“Food is Medicine and Medicine is Food”
The primary consideration in Ayurveda when selecting food and herbs is in recognising taste. There are six tastes; three of which reduce a Dosha, and three of which increase that same Dosha. Tastes that increase Pitta are pungent (spicy and oily), salty, and sour. The tastes that reduce Pitta are bitter, sweet, and astringent. Eat herbs and food that contain more of these three tastes. Food items on the list below have been pre-selected with this primary consideration in mind. Please make sure you select food items from the list. What is not on the list you should avoid eating.
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Ideal cooking styles for Pitta people include Western, Mediterranean, and Chinese (mild).
Pitta people should take food that is not too hot in temperature nor cooked with too much oil. Meals should not be consumed when angry, irritable or upset. Remember the golden rules in regard to food; eat only when hungry; eat small meals; eat your last meal at least four hours before bedtime; and eat food chosen from the food list. If you are hungry before bed then take suitable fruits only.
* Food items marked with an asterix should be taken occasionally or not at all
FRUITS
Generally most sweet fruits
Apples (sweet)
Applesauce
Apricots (sweet)
Avocado*
Berries (sweet)
Cherries (sweet)
Coconut
Dates
Durian* (in season in small amounts)
Figs
Grapes (red and purple)
Guava*
Longan* (seasonal)
Lychees*
Mangoes (ripe)
Melons
Papaya* (sweet)
Oranges (sweet)
Pears
Persimmon*
Pineapple* (sweet)
Plums (sweet)
Pomegranate*
Prunes
Quince (sweet)
Raisins
Rambutan (seasonal)
Watermelon
VEGETABLES
In general sweet and bitter vegetables
Acorn squash
Artichoke
Asparagus
Beets (cooked)
Bell pepper
Bitter melon
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Burdock root
Butternut squash
Cabbage
Carrots (cooked)
Cauliflower
Celery
Cilantro
Corn (fresh)
Cucumber
Dandelion greens
Fennel (anise)
Green beans
Jerusalem artichoke
Jicama
Kale
Leafy greens
Leeks (cooked)
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Okra
Olives, black
Onions (cooked)
Parsley
Parsnips
Peas
Peppers (green)
Peppers, sweet
Potatoes, sweet and white
Prickly pear (leaves)
Pumpkin
Radishes (cooked)
Rutabaga
Spaghetti squash
Sprouts (not spicy)
Squash, winter and summer
Summer squash
Scallopini Squash
Taro root
Wheatgrass sprouts
Watercress
Winter squash
Zucchini
GRAINS
Amaranth
Barley
Cereal, dry
Couscous
Crackers
Durham flour
Granola
Oat bran
Oats (Cooked)
Pancakes
Pasta
Rice (basmati, white, wild)
Rice cakes
Sago
Seitan (wheat meat)
Spelt
Sprouted wheat bread (essene)
Tapioca
Wheat
Wheat bran
DAIRY
Butter (unsalted)
Cheese (soft, not aged, unsalted)
Cottage cheese
Cow’s milk
Goat’s cheese (soft, unsalted)
Ice cream
Yoghurt (freshly made and diluted)
LEGUMES
Adzuki beans
Black beans
Black-eyed peas
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Kidney beans
Lentils, brown and red
Lima beans
Mung beans
Mung dal
Navy beans
Peas (dried)
Pinto beans
Soybeans
Soy cheese
Soy milk
Split peas
Tempeh
Tofu
White beans
ANIMAL FOODS
Chicken (white)
Eggs (albumen or white only)
Fish (freshwater)
Rabbit
Shrimp
Turkey (white)
Venison
CONDIMENTS
Chutney, mango (sweet)
Coriander leaves
Sprouts
NUTS
Almonds (soaked and peeled)
Charole
Coconut
SEEDS
Flax
Halva
Popcorn (no salt, buttered)
Psyllium
Sunflower
OILS
For internal and external use
Sunflower
Ghee
Canola
Olive
Soy
Flaxseed
Primrose
Walnut
External use only
Avocado
Coconut
BEVERAGES
Almond milk
Aloe vera juice
Apple juice
Apricot juice
Berry juice (sweet)
Black tea
Carob
Cherry juice (sweet)
Cool dairy drinks
Grape juice
Mango juice
Mixed vegetable juice
Peach nectar
Pear juice
Pomegranate juice
Prune juice
Rice milk
Soy milk
Vegetable bouillon
HERBAL TEAS
Alfalfa
Bancha
Barley
Blackberry
Borage
Burdock
Catnip
Chamomile
Chicory
Comfrey
Dandelion
Fennel
Ginger (fresh)
Hibiscus
Hops
Jasmine
Kukicha
Lavender
Lemon balm
Lemon grass
Licorice
Marshmallow
Nettle
Oat straw
Passion flower
Peppermint
Raspberry
Red clover
Sarsaparilla
Spearmint
Strawberry
Violet
Wintergreen
Yarrow
SPICES
Basil (fresh)
Cinnamon
Coriander
Cumin
Curry leaves
Dill
Fennel
Ginger (fresh)
Mint
Peppermint
Saffron
Spearmint
Turmeric
Wintergreen