Fire element foods increase Pitta energy and act as a stimulant for agni, or your digestive fire, which is the polar opposite of ama (the toxins that collect in your body due to improperly digested foodstuffs).
Fire element foods make you sharp and motivated, but when consumed in excess can leave you feeling hot, bothered and irritable. Fiery foods stimulate your metabolism and enhance your digestion, making them especially great choices for Vatas and Kaphas, who have a natural lack of fire energy.
However, Pittas need to exercise caution and not over-consume too many fiery foods, even though they are naturally drawn towards them because excessive amounts can make them overheated, acidic, and impatient.
Fiery foods are best consumed in the wintertime when you’re naturally lacking in internal heat. Excess fire element foods consumed in the summertime can leave you feeling overheated and irritable.
Healthy fire element foods include spices, hot capsicum peppers like chilli, black peppercorns, and cayenne pepper.
Onions, garlic, and even some sour fruits are all high in Pitta energy. Coffee is also high in fire energy as it makes you physically hot and also stimulates your digestive fire. It is one of the least recommended substances for Pitta types to consume and most recommended for Kaphas. The best fire element ingredients are spices like ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and cumin, which you can add to your meals and boost your digestive fire. Unhealthy fire element substances also include both alcohol and tobacco.
Alcohol is also high in ether and fire energies, like coffee. That is because alcohol is a stimulant that gives you the feeling of being out of body but additionally aggravates and overheats your body. Ayurveda does not recommend the consumption of alcohol in any measure because it is so acidic and dehydrating to the body. Similarly, tobacco is not recommended.
Fire element foods and substances include spices like ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, asafetida, and other warming spices. Black, cayenne, chillies and other hot peppers. Sour fruits such as lemons, grapefruits, tamarind, pineapples and cranberries). Pungent onions and garlic. Coffee is also considered a rich fire element foodstuff.
Wonderful Water Element Foods
Water is the element your body contains the most of. Roughly 65 percent of your entire body consists of this liquid element. Water element ingredients cool and hydrate your body, making them a fantastic choice for Vatas and Pittas who suffer from dehydration and overheating respectively.
When consumed excessively, however, they can make Kaphas heavy and puffy because they easily retain water. Watery elements foods are best during the hot summer Pitta months, when you can benefit from the extra hydration in your seasonal diet.
Juicy fruits and vegetables are some of the best sources of water in your diet. Salt is importantly related to the water element of foodstuffs as it causes your body to retain hydration. Most of the dairy products we consume are cool and damp and so are also related to the element of water. Vatas are advised to have more watery ingredients in summer and less in winter due to the fact that they can be overly cooling. Pittas should consume more juicy fruits and vegetables, like cucumbers and watermelon but minimise their intake of dairy and salt.
Kaphas should minimise their intake of water element foods as they cause them to retain water, leaving them bloated and causing puffy skin. Kaphas, in particular, should stay away from dairy products, which causes excessive amounts of mucus and inflammation in their systems.
Watery foods include the following; watermelon, papayas, oranges, cantaloupes, avocados, coconut oil and coconut water, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, most dairy products and all salts (pink salt, black salt, sea salt and oxidised table salt).
Extraordinary Earth Element Foods
Foods rich in earth energy are extremely grounding and nourishing. They are most often grown up to a meter underground and those earth energy properties are rooted within them.
Earth element foods provide your body with structure and stability, making them a particularly suited for weak, airy Vata types who lack in grounding. Any foodstuff that is both dense and heavy is considered an earthy food.
They are known to provide an abundance of physical energy, endurance, and strength, and are very high in Kapha qualities.
Earth element foods are great for Pittas, too, because they have a calming effect and ease their naturally energetic digestive fire. The only earth element foodstuffs which Pittas should avoid are nuts as they can cause oiliness and breakouts of the skin.
Kaphas are born naturally high in earth energy and don’t need to consume as many earth foods as the other Doshas. Kaphas can have earth element rich vegetables such as beans, mushrooms, seeds, and grains that are also high in air or fire energy because they will be lighter and easily digested.
They should, however, steer clear of excess nuts and coconut meat, which are very calorically dense and can cause excess weight gains. Earthy foods include carrots, squash, beans, pumpkins, beetroots, turnips, mushrooms, parsnips, yams and sweet potatoes. Most nuts and seed, almost all grains like millet, barley, rye and coconut meat.
