Diet And Lifestyle Advice For Pitta Dosha Body Type

Here are the advice related to sexual health, skin health, diet, mental health that can be helpful if you have a Pitta Dosha Body Type. 

If you are new to dosha body types, then learn about Prakruti here and here (As per master Susruta)

Skin

Extra warm to touch, warm body
Excess facial marks, freckles, black moles
Advice –
Facial creams with sandalwood paste, rose water, Manjishta (Rubia cordifolia), licorice
Oil massage with coolant oil such as Coconut oil.
Whenever a doctor recommends an herbal oil, the coconut oil version will be better for you.
For example,
Neelibhringadi taila -> Neelibhringadi coconut oil (also called Neelibhringadi keram).

Appearance

Reddish tongue, lips, palms and feet
unattractive
wrinkled skin

Advice:
Coolant oil massage, such as  – chandanadi taila or Manjishtadi taila.
Try to wear a cap or use an umbrella whenever going under hot son.

Hair, nails, mustache 

Soft, hair, mustache, and body hairs.
less quantity of hairs on scalp, mustache and on body.
Coppery red nails
Early greying
Early balding  / loss of hairs
Read related: Diet And Lifestyle Advice For Vata Dosha Body Type

Rx
Wear caps going under Sun,
Coolant hair oils – daily application
Coconut oil, Amla taila, Neelibhringadi coconut oil etc.

Sexual health

Low quality semen and ova, low sexual desire and less off-springs
Advice –
Sweet, coolant aphrodisiacs
Dry fruits such as dates, raisins, almond.
Use cucumber, ash gourd, saffron, milk in diet.
Kushmanda Avaleha , Kumaryasavam
Ikshuradi Lehyam
Eladi Vati etc.

Body parts

Tender, clear body parts
yellowish tinge to body
Brittle body parts

Rx
Oil massage, sweets, nourishing diet
Moderate amount of exercise

Organs
Fleshy smell Putrid smell of axilla, mouth, head and body.
Afflicted with suppuration in the cavity of the mouth. – frequent oral ulcers, oral thrush
Advice –
Coolant foods, use of sandalwood, Triphala, Usheera (vetiver) etc.
Use good quality perfumes.
Related – Mouth Ulcers Ayurvedic Treatment, Medicines, Remedies, Tips

Hunger and thirst

Excessive hunger and thirst, strong digestion power
Prone to gastritis.
Advice –
Always carry a bottle of water.
Avoid fasting
Avoid excess use of spices
Take food at regular intervals.
Heavy to digest foods such as non veg, oils and fats – in small portions.
Avoid very light to digest foods such as Powa (flattened rice). You will start feeling hungry very quickly.

Food intake

Large quantities, Greedy eater
Advice
Control over-eating.
Be mindful and methodical in your diet plans.
include a few bitter veggies such as pointed gourd, bottle gourd, curry leaves, turmeric etc.

Diet advice –
Ayurvedic Pitta Diet – food suitable for Pitta body type

Mental aspects

Mental aspects / anger / mood
Inability to face difficult situations, intolerant, short temper, calms down quickly
Rx
Anger controlling measures
Yoga and Pranayama – at least for 15 minutes a day.
Read related: Control Anger, Get Rid Of Inflammation And Arthritis

Cold or hot sensitivity

Cannot tolerate hot things (spices and summer)
Avoid direct sunlight in the afternoon.
Avoid excess spices.

Joints

Looseness and softness of joints and muscles;
Advice:
Daily oil massage with Mahanarayana taila is beneficial.
If you do not have time for full body massage, at least apply a bit of oil to the knees and lower back, 30 minutes before bath, everyday.

Sweating

Sweat, urine and feces in large quantity
Advice –
Use of usheera, Triphala, Sariva, Amla, Turmeric

Talk

Smart, sharp talk
Expert, intelligent, sharp mind
Intimidating while talking, tries to control the argument with his words
Monopolize conversation

Rx
Try to be friendly and less argumentative
Give others a chance to express their opinion.
Be more listening.

Sleep

Less to moderate sleep.
Rx
Head massage with amla taila – once a day.
Apply amla oil to feet before going to bed. It keeps the body and mind calm and induces deep sleep.

Eyes

Coppery red eyes. Prone to burning sensation in eyes
Use Triphala Ghrita – 1 drops to each eyes, for 2 months in an year.

Seasonal advice

During Autumn, Pitta goes up excessively.
Follow the autumn season regimen diligently.

Panchakarma

Raktamokshana – Blood letting therapy especially  during Autumn season. You can donate blood during Autumn season. It really helps your health, as much as it helps the patient receiving your blood.
Virechana – purgation therapy is beneficial.
Read related: Diet And Lifestyle Advice For Kapha Dosha Body Type

Diet for Pitta

Ayurveda classifies body constitution based on three factors. Vata, Pitta and Kapha. People with Pitta predominance will have features such as – feeling excessive heat most of the time, having frequent stomach and digestion related disorders, who see fire in their dreams, having  redness in eyes, face, palms and feet. [These are only the key features. Watch this platform in coming days for self-analysis of  body constitution will be discussed.]

If you are of Pitta body type, here are the list of things that should be part of “pitta body type diet”.  –

Pitta diet:
Butter – Click to read about How to make butter according to Ayurveda and Butter benefits
Jack fruit (ripe)
Moth bean is coolant, useful in nasal bleeding, heavy periods, sweet in taste.
Lotus – lotus seed and stalk is used in preparation of sambar / rasam. A garland of lotus is also advised to calm Pitta.
Sugarcane – It calms Pitta, it also does kidney and bladder cleansing. Click to read Sugarcane juice benefits
Pointed guard (paraval) –  its fruit is used in Indian cooking. It is also good for liver.
Date (kharjoora) – Dates used daily is good for calming pitta.
Fennel seeds – Apart from calming Pitta, it is also a good natural mouth freshener herb.
Grapes – Do you know “Draksha phalottamaa!” – Of all the fruits, Draksha (grapes) is the best!.
Neem leaves – It is a common practice to chew neem leaves in some Indians, apart from calming Pitta, it also improves food taste and is good for skin.
Turmeric – Using turmeric in regular cooking is very good. Its anti- cancer property is scientifically proven, read more about turmeric remedy.
Rose – Rose water, rose petals are excellent to calm Pitta. It is also helpful in reducing acidity
Coriander – Coriander is an excellent natural cleanser. Read about how to easily make and use coriander soup recipe
Cucumber – its face pack is also equally good for Pitta body type.
Amla remedy – Another way to take Amla powder for Pitta is to take it along with jaggery. Learn how to do it – Amla Home remedy for Pitta
Coconut and coconut oil – good for both Pitta and stomach. As a general rule, all sweet tasting food substances are Pitta pacifying in nature. Sweet apple, sweet grapes, Apricots, sweet Berries, Guava, ripe sweet mangoes, water melon, Papaya, sweet orange, Pears, Plums (sweet), Prunes
Ripe Falsa fruit
Water chestnut
Shringataka – Trapa bispinosa
Yuthika – Juhi – Jasminum auriculatum:

VEGETABLES In general sweet, astringent and bitter vegetables – Asparagus, cooked beets, carrot, green beans, Corn (fresh) Cucumber, Dandelion, Kale Lettuce,  Parsley, sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin, Taro root, Wheatgrass, sprouts,

GRAINS Barley Cereal, Granola, Oats, Pancakes, Rice (basmati, white, wild), Spelt Sprouted, wheat bread (essene), Tapioca, DAIRY Butter, Cheese, Cottage cheese,
LEGUMES – Black beans, Kidney beans, Mung beans, Mung dal, Pinto beans, Soybeans Soy cheese, Soy milk, Tofu, White beans NUTS – Almonds (soaked and peeled)
SEEDS – Halva, Psyllium, Sunflower
Fully ripe, sweet mango

Sweet apple

Can I eat pealed apple fruit, if my Pitta dosha is high? 
Dr JV Hebbar 
Apple can be sweet or sour. Sour taste can increase Pitta dosha, hence, it is not ideal when Pitta dosha is already aggravated in the body. Sweet taste balances Pitta dosha and is suitable for people with Pitta aggravation. 
People with Pitta aggravation or Pitta body type will have increased appetite and hence they tend to eat more. 
Sweet apple, being high in fibers, can keep hunger away for longer periods of time. Hence, it is useful. 
Apple skin is rich in fiber and also in anti oxidants. Hence, it is good to eat the fruit along with the skin, rather than peeling it off. 

Foods to avoid

If you are of Pitta type avoid these things as far as possible –
Mango that ripens on the tree, which is sweet but little sour, slightly increases Pitta Dosha (Bhavaprakasha)
Unripe mango, Sour mangoMustard, fenugreek, cinnamon, chillies, Pepper, Asafoetida, Cumin seeds, Black caraway, Linseed oil, Flax seed oil, ajowan, Tulasi, Fenugreek, Vacha – Acorus calamus, Pepper-grass
Ajagandha – Gynandropsis gynandra
Unripe Mango
Unripe Falsa fruit
Amlavetasa – Garcinia pedunculata
Asthi Samhara – Cissus quadrangularis
Unripe Ceylon oak fruit – Koshamra – Schleichera oleosa
Leaves and shoot of Chakramarda – Cassia tora
Fruit of Shami tree – Prosopis cineraria

Healthy Routine for High Pitta person

Ideal Healthy Routine for a Pitta Person: 
Dr JV Hebbar  
A Pitta person’s body is usually warm, eyes, palm, feet, face have a coppery red tinge. She cannot tolerate heat and direct sunlight, short tempered but intelligent. 
It is ideal for Pitta people (in fact, everyone) to wake up in Brahmi Muhurtha. This is approximately one hour before sunrise. 
For brushing teeth, astringent, sweet and bitter tasting herbal powders or paste prepared with herbs such as Licorice, Khadira (Acacia catechu), neem is ideal. 
Read: Pitta Dosha – General Introduction

Jihva Nirlekhana – Tongue scraping:
In a Pitta person, as he ages, digestion issues are very common. Hence, he may develop tongue coating frequently. Hence, it is a must for him to do tongue scraping everyday. Silver is a coolant metal. So, silver tongue scraper is very good to use. 
For oil pulling, a coolant oil such as coconut oil is good. 
A collyrium / salve prepared with Triphala or aloe vera is useful. 

Eye care: 
A pitta person cannot tolerate strong sunlight. Hence, in the afternoon, if he is exposed to scorching sunlight, it is better to put two slices of cucumber on closed eyes or dip cotton swab in rose water and place it over closed eyes for 2 – 5 minutes. It relieves burning sensation in eyes, face and head. 
If at all, herbal smoking procedure is done on him, it should be very mild. Excessive herbal smoking can aggravate Pitta Dosha in him. 
Read: How To Balance Pitta Dosha? Line Of Treatment 

Nasya – Nasal Drops
Anu taila is well tolerated in him, as it contains several coolant herbs. Ghee can also be used as nasal drops, as it balances Pitta Dosha very well. 

Vyayama – Exercise
Moderate amount of exercise is good for a Pitta Prakriti person. Excessive exercise with sweating is not ideal for his skin and overall health. Yoga, walking, jogging is more suited than hardcore gym exercise. 

Abhyanga – Herbal oil massage
For hair and also for the body, coconut oil based herbal oils are good. 
For hair – Neelibhringadi or bhringamalakadi kera tailam are good, For body, Eladi kera tailam is good. It is generally used in skin diseases and a Pitta person is prone to skin diseases. The same oil can be used for applying over feet 

Snana – Bath
Cold water or lukewarm water, just above room temperature is ideal. For hair and face wash, cold water is suited. 
Anulepana – Anointments – Coolant herbal cream application with aloe vera, cucumber, almond, olive oil, sandalwood, jasmine etc. are good. 
Using a mild perfume is ideal, as the Pitta person usually sweats more. 
Read: Pitta Increase Symptoms – Pitta Vriddhi Lakshana 

While roaming in the afternoons, having an umbrella or wearing a hat will help her to get protection from the sun. 

As stomach issues are common, a Pitta person should take food as soon as he starts feeling hungry. 
Listening to music, watching comedy shows, keeping the mind calm, using air conditioning during hot summers, regular Pranayama are very good to follow.