Foods to balance kapha digestion

One of the key ways to balance the doshas is through what we eat and drink each day, and just as importantly- how and when. Ayurveda really considers the right food and good digestion as being at the heart of good health.

Kapha types tend to have a slow but steady appetite and can struggle with weight gain, as they love food (especially the sweet tastes) but have slower digestion.

One of the first signs this dosha is not happy is likely to be a sluggish metabolism, followed by a feeling of heaviness and a lack of general motivation. This can happen with overindulgence - too much sweet food and comfort eating.

Eating to suit kapha dosha

The following guidelines are to help you begin to recognise the qualities of different foods and start to appreciate which foods are best to balance kapha dosha:

• Eat only when you are genuinely hungry and not in between meals. Avoid overeating, especially in the evening

• kapha types can thrive on two meals a day, so you can afford to skip breakfast if you are not hungry or just have a fresh vegetable juice made with ginger.

• Favour foods that are light, dry or warm to counter fluid retention and congestion. For example grains such as barley, corn, millet, buckwheat and rye

• Raw food is viewed as cold and damp and is best minimised

• Favour foods that are spicy, bitter or astringent such as steamed, green, leafy vegetables rich in the bitter taste, prepared with warming garlic and ginger

• Fresh ginger is especially helpful for kapha types. You can take a pinch of fresh ginger root daily with a few drops of lemon juice as an appetiser before each meal

• Other key herbs to warm the digestion are black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and turmeric. Try adding these spices to your cooking to invigorate a sluggish kapha digestion

• Reduce foods that are heavy (eg: red meat), oily/fatty (eg: nuts, crisps, biscuits, cakes, fried foods) or cold (eg: yoghurt, cheese)

• A largely vegetarian diet is recommended. If you eat meat, favour white meats and take some brisk exercise after eating to help the digestion process

• Reduce foods that are sweet (refined sugars, chocolate), salty and sour in taste. A little honey is the best sweetener for this type

• Avoid raw or refrigerated foods as well as iced drinks

• Minimise alcohol which is sweet and sour in nature. Enjoy hot, spicy warming drinks with herbs such as ginger, cinnamon and fennel. 

Don't know your dosha? Take our dosha quiz  to find out.