Pitta Balancing Diet

Because Pitta dosha can overheat the mind and body, favor cool foods and liquids.  Foods with sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes are best.  Reduce foods that are pungent, salty, and sour

Recommendations

1.    To balance the heat of Pitta take milk, butter, and ghee.  Use less yogurt, cheese, sour cream, and buttermilk as the sour taste aggravates Pitta.

2.    All sweeteners may be taken in moderation except molasses and honey.

3.    Olive, sunflower, and coconut oils are the best to pacify Pitta. Use less sesame, almond, and corn oil which are more heating.

4.    Wheat, rice, barley, and oats are the best grains to reduce Pitta.  Use less corn, rye, millet, and brown rice.

5.    The sweeter fruits such as grapes, melons, cherries, coconuts, avocados, mangoes, pomegranates, and fully ripe pineapples, orange, and plums are recommended.  Reduce sour fruits such as grapefruits, apricots, and berries.

6.    The vegetables to favor are asparagus, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green leafy vegetables, pumpkins, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, okra, lettuce, green beans, and zucchini.  Reduce tomatoes, hot peppers, carrots, beets, eggplant, onions, garlic, radishes, and spinach.

7.    Pitta types need to use seasonings that are more soothing and cooling.  These include cinnamon, coriander, cardamom, and fennel.  Hotter spices such as ginger, cumin, black pepper, fenugreek, clove, salt, and mustard seed should be used sparingly.  Very hot seasonings such as chili peppers and cayenne are best avoided.

8.    For non-vegetarians, chicken, pheasant, and turkey are preferable; beef, seafood, and eggs increase Pitta and should be minimized.

Pitta Chutney

CILANTRO CHUTNEY

• 2 apples
• 1 cup   fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp    turbinado sugar
• Juice of 1-2 lemons
  
  or
• 2 pears
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Juice of 1-2 lemons or limes

Peel and core apples (or pears). Put in food processor with fresh cilantro. Add lemon (or lime juice), salt and sugar according to taste.

Pitta Churna

Ingredients:

• 2 tbl. whole fennel seeds
• 2 tbl. whole coriander seeds
• 2 tbl. whole cumin seeds
• 1 tbl. ground turmeric
• 2 tbl. chopped fresh mint leaves (or 1 tsp. dried mint leaves)
• 1 tbl. whole cardamom seed kernels 

Preparation:

1.      Put all ingredients in an electric grinder or spice mill and grind them.
2.      Store in airtight container such as a glass jar. 

Pitta Tea

• 1 tsp  Fennel Seeds
• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
• ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
• 10 Fresh Mint Leaves
• 1 Squeeze Lemon Juice
• Raw Organic Sugar, Turbinado Sugar, or Sucanat to taste

OR

• 1 part Licorice
• 1 part Cardamom
• 1/8 part Cinnamon
• 1/2 parts Dried Grounded Rose Petals

All dry powders mixed and taken as ½ tsp per cup of boiled water