Spinach Tomatoes

Apricots
Bananas
Berries
Cherries (sour)
Cranberries
Grapefruit
Papayas
Peaches
Persimmons

Brown rice
Corn
Millet
Rye

Buttermilk
Cheese
Egg yolks
Sour cream
Yogurt

Red meat and sea food in general )

Almond
Corn
Safflower
Sesame

Apple cider berry juice (sour) caffeinated beverages carbonated drinks carrot juice cherry juice (sour) chocolate milk
coffee cranberry juice grapefruit juice
iced tea
iced drinks lemonade papaya juice tomato juice sour juices

All, except mentioned above

All pungent herbs and spices, except as noted. Take only the minimal amounts of the following:

Barbecue sauce
Catsup
Mustard
Pickles
Salt
Sour salad dressings
Spicy condiments
Vinegar

Ayurvedic Herbal Massage to Balance Pitta

Ayurvedic herbal massage is a powerful tool with which you can build greater overall health. People who get ayurvedic herbal massage finds wonderfully relaxing and energizing at the whole time. If you are using ayurvedic herbal massage on daily basis you will find better sleep and easier, earlier mornings and it will help to keep your body free of illness and toxins.

Ayurvedic herbal massage has a wide range of benefits. Ayurvedic herbal massage helps for balance our Kapha dosha, Pitta dosha and Vata dosha. A person who are using ayurvedic herbal massage on daily basis, will get smooth and beautiful skin and always feel youthful. Ayurvedic herbal massage also helps to improve the strength and tone the muscles.