DIET CHART FOR KAPHA

BALANCE THE KAPHA BODY TYPE

Ayurveda views the intake of all six tastes as imperative for good health. Kapha is balanced by the pungent, bitter and astringent tastes. People with Kapha-dominant constitutions benefit from moderating the intake of the 'sweet taste' aka all macros (protein, carbohydrate and fats). They have the lowest BMR of all body types. Think the endomorph.

Kapha's benefit greatly from increasing their intake of spices, which embody the pungent and bitter tastes of Ayurveda. Spice is pro-metabolic - it increases Agni. Bitter greens also bring balance to Kapha because they are both catabolic and antiseptic in nature.

When preparing your Kapha balancing meal, think warming, spicy and drying foods and minimise heavy, cold, sticky, salty and excessively sweet food.

How does that translate to portion sizes? 

Ayurvedic food principles

Fruits // Stick to sour or mildly sweet fruits. Most fruits are avoided because of their sweet taste, cooling nature and excess water content.

Vegetables // Most vegetables, eaten steamed or baked with minimal heat stable fats. Leafy greens and cruciferous veg are good options, especially when well-spiced. Avoid raw or fried veg and avocado.

Grains and cereals // Some light and dry grains. Minimise flour products or heavy and moist grains like wheat and cooked oats.  

Legumes // Most legumes in moderation, especially when cooked with warming dry herbs and spices such as ginger or mustard seed. Heavier legumes like peanut and black gram should be minimised.  

Nuts and seeds // Dry and light seeds in moderation. Most nuts and seeds are too heavy and oily for Kapha, including macadamia, cashew, walnut, pecan, brazil nuts and almonds.

Dairy // Aged ghee or aged cheeses in small amounts. Generally avoid dairy because it can be heavy, cold and congesting in nature. This is especially true of ice-cream, cream and cold milk.

Oils and fats // Use minimal amounts of warming oils such as mustard, sesame or olive oil.

Meat and animal products // Most meat is too heavy and greasy for Kapha, difficult to digest and fosters slowness in the mind. Eat only high-quality sustainably sourced lean animal products such as organic egg whites, free-range chicken breast or kangaroo.

Spices // All spices, especially those of a warming or pungent nature. Steer clear of table salt, mayonnaise and heavy dressings.  

Beverages // Warm water with a squeeze of lemon or lime, any herbal or green tea and caffeinated beverages in moderation. Avoid cold water and dairy milk.

Sweeteners // Old honey is best. Other sweeteners are very nutritious in nature and should be avoided, especially white, raw or brown sugar.

Trikatu is the best Kapha tonic - metabolic rocket fuel.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE KAPHA DIET CHART PDF

MA diet charts are just a guide - the most important factor in Ayurvedic dietetics is understanding the overall energetics of food. This includes food preparation.