Saturday, July 08, 2006

You thought this was diet food...!

We always think that all fruits and vegetables are foods that naturally help us watch our weight, foods like:

• tomatoes
• cucumbers
• zucchini
• grapefruit
• kiwi
• bananas
• mangoes
• melons
• oranges
• papayas
• pineapples
• plums
• watermelon

Although these may be low-calorie, they're sweet and watery, two Kapha traits that according to ayurveda will actually encourage the body to increase it's "earthy" and liquid qualities (fat, water). In ayurveda, like increases like so consuming foods that are heavy liquids (regardless of low calories), your body will, in essence, get heavier and liquidier by increasing fat and retaining water.

Foods that decrease Kapha have opposite qualities to Kapha; Kapha is sweet, liquidy and heavy, so foods that help with weight are bitter, dry and astringent. That means foods like apples, pears and apricots, which are dry, and leafy greens, asparagus, parsley and basil, which are bitter, and artichokes, pulses and lentils which are astringent.

7 comments:

veronika said...

Do you think that any of these foods could be linked with edema(swelling of limbs, usually the legs)?

I think I'm a vata/pita, but I have edema and varicose veins. My body doesn't want to circulate the blood from my legs back up, although I find that yoga helps a lot, I'd like to know what kind of diet would help too.
xoxo

Claudia Davila (Fran) said...

Hey V!

It turns out that there are a few things that help, including an ayurvedic herb (if you care to venture that way) that helps edema (here's an online article about it).

Also, since you're a yoga head now, do a lot of inversions, like daily shoulder stands. Or what's really nice is lying on the floor with your butt right up against the wall and your legs straight up the wall. Chill for like 10 minutes this way. I also like to use a dry brush (you know those natural bristle brushes) and brush gently up "towards the heart".

I've got leg vein issues myself and have always been told to NOT cross my legs, and NOT stand for too long without moving around or sitting down. Sounds fine to me : )

Here's some more:

"When Vyana Vata, which is the aspect of Vata that governs the circulation and nerve impulses, is aggravated, the person's circulation, metabolism, and ability to absorb food are weakened. The imbalance in Vyana Vata and the weakened circulation, metabolism and absorption create a drying effect on Shleshaka Kapha, the subdosha of Kapha that governs lubrication." (from this online article)
So from this I gather that eating a kapha diet will pacify your vata aggravation, so in other words these sweet tropical fruits are GOOD for you! For a great guide/list go to this web page of vata foods. Hope this helps, cutie!
: ) xoxo

veronika said...

Wow, thank you! What great resources.

I've been looking through these links over the past few days and still have more to read.

Thank You!!!!!!

Anonymous said...
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Unknown said...

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