If you are predominantly Pitta, you are likely ambitious, enthusiastic and decisive. You are likely very successful at what you do. Type A people are typically Pitta. When out of balance though, Pittas can be overly demanding and hard driving. Anger is a common manifestation of this imbalance. It’s no wonder, that an out of balance Pitta can suffer from hypertension or even a heart attack. Other Pitta ailments include skin problems like rashes, acne, migraine headaches, hyperthyroidism, heartburn and colitis; fevers and excessive perspiration are common to Pittas as well. So how do Pittas find their balance?

Dietary changes are key to balancing Pitta.  Because the digestive fire is high in Pittas, they digest their food well and have a healthy appetite. Fruits and vegetables should be increased and if they’re raw, even better. Salads are your best friend. Vegetables that can aggravate Pittas include tomatoes, radishes, hot peppers and raw onions.  Vegetables that favor Pitta include the Brassica family (cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, etc). Leafy greens,cucumbers,and cilantro are good for Pittas because of their cooling effect.  Sweet fruits including grapes, mangos, melons, and plums, figs and raisins benefit Pitta the best. Foods such as citrus fruits (except lemon in small quantities which is alkalanizing and thus beneficial), yogurt, sour cream, pickles, and vinegar tend to aggravate Pitta because of their sour quality. Pittas should reduce their intake of flesh food, eggs, mustard, garlic, ginger (which are too heating), caffeine, alcohol, salt, and tobacco. Alcohol is said to be akin to throwing gasoline on the fire and reducing or eliminating intake altogether will help Pittas feel in balance.Pittas tolerate grains such as buckwheat, rice and wheat. Pittas need to drink a lot of water to cool them off and replace water lost through sweat.

With regards to physical exercise for Pittas, avoid excessive exercise especially in the heat. Swimming is one of the best balancers along with water aerobics. Taking a walk after sunset along the river would also be beneficial.  Essential oils that are well tolerated topically include mint, sandalwood and rose. A few drops could be added to Coconut oil for your skin and could be used as a massage oil or added to a cool bath.

These changes made to diet and lifestyle will help balance the Pitta dosha so you can still be successful while maintaining harmony within your interpersonal relationships. Balancing your predominant constitution takes you one step closer to optimal health. For more information on balancing Ayurvedic constitutional types, please read Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra…

Summer is a time when the living is easy. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and all is well. It is a time when people largely feel balanced. It is useful to think about what balances you. What factors make you feel balanced? Ayurvedic medicine and its view of constitutional types is a great system to help balance you. Most people are a combination of at least 2 ayurvedic types- one is the primary, the other is the secondary type. The three types are vata, pitta and kapha. By understanding one’s predominant type, it is possible to choose the most appropriate dietary selections, appropriate lifestyle and environment. I will start by talking about the Vata dosha.

Vata types are the least likely to have a weight problem. They tend towards the thin side, despite eating a lot. They burn energy really quickly. Their energy levels can fluctuate as much as their appetites. Their energy comes in bursts and they can quickly expend it. They are the dosha most in need of balance.Vata types are typically very creative, even visionaries in some cases. They have alert, active minds. They can become bored easily and like mental stimulation.

 Vata imbalance on the physical plane may manifest as rough skin, arthritis, constipation, insomnia, excessive sensitivity and excitability. They may suffer from anxiety, fearfulness and excessive worry when out of balance. Vatas are most sensitive to stress so they must be mindful of limiting the amount of stress they are under. Vatas are most in need of balancing and balance helps them thrive.

Eating at regular times at frequent intervals helps Vatas stay in balance. They are not the types that will feel good when skipping meals. Rather they benefit from warm foods that have some oil content and do not stimulate gas (only some beans are tolerated by Vatas so avoid most). Vatas benefit from foods that are sweet, salty, and sour. They benefit from warming spices such as ginger, cumin and cinnamon because they tend to be on the chilly side when it comes to body temperature. In the hot summer months, they can it eat salads but will feel more balanced when making sure they have enough dressing on the salad.

Overwork can definitely bring a vata into imbalance. When feeling balanced, Vata types are creative, vivacious and enthusiastic.  Other things that aggravate Vata imbalance include cold, windy environments, traveling, and being on the run. Sleep, rest and meditation are key for Vatas. They need time to restore themselves and taking the time for these balancing activities is key. An environment that feels safe and secure benefits Vata.

Vata types should not do anything to extremes. Gentle exercise in the form of walking is favored over training for marathons. Hatha yoga is more calming for them then hot yoga. They may want to push it when they exercise but if they back off a little, they will feel more balanced. Moderation in everything  is key to living a tranquil life for Vata types. For more information on Vatas and how to balance Vatas including more detailed info on diet, please book an appointment to discuss or read Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Homeopathy is my number one choice when treating children. Homeopathy is a system of medicine which involves treating children with highly diluted substances from either the plant, animal or mineral kingdoms with the ultimate goal of triggering the body’s own innate system of healing. Homeopathy is based on the principle of like cures like. This means if you take a substance which causes symptoms when taken in large doses, that same substance can be used in small amounts to treat those same symptoms to heal the state of imbalance. Remedies are prepared by the process of dilution and shaking. This method of preparation can be understood more from a quantum physics perspective; the substance becomes more powerful the more you shake and dilute it; the vibrational energy of the substance is potentized. Dr. Richard Gerber’s book ‘New Choices for Healing Ourselves’ is a good reference on vibrational medicine.

The reason homeopathy is my first choice in treating children is it is clinically effective, cost effective and safe. Children as little people are not as complicated to treat as adults. This is because their systems have not been as suppressed as much as adults. Homeopathic philosophy talks about the process of suppression. For instance, suppressing something that presents externally such as eczema with a steroid cream can drive the imbalance deeper into the body. For instance, many kids with eczema that are treated with steroid creams (which do make the symptoms go away temporarily) are not cured; the disturbance is not gone and may resurface as asthma later in the child’s life. Adults as a rule have experienced more suppression because they have been on many medications that are treating the symptoms versus getting to the root cause. Homeopathy treats the whole person on a deeper level.

Homeopathy takes the child’s mental, emotional and physical symptoms into account. By matching a single remedy to their whole picture, the child is treated with the most appropriate medicine for them. An important point to remember about homeopathy is the child might get temporarily worse before they get better. This temporary aggravation of symptoms is short lived and is often a clue that the right remedy has been chosen. I have seen so many children balanced by homeopathy that I feel that it is the most appropriate medicine for them. The medicine is easy for kids to take as well. They are given pellets that taste like sugar and easily dissolve in the mouth. Remember that the medicine should not be handled with fingers. It is best to administer the remedy to the child using the cap lid of the homeopathic tube to transfer five pellets to the mouth. Remedies are best dosed on an empty stomach, at least 15 minutes before you eat or drink anything. Adults often get tremendous benefit from homeopathy as well so remember to talk to your naturopathic doctor about homeopathy as a possible treatment modality for your health issues.