Let’s explore a kapha diet. A kapha pacifying diet is meant to help bring someone with a kapha imbalance back into balance. A kapha diet can also be a preventative tool during kapha season.
Food Rules
Food directly impacts our body. The food we eat provides everything from energy to our cells to the formation of neurotransmitters. However, diet alone is not the end all be all. The stress one has around food can be far more damaging to one’s health than any particular food can ever be. This is a topic I will be covering more in depth in upcoming posts.
My intention is to offer this information to use on your journey towards balance. Please do not turn it into more food rules!
A food rule is a conscious or unconscious rule that you have around food. Some examples are:
- Not being able to eat past a certain time
- Avoiding specific foods or food groups for fear that they might change your body
- Having to “earn” certain foods
- Limiting the amount you can eat of a certain food
You can learn more about food rules and food preferences here.
If you’re reading this and are struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating and you think the disordered voice might take this information and run with it, please skip this post for now. If you need support, please reach out to the alliance for eating disorders for assistance.
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is all about balance. Doing a complete overhaul of one’s diet is far from balanced! So the point is not to take this information and change your entire diet. Pick ones that feel accessible. Once those feel comfortable, maybe pick another food to incorporate.
Please also keep in mind that the Ayurvedic seasons last about 4 months. We then enter into Pitta season, which you can read more about here. This is why putting all of your focus towards the diet might not be beneficial for many people.
It can also take weeks to begin to see shifts from diet. Yet another reason as to why food is not the end all be all.
Please take this kapha pacifying diet information as just that, information. It is not meant to be “a diet” to change or alter your body. Nor should it govern your every decision around food. It is simply an offering of information to help inform your decisions.
What I appreciate about an Ayurvedic approach is that you begin to see your personal mind body type. It’s not about following the latest craze.
With time, it can soften the comparisons to others. You begin to see yourself in your own unique light. This includes seeing your imbalances through a new lens. With this self awareness and empowerment, you can begin to feel as though you have a “healthy” sense of control in bringing yourself back to balance.
Qualities of Kapha
Before we dive into a kapha pacifying diet, let’s discuss the qualities of Kapha. This is important as it is these qualities that help inform our decisions. We will only focus on 3 today, in respect to food.
These three qualities are cold, wet and heavy. These are also the qualities of the weather when it is Kapha season! As I write this, it is a cold, wet day with a heaviness in the air. It is very much Kapha season in the Northeast of America.
Thus, as this season is cold, wet and heavy, we want to do the opposite. Working with opposites is one of the governing principles of balance in Ayurveda. So with a kapaha diet, we want to aim for warm, dry and light. These are the qualities of the food that you want to pay attention to.
Kapha Diet
Please also remember that Ayurveda is a very ancient and complex science. When you start to explore writings around it, you might find a lot of the wisdom tells you what to avoid. This approach works for many people. It can be very problematic for others.
As an eating disorder dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor, I emphasis foods to eat.
I find that focusing on foods to avoid can lead to fear, guilt and shame when those foods are eaten. This inevitably leads to food rules and a disharmonious relationship with food.
So let’s explore a kapha diet in respect to foods to focus on. While not inclusive, below are foods you can include during the Kapha season and/or when you know you are experiencing a kapha imbalance or a kapha condition.
Vegetables
- Corn
- Leafy greens
- Grilled or cooked vegetables
- alfalfa sprouts
- asparagus
- green beans
- bell peppers
- cruciferous vegetables
Fruit
- Dry fruit
- Cooked fruit
- Sour fruit in the AM
- Cranberrries
- Grapefruit
Carbohydrates
- Rye
- Granola
- Barley
- Quinoa
Protein
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Soymilk
- Pumkin seeds
- Goats milk
- Fresh water fish
Fats
- Canola oil
- Flaxseed
- Soy margainr
- Mustard Oil
- Safflower
Beverages
- Green drinks
- Coffee
- Camomile tea
- Dandelion tea
- Black tea
- Green tea
- Carbonated mineral water
- warm or hot water
Spices, Sweeteners and Condiments
- cardamom
- cinnamon
- cumin
- garlic
- ginger
- chocolate
- honey
- Salsa
There you have it! The beginnings of a kapha diet. These are all kapha pacifying foods that you can include to help manage or prevent a kapha imbalance.
When to consult an Ayurvedic practitioner
Now, Ayurveda is incredibly complex. When the food is eaten, how it is eaten, how it’s prepared can all impact the qualities of the food. And there are many more variables to consider! Again, this information is just a guide to get you started. If you are navigating some serious health concerns, please consult with your doctor and/or an Ayurvedic practitioner.
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Disclaimer: This post is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute individualized support or medical advice.
Blair is a registered dietitian, certified intuitive eating counselor, E-500 RYT and Reiki Master. She integrates spirituality with modern day science to help people heal and reclaim their relationship with their body and food.