Veggies that Balance Pitta Dosha + Cooling Beverage

We can keep our pitta dosha balanced with the following tastes: sweet, bitter, or astringent AND by choosing to eat foods and maintain habits that are cooling in nature.

I recently shared a suggested list of fruits that pacify pitta, and today we'll focus on pitta friendly veggies.

Veggies that pacify pitta dosha:

• Artichoke

• Asparagus

• Beets (cooked)

• Bok Choy *

• Broccoli *

• Brussels sprouts *

• Cabbage *

• Cauliflower *

• Celery

• Cilantro

• Cucumber

• Green beans

• Kale *

• Lettuce

• Okra *

• Spinach

• Spouts

• Squashes (pumpkin, zucchini, yellow, etc.)Summer squash

• Tomatoes (fresh & ripened)

• Watercress

• Zucchini

This is a partial list of course. Those starred items may aggravate vata dosha (causing gas and bloating) if eaten in excess, so pay attention to how your body responds to the foods you consume and adjust accordingly.

When eating those cruciferous veggies (starred) have only 1 per meal and potentially only 1 per day, depending on how your digestion tract responds.

PRO TIPS:

• Our digestion is at it's peak midday, so if you are consuming any raw foods, do it at your midday meal.

• Cooked veggies are much easier for the digestive system to process. So even a quick steam preps them for optimal digestion.

• Pair the starred items above with a root veg or squash to balance out their airy qualities. 

 You can also help keep pitta dosha in balance with this Simple Summer Cooler recipe

Add more cooling and hydrating properties to a glass of water by adding:

• slices of cucumber

• squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice

• pinch of pink mineral salt (REAL brand or himalayan pink salt)

• fresh mint leaves, or a mint tea bag. 

This combination boosts the mineral content, adds some alkalinity and is quite cooling and refreshing.