Pitta Dosha

The Pitta dosha is a combination of water and fire elements, but the fire is more predominant. That’s why the properties of Pitta is very similar to fire like hot, sharp, and penetrating. It also has oily and volatile properties because of its secondary element, Water. In Asthanga Hridayam, the property of Pitta describes as follows:

Pitta: Hot, Sharp, Light, Mobile, Fluid, Odorous, Oily, Absorbent

Pitta controls all heat, metabolism, and transformation in the mind and body.

It is the energy of metabolism and digestion of our body that works through carrier substances such as hormones, organic acids, enzymes, and bile. Pitta governs the important digestive “Agnis” or fires of the body.

Quality and Personality

Qualities of Pitta nature people:  Feeling warm, having oily skin, penetrating eyes, less hair, and sharp features. People with Pitta nature have moderate weights and good musculature.

Personalities of Pitta nature people: They tend to be highly focused, courageous, energetic, competitive, capable, and clear communicators who get right to the point.

They like to solve problems. Also, they become overly intense and aggressive. They make great friends but feared enemies. Emotionally they are challenged by the heated emotions of anger, resentment, and jealousy.

Types of Pitta Dosha

Alochaka Pitta: Functioning of the eyes.

Bhrajaka Pitta: Healthy and glowing of the skin.

Sadhaka Pitta: Desire, decisiveness, drive, spirituality.

Pachak Pitta: Digestion, metabolism, assimilation for healthy nutrients and tissues.

Ranjaka Pitta: Toxin-free and healthy blood.

Symptoms of Pitta Imbalance

If your Pitta dosha is imbalance then you may notice these following symptoms in your body and mind :

• People with pitta dosha are more demanding or critical types.
• Getting frustrated, angry or intense.
• Ruddy skin and prone to rashes.
•  Poor vision, bloodshot eyes.
• Getting irritable or impatient.
• Workaholic.
• Prematurely gray or thin hair.
• Find it difficult to fall asleep and wake up in the early hours.
• Feel discomfort in hot weather.
• Love to bath with cold water even in the winter season.
• Want everything perfect.
• Experiencing hot flashes.
• Having an excessive amount of stomach acid.
• Loose bowel movements.

If you are suffering from these symptoms, then you need to balance Pitta.

Reasons for Imbalance in Pitta Dosha

Basically, a bad lifestyle and habits always causing problems in our life and body. In this case, our day to day bad habits causing an imbalance in our body( Pitta dosha) which includes:

• Eating Pitta-aggravating food.
• Smoking cigarettes.
• Eating while angry.
• Drinking black tea, coffee, or alcohol.
• React to every small thing.
• Over-working. working more than your limit.
• Always living in a competitive mode.
• Eating irregularly.
• Lack of sleep.
• Taking too much stress.

How to Balance Pitta Dosha

• Use Pitta reducing product in your daily life.
• Keep yourself cool.
•  Avoid hot food, temperatures, and weather.
• Intake dry, cool, heavy foods. Include bitter, sweet, and astringent tastes in your meal.
• Avoid salty, spicy, oily, warm, and heavy foods.
• Don’t overwork.
• Give yourself some rest.
• Eat food in time, especially lunch at noon.
• Abhyanga ( Ayurvedic massage with a cooling oil such as coconut).
• Leave in a peaceful environment.
• Engage yourself with calming activities, like calming physical exercise, daily meditation or spending time with nature.

Diet for pacifying Pitta Dosha

• Dairy products like butter, ghee, and milk are good for pacifying Pitta. Avoid cheese, yogurt, sour cream and cultured buttermilk (their sour tastes aggravate Pitta).
• Sweeteners are also good to pacify Pitta. On the other hand please avoid honey and molasses.
• Oils like coconut oil, olive, and sunflower oils are the best. Avoid corn oil, sesame, and almond oil increases Pitta.
• Fruits, such as melons, avocados, coconuts, pomegranates, grapes, cherries, mangos, and sweet, fully-ripened oranges, pineapples and plums. Avoid sour fruits such as grapefruits, olives, papayas, and unripe pineapples and plums.
• Vegetables like asparagus, sweet potatoes, green leafy vegetables, cucumbers, potatoes, pumpkins, lettuce, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, okra, and zucchini are good Pitta pacifying. Avoid hot peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, carrots, beets, radishes, and spinach.
• In spices, coriander, cinnamon, fennel, and cardamom are all Pitta pacifying. But these following spices strongly increase Pitta and that’s why you should use them in a very small amount: black pepper, fenugreek, clove, celery seed, ginger, cumin, salt, and mustard seed. Avoid cayenne and chili peppers.