PITTA DOSHA

Pitta dosha is made up of fire and water. It is the energy of transformation, digestion, and metabolism. It governs digestion, absorption, assimilation, metabolism, body temperature, thirst and taste, among other functions.  Pitta times are late spring and summer, 10 am – 2 pm, and 10 pm – 2am. The middle part of life is the Pitta stage of life.

In general, Pitta-dominant people are of medium built and height, usually straight hair that tends towards early greying or baldness. They tend to have red rashes or moles. They have low tolerance for heat, sun, or hard physical work. They have strong appetites and metabolism but tend to have acid indigestion. They could be leaders and planners.

When balanced, Pitta people are blessed with sharp intellect, intelligence, understanding, strong appetite, and good digestion. When out of balance, Pitta may produce anger, jealousy, hatred, impatience, agitation, perfectionism, sensory fatigues, excess heat, craving cold, interrupted sleep, excessive hunger, and inflammatory disorders.

Pitta’s qualities are dry, hot, sharp, light, liquid, spreading and slightly oily. In excess these qualities can cause imbalance. In Ayurveda, we usually use opposite qualities to restore balance (ex., stay cool in summer to balance feeling hot).

In general, the following recommendations are used to balance/maintain Pitta: 1. Favor calming and cooling activities. 2. Avoid overexposure to the sun and heat. 3. Avoid fermented foods and drinks and spicy foods. 4. Do not skip a meal if hungry. 5. Eat cooked food that is not too oily, salty, or spicy. 6. Favor sweet, bitter and astringent foods. 7. Exercise during the cooler times of the day.