Energy meridians of the body. Kapha dosha: signs of constitution, nutrition and lifestyle Ayurveda nutrition for kapha

Everything is medicine or poison depending on the quantity. place and time of application, as well as from the initial state.

To radically change something, you need to eat large quantities of inappropriate foods for a long time.

Yogurt, kefir, ice cream - to a minimum. After this, eat a few peas of black pepper and cloves, or a mixture (a little at a time, with 1/4 tsp). You can increase it over time if everything is fine.

And of course, to disperse kapha, you need increased physical activity. Otherwise, it stagnates in the body.

People of the kapha type, themselves, have a rather large physique and a tendency to gain excess weight, which often happens in the case of. In addition to this, any food that increases kapha can also contribute to extra pounds. However, there is an important positive point here: foods that reduce this dosha can also help reduce weight, and these are the foods that are recommended for people of this Ayurvedic constitution. Therefore, a correctly selected one will, in this case, be a tool for losing weight.

How to lose weight with kapha dosha through diet?

In general, you should follow the dietary guidelines for kapha dosha. You should especially avoid foods of animal origin, wheat products, white refined sugar and products containing it, alcoholic beverages, fried foods, fast food, and any food that is too much, too much or too much. Also, do not get carried away with oils, including vegetable ones. You can use almond, corn and sunflower oil in small quantities.

First of all, you need to focus on dishes that have , and - they will revive the body and mind. The best foods for kapha are suitable vegetables.- they are not only sources of vitamins and minerals, but are also perfectly absorbed without increasing your dosha.

Basically, vegetables almost all are good; Just limit potatoes, tomatoes and water chestnuts (chilim, water chestnut, bagel). Also, do not indulge in vegetables with a very sweet, very sour taste, or those that have a lot of juice. Otherwise, you can have a blast eating vegetables without compromising your health.

Among vegetables, give preference to green leafy ones, as well as those that contain seeds (like zucchini, for example, or pumpkin) - they are better for you than root vegetables, which are closer to the elements of earth (and combines the elements of water and earth, respectively, products with similar qualities will increase this dosha, which we do not need at all).

Raw vegetables are good, as well as stewed ones (they are easier to digest). Various peppers suit Kaphas. If you have a bivocal type, and the second dosha is pitta, then in the case of overeating peppers (especially hot ones, such as chili), you need an “antidote” in the form of ghee, which will calm the pitta dosha.

Cereals are also needed, but to a lesser extent than, for example, vata dosha and pitta dosha. To normalize weight, it is best to eat grains with a warming and drying effect: buckwheat, millet, barley, rice (choose less slimy varieties) and corn. It is best to lightly toast the grain in a dry frying pan before cooking. Bread can be eaten in the form of crackers - this is a more suitable option; or exclude it altogether, because wheat, by its qualities, is a heavy grain and contains gluten, which is not very good for kapha dosha, especially when we talk about how to lose weight.

From fruit For weight loss, dried fruits (prunes, for example), apples, apricots, peaches, pears, cranberries and pomegranate are suitable. Avoid very sweet, very juicy and very sour fruits. Interestingly, the famous Ayurvedic specialist, Robert Svoboda, also recommends fruits such as mangoes, which are quite sweet and often very juicy. There are, of course, different varieties, but still an interesting recommendation.

Kapha dosha should not be carried away legumes, because, firstly, legumes are a heavy food, and secondly, kaphas do not need so much protein (according to the same opinion of R. Svoboda). Legumes you can eat include black beans, mung beans, Pinto beans and red lentils.

Many are suitable for kapha spices, with the exception of salt, which needs to be seriously limited if you want to lose weight.

An important feature of this dosha is its slower metabolism (metabolism) compared to other doshas, ​​as a result of which fats are less absorbed, toxins are less easily eliminated, and all this can lead to obesity if nothing is done.

Physical exercise stimulates metabolism, eliminates congestion in the body, which people of the kapha type are prone to, and helps reduce this dosha.

What exercises are needed?

Since kapha is a fairly resilient dosha, you need more intense and prolonged exercise that will ignite the internal “fire”. Will fit marathons, cross-country running, skiing, triathlon, cycling, strength training, hiking, yoga etc. The main thing is to stay motivated to train and exercise regularly.

Other recommendations that are useful for losing weight include eating your main meal at noon, going to bed before 10:00 p.m., and getting up before 6:00 a.m. Time is important because if your dosha is out of balance, then even 8 hours of sleep will not seem enough to you; but it is important to go to bed earlier and get up earlier in order to bring the dosha into balance (by the way, this recommendation applies to all doshas, ​​since it corresponds to the natural rhythms of the body).

Try to control every aspect of nutrition, because even the most healthy foods will become poison if they are not absorbed by the body correctly.

Features of metabolism

People with a predominance of Kapha dosha in their constitution have a good appetite, a pronounced feeling of hunger, but slow digestion. If, succumbing to a slight feeling of hunger, they begin to eat frequently or overeat, due to slow metabolism, the food will not be completely digested and will cause the accumulation of waste and toxins, and the digested part of it will first be deposited in adipose tissue. Therefore, the mandatory rule should be two or three meals a day with strict adherence to the volume of food eaten.

Kapha, when out of balance, promotes the accumulation of mucus in the body - it is by its nature slow, passive, heavy, cold, slightly caustic and flowing, therefore it causes blockage of pores and tissues inside the body, promotes the development of tumors, thickens the blood and various body fluids, disrupts the work of the endocrine glands, causes an increase in body weight and fat deposits. To balance these qualities, it is necessary to avoid eating very fatty, salty, sweet, heavy, oily and cooling foods - milk, dairy products, fatty meats and broths, bananas, nuts, milk porridges. In contrast, it is necessary to eat light, penetrating, warming, fibrous and dry foods.

An important feature of an organism with a dominant influence of the Water element is the difficulty of digesting incompatible food, therefore separate meals are recommended for people of this type.

The nature of Kapha is passive, enveloping and cold, so in order to keep it in balance, it is necessary to exclude very cold foods and drinks, as well as very hot and overly spicy foods. The ban on the latter is imposed because the spicy melts the mucus and causes it to move throughout the body, and when the mucus is removed from the source of fire, it will harden, clogging energy channels and vessels.

Therefore, food for people of this type should be hot and warming, but not burning the mouth. “Water” people are quite static and calm, but they often “succumb” to stress and begin to “eat up” it, thereby causing an increase in Kapha in the body and suppression of Pitta, which protects the body from stress and adverse external factors. In turn, this can contribute to the development of even deeper stress, the accumulation of mucus in the body and the appearance or exacerbation of mucus diseases - sinusitis, rhinitis, hormonal disorders, tumors, diabetes.

Meal time

Due to their slow metabolism, “water” people tend to have swelling and congestion in the body, so they should not eat too early or too late.

Breakfast 8.00-10:00. Breakfast for people of Kapha constitution should be very light and consist mainly of fruits, for example, a baked apple or pear combined with a few plums. It is important to remember that raw fruits do not combine with other foods, so they must be consumed separately. Sometimes representatives of this type can sometimes completely do without breakfast.

Lunch 13:00-15:00. For Kapha people, this should be the bulk of their meals, as this is when digestion works best. It is recommended for lunch to eat thin soup with vegetable broth, some lean meat, buckwheat porridge, vegetable salads, vegetable stew or steamed vegetables, honey.

Dinner no later than 18:00. It is recommended to have dinner no later than 3 hours before bedtime. In the evening you should eat lighter meals. It is also recommended to avoid lactic acid products in the evening. If you eat food shortly before going to bed at night, it will be much less digestible.

It is very important to learn to distinguish the body’s actual needs for food and drink from the state when you really don’t want to eat and drink, but something tempts you to do so. Thus, it is necessary to eat when you are hungry and drink when you are thirsty.

With any constitution and following any diet, it is imperative to exclude food at night. Eating late does not give rest to the digestive system and leads to the formation of toxins, which interferes with the normal functioning of the entire body.
In the modern lifestyle of a big city, it is sometimes difficult to exclude a late dinner, since this is the only time after work when you can eat calmly and fully. Therefore, for many, dinner after a hard day becomes the main meal of the day. Very carefully, without trying to break internal resistance and habits, it is important to shift the main meal to the day, closer to noon, when the fire of digestion is most active. Heavy and difficult to digest foods should also be consumed in the middle of the day.

Amount of food

For people whose constitution is dominated by Kapha, the amount of food is of great importance. Their metabolism is at a fairly low level. As a result, they can and should eat less than people of other types of constitutions - skipping several meals a week should become the norm for them. After all, they can easily live the whole day on water or juices alone, without experiencing any physical discomfort, since their body stores a large amount of energy.

If there is an excess of food, it will be absorbed worse, becoming poison (ama). In addition, overeating stretches the stomach, which will require more and more food. Ideally, you should eat no more than what can fit in your cupped palms at a time.

The meal should be stopped before the feeling of heaviness in the stomach occurs, without filling it completely. It is good to finish a meal when one third of the stomach is filled with food, one third with water and one third with air. It is important to strictly adhere to the drinking regime, avoiding taking excessive amounts of liquid and drinking no more than 1 liter per day.

How the food is prepared

For people with Kapha predominance, it is good to use a lot of spices for cooking. Almost all spices are beneficial. However, you should not add ketchup and mayonnaise to dishes. It is necessary to avoid old, heavy, fatty, oily, mucous, watery foods, yeast bread, and strong alcoholic drinks.

Most vegetables are very healthy for this type of person as they are usually light and dry in nature. Especially useful are sharp, bitter and astringent vegetables, which can be either boiled or eaten raw (preferably in warm weather). Mushrooms are also often included in the list of vegetables recommended for water-type people, but most of them are quite heavy, so they can throw the Water element out of balance.

Mushrooms should only be consumed when cooked with spices that enhance Pitta dosha in the body (asafetida, ginger, garlic, black pepper, etc.). Kapha-type people usually do not need animal products, since they are less susceptible to tissue failure than others. Of all types of meat, poultry causes the least harm. Fatty and red meat should be excluded from your menu. If you cannot do without meat, then it should be cooked with a lot of spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, black pepper, a little red pepper, mustard seeds are suitable).

Representatives of this type of constitution should, if possible, avoid dairy products (except low-fat curdled milk), because they contribute to mucus formation and the occurrence of stagnation. But if you love milk, you can reduce mucus formation by adding spices like cardamom, ginger, saffron or masala mixture.

Oils are generally not suitable for water type people due to their wet and heavy nature. As a result, it is better to use them in very small quantities for cooking.

Animal fats, such as lard, are much heavier than vegetable oils, and therefore it is advisable to avoid them completely. It should be remembered that most legumes need to be soaked overnight and washed in the morning - this way they are better absorbed. If legumes cause flatulence, then long pepper, cloves, ginger, and black cardamom should be added to the prepared dish. Cereals are not very suitable for people with a predominant constitution of Water, as they are heavy and can increase weight, and even more so you should not cook them with milk.

Food by season

Kapha dosha is most active in winter and early spring, when the weather outside is damp and cold. These days it is better to eat less raw and more cooked food, and use warming spices in food and drinks. At this time, long-term fasting and a raw food diet are contraindicated.

Nutrition by age

When compiling a diet, you need to take age into account, keeping in mind the following:

From birth to 16 years- the time of predominance of the Water element, so at this time people often suffer from colds. During these years, it is especially important for representatives of the “water” type of constitution to monitor their diet and not abuse food that increases the amount of the Water element in the body. However, we must not forget that this is a period of active growth of the body, the formation of organs and tissues, so it is better to refrain from strict diets. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains should make up approximately 75% of a child's diet. You should avoid a lot of sweets.

From 16 to 50–55 years old- the time of Fire, therefore, when drawing up a diet for people with a Water constitution, it is important to monitor the balance of the fire element in the body, still limiting the consumption of salty, sweet and sour, and also not overusing spicy tastes.

From 55 years onwards- the time of Air, therefore at this time it is very important to create a diet based on the current state of the body, because By consuming foods that reduce the amount of Water, we increase the level of Air, which can lead to diseases and disorders associated with this element (arthritis, arthrosis, etc.). During this period of life, you should not abuse raw vegetables and fruits; it is advisable to give up coffee and strong tea. People over fifty years of age, regardless of their constitution type, are not recommended to consume yogurt; cleansing fasting is best done under the supervision of a physician. You should not eat heavy food, because... at this age, people with a “watery” type of constitution gain weight especially quickly.

Diet for those with a Kapha constitution

A distinctive feature of the diet of people with a predominance of Water in their individual constitution is a reduction not only in the total amount, but also in the calorie content of food consumed. Representatives of this type are recommended to have the following balancing diet:

• 30–40% grain products: dry rye bread, dry semi-finished grain products, cooked grain;
• 20% protein: chicken, turkey, soft-boiled or hard-boiled eggs, a small amount of goat's milk, legumes - including chickpeas, aduki, kidney beans, red lentils, black and white beans, mung beans, split peas, black-eyed peas (these are general recommendations for everyone: if If you do not eat meat or other products, be sure to ensure that your diet is complete);
• 40–50% fresh vegetables;
• 10% fresh or dried fruit (if desired);
• It is useful to include salads in your daily diet.

Starvation

People with a predominance of Kapha dosha in their constitution benefit from strict vegetarianism (without animal products) like no other. Once a week, it is advisable to arrange fasting days without food or on vegetable juices, raw vegetables and fruits, herbal infusions, and ginger tea. They can also withstand long (a week or more) fasting; they will also benefit from observing Christian fasts, because This not only allows the body to cleanse itself, but also develops willpower. You can fast for 5,10,15 days depending on your feelings. Some people can try longer abstinence from food, but always under the supervision of a doctor. It is important to remember that fasting can be very harmful to weakened, seriously ill people, young children and the elderly.

Based on materials from the book “Yoga from A to Z” by David Frawley

In the human body, metabolism occurs every minute, every second. Dosha Kapha is the vital energy that regulates this exchange, therefore it must be stable, constant and slow, but at the same time confidently manage metabolic processes.

Kapha is considered the most constant, compared to Vatta and Pitta, so it is very difficult to unbalance it. But either modern life with all its negative factors affecting the body, or some changes in human nature itself prove the opposite. As sad practice shows, dosha Kapha gets out of balance quite often. Hence the appearance of the so-called imbalance of fluids, leading to various diseases.

Ayurveda has ancient knowledge on how to balance Kapha using natural methods. Special nutrition helps to achieve the desired balance and get rid of Kapha diseases.

What is the role of Kapha dosha

Kapha is formed from the combination such basic elements, How water and land. It corresponds to the state of “mucus”, so it has the appropriate characteristics: soft, heavy, dense, viscous.

Kapha dosha is charged with maintaining fluid balance in the body. Also under its control are all the structural elements of the body - tendons, bones, muscles, etc.

The dosha is directly influenced by the Svadhisthana chakra and Muladhara chakra. Its location is the upper part of the thoracic cavity. You can learn more about doshas from the article on our website.

How to recognize Kapha type people: physical characteristics of dosha

From conception, people are predisposed to the predominance of one or more doshas. Much less often, an absolute balance of tridosha is observed in a person. The predominance of Kapha is reflected in everything: psychological and anatomical-physiological characteristics of the individual.

Physical description of Kapha dosha type people:

1. If If Kapha predominates in a woman, she is distinguished by roundness of shape, a certain fullness. And although her legs are usually short, she always moves smoothly, gracefully, measuredly, while demonstrating inner confidence.
2. Kapha men are distinguished by the width of their shoulders, hips and torso. They are stocky and powerful in appearance.
3. If we consider their constitution in general, then they usually have full arms and wide bones. They gain weight quite quickly if they do not eat properly, as their metabolism is slow.
4. The skin is moist, pale and smooth (people of nationalities whose dark skin color is genetically determined have a different feature, respectively).
5. The eyes are most often light, and the eyelashes are fluffy and thick. The hair is also thick.
6. The lips are full, the facial features are large.

From the outside Kapha type people look balanced, calm, all their actions are adequate and thoughtful. Some may even blame them for a lack of emotional response, but Vatta and Pitta should learn from their composure.

What disorders and diseases can an imbalance of Kapha dosha lead to?

Kapha most often loses balance under the influence of such factors:

• very cold and “difficult” food to digest;
• abuse of sweet, fatty, salty foods;
• excessive consumption of alcohol, which “slows down” the already calm Kapha;
• daytime nap;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• cold, damp weather;
• psychological experiences associated with self-flagellation, envy, pride.

Since Kapha is influenced by the second chakra of Svadhisthana, which is responsible for hormonal metabolic processes and the immune system, imbalance of the dosha will lead to blocking of the chakra . Svadhisthana governs the five waters in the human body, circulating in different organs:

1. Sleshaka– responsible for lubrication and elasticity of joints. Problems with Kapha balance can lead to the development of arthritis, rheumatism and various inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system..
2. Avalabaka(heart) – gives strength and strength to the chest, supports the mobility of the limbs. An imbalance of avalabaki leads to frequent respiratory diseases.
3. Kleaka(stomach). When overexcitation of Kapha occurs, increased production of gastric juice is provoked, which often causes a person to experience a painful feeling of hunger.
4. Terpaka(nasal cavity). Cools and cleanses the nose, eyes, mouth. People of the Kapha type, subject to the harmonious functioning of the dosha, have good memory and sensitive perception. Terpaka is precisely responsible for this. If it is disrupted, stagnation occurs, leading to pathological accumulation of mucus. This contributes to the development of sinusitis, sinusitis, and pharyngitis.
5. Bodaka– is responsible for uniting all five waters. Promotes saliva production and provides taste perception. If an imbalance occurs, a person begins to overeat, and this, in turn, leads to overweight and even obesity.

So, Kapha imbalance most often becomes the cause of a number of pathological conditions and diseases:

• dyspnea;
• frequent colds;
• hypertension (high blood pressure);
• malignant neoplasms;
• digestive disorders;
• lymphadenitis (inflammation of the lymph nodes);
• skin diseases;
• diseases of the ENT organs, including inflammation of the sinuses;
• obesity.

At the psychological level, overexcitation of Kapha leads to slowness of mind, laziness, greed, and stubbornness. The person becomes melancholic, and a depressive state may develop.

Ways to restore Kapha balance

First of all, Ayurveda recommends taking into account the main characteristics of Kapha . Since it is cooling, heavy, calm and moist, when it dominates to restore the balance of the dosha procedures and means are used aimed at warming, stimulating, relieving and drying.

So, in order for Kapha dosha to return to normal, the following remedies and procedures are used:

• Excess fluid is removed with the help of diuretics, therapeutic fasting, diets, and also by stimulating sweating. Such measures help with lymphostasis, fever, bronchitis, and asthma.
• The taste of the products is very important in correcting doshas. For Kapha, remedies with a bitter taste are indicated, and a little less often - with an astringent and pungent taste.
• To improve digestion and cleanse the intestines, agents with stimulant, emetic and laxative effects are used.
• A person with Kapha dosha disorders is advised to wear jewelry or amulets made of gold and copper inlaid with yellow or red opal, red diamond, topaz, ruby, agate, red or yellow garnet. What these stones and metals have in common is that they carry the energy of Fire, activity and warmth, which Kapha lacks.

The most important Ayurvedic principle in correcting doshas is the use of only natural remedies given to man by nature.

Dietary food for healthy Kapha: what is useful and what is harmful

Kapha people enjoy every meal, so it is very difficult for them to go hungry. Since this is fraught with the appearance of excess weight, they need to carefully monitor their diet more than other doshas.

Nutritional principles that Kapha dosha people should adhere to:

1. It is advisable to eat only twice a day and strictly by the hour. The first meal should be at noon and it should be well nourishing and healthy. The second should take place in the evening and consist of light, easily digestible foods.
2. Food should have a warming effect, seasoned with hot and bitter spices. Here is some of the list of things that are good for Kapha:

• vegetables and greens - beets, asparagus, corn, Jerusalem artichoke, green peas, cabbage, pumpkin, broccoli, parsley, celery;
• fruits (also dried fruits) and berries - pears, apples, apricots, pomegranates, quinces, peaches;
• honey (in small quantities);
• porridge – buckwheat, corn, rye;
• Legumes recommended include yellow and black peas (chickpeas), red lentils;
• spices and herbs - anise, orange zest, dried ginger, sage, cardamom, cloves, thyme, black pepper, marjoram, basil, eucalyptus, tarragon, cilantro;
• drinks - a mixture of vegetable juices, prune compote, rice milk, teas (with raspberries, ginger, chamomile, hops, cinnamon).

Overcooked, fatty, very cold and hot, watery foods are harmful to Kapha. . Yeast bread, which takes a long time and is difficult to digest, as well as strong alcoholic drinks should also be removed from the diet.

Do not forget about the power of aromatherapy on the doshas. Kapha “loves” the smells of myrrh, rosemary, juniper, laurel, bergamot, eucalyptus and incense.