- Eat when hungry
Hunger is a natural urge that should be always respected and satisfied by all Ayurvedic constitutional types (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), but especially for Vata and Pitta types. For you as Pitta constitution, it is important to eat when you are hungry because your digestive fire, which is very strong by nature, is active and needs to be pacified with food. This explains why people with a Pitta constitution are difficult to be around when they are hungry. They are impatient and get angry easily since their Pitta, like a fire, is looking for something to consume. If you want to have a constructive or friendly conversation with a Pitta type, make sure they are fed well!
- A healthy, balanced diet
Healthy nutritious food with cooling, bitter, astringent and sweet in taste is important for Pitta dosha. We recommend you include whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes into your diet. You can also enjoy a fair amount of raw food, something Vata types should best be avoiding.
- Drink cooling beverages
The following drinks are recommended for Pitta types like yourself because they will alkalise your blood and dissipate heat from your body: cucumber juice, grape juice, watermelon juice and wheatgrass juice, coconut water, green tea, mint & peppermint tea. Beer is fine occasionally and in moderation since it is only mildly heating and it relaxes stressed Pitta types.
- Avoid intense heat
As mentioned above, exercising in the heat is a bad idea for Pitta types, because they already have plenty of heat in their body due to their constitutional makeup and will accumulate more if they do not heed this advice. It’s best to take precautions and stay away from the midday sun and schedule your activities outside the 11 am to 3 pm high Pitta period. If you can’t avoid being exposed to heat, then make sure you drink plenty of cooling liquids and protect your body with the right clothing and your head with a cap or hat.
- Bedtime around 10-11 pm
As you probably know, sleep is very important for our physical and mental well-being. While we sleep, our body repairs tissues, restores energy levels, builds hormones and other substances, repairs cells and does many more essential things to maintain health and balance. On a mental level, sleep increases concentration and memory, the ability to think, decide, discriminate, analyse and it reduces stress levels. The time from 11 pm onwards to about 2 am in the morning is what Ayurveda has long ago identified as “Pitta time”. Pitta, with its transformative power, is extremely active during this period and will, if allowed, drive essential processes that are related to repair, detoxification and rejuvenation. And the way we allow it to do its job properly is by being passive (sleep). If we do go against this natural rhythm, Pitta’s energy will turn against us and show its destructive side. This, of course, won’t happen overnight, but disturbing Pitta’s activities by sleeping late is never a good idea and will eventually result in a dramatic increase of inflammatory factors in the body and premature ageing and often in burn-out, nervous breakdown, physical exhaustion.
- Practice Meditation
Meditation, properly executed under the guidance of a master, will naturally cultivate patience and compassion in you – qualities that Pitta constitutions often lack. Meditation will also help you balance your physiology, calm your stressed nervous system by reducing intensity and heat.
- Spend time in nature
Mother nature is amazing. Go for walks in nature, do some Yoga in the park, gently row across a lake and meditate under a tree…the possibilities are endless. As you engage with nature, notice the colours, fragrances and sounds around you. This will help you to get out of your head and into the awareness of the body. Through the realizations your gain from your observations and meditations, you will see a transformation of your proclivity for competition and control to more harmony and happiness!
- Engage in fun activities
Fun activities in a non-competitive environment with friends will teach you to lighten up and explore different ways of expressing yourself. Remember: in order to achieve real balance, we have to include actions that we are not naturally drawn to. You might have heard that “like attracts like” – the more you do of the same thing, the more you will increase the effects of that very thing you are engaged in. Fire is not balanced with fire, but with water. Think about it! And then make some changes.
- Exercise regularly
Sweating is a good way to reduce body heat, remove mental and emotional stress and satisfy the Pitta’s natural tendency for competition. So go out and exercise and there is nothing wrong with a bit of competition by the way. Just make sure it does not absorb you entirely.
