Kapha Dosha complete Guide

 Shiva Guru Dr.V.Suresh

For those seeking to balance kapha dosha, balance can be greatly supported by eating a healthy diet of kapha-pacifying foods and kapha-balancing recipes.

Read below to find out what you can eat to help balance this dosha. The lists provided outline supportive kapha foods to embrace as well as common kapha foods to avoid. These recommendations are also useful for those with a combination of doshas, including vata-kapha and pitta-kaphaconstitutions. 

If you are not certain whether your kapha is out of balance or if you should be incorporating kapha-reducing foods, take our free Ayurvedic dosha quiz.

Fruits

Fruit-based foods that are good for balancing kapha will generally be somewhat astringent and only mildly sweet. Dried fruits are acceptable, on occasion, but should only be enjoyed in small quantities because they are so dense and concentrated.

Fruits to avoid are those that are exceptionally sweet or sour (like oranges or grapes), and any that are especially heavy, dense, or watery—like bananas, coconut, dates, melons, pineapple, or plums.

And remember, fruits and fruit juices are best enjoyed alone—30 minutes before, and ideally at least 1 hour after, any other food. This helps to ensure optimal digestion.

Note: this rule does not apply to fruits that we typically consider vegetables (avocados, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.). You will find these fruits listed among the “vegetables.”

Favor	Avoid
Apples Applesauce Apricots Berries Cherries Cranberries Figs (dry) Grapes (red, purple, black) Lemons Limes Mango Peaches Pears Persimmons Pomegranates Prunes Raisins Raspberries Strawberries	Bananas Cantaloupe Coconut Dates Figs (fresh) Grapes (green) Grapefruit Kiwi Melons Oranges Papaya Pineapple Plums Rhubarb Tamarin Watermelon

Vegetables

Vegetables that pacify kapha will generally be pungent, bitter, and astringent. Most vegetables include some combination of these tastes, so vegetables are an important centerpiece of any effective kapha-balancing diet.

Cooked vegetables are generally easier to digest than raw ones, so it’s best to have raw veggies, salads, and kapha-aggravating vegetables in small quantities and at mid-day when digestive strength is at its peak. Raw vegetables are often more appropriate for kapha in the spring and summer seasons.

The only vegetables for kapha to reduce or avoid are those that are particularly heavy, dense, oily, or watery – like avocado, cucumber, olives, and the other vegetables listed in the reduce or avoid column below.

Favor

Reduce or Avoid

Artichoke Asparagus Beet Greens Beets Bell Peppers Bitter Melon Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Burdock Root Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Chilies Cilantro Collard Greens Corn Daikon Radish Dandelion Greens Eggplant Garlic Green Beans Horseradish Jerusalem Artichokes Kale Kohlrabi Leafy Greens Leeks Lettuce Mustard Greens Okra Onions Peas Peppers, Sweet & Hot Potatoes, White Radishes Rutabaga Spaghetti Squash Spinach Sprouts Squash, Winter Tomatoes (cooked) Turnips Watercress Wheat Grass Grains Grains that pacify kapha are light, dry, and rough. In general, grains tend to be staples in our diets because they are somewhat heavy and nourishing. But when it comes to balancing kapha, these qualities are best minimized, so reducing grain consumption overall can be a huge benefit. Avoid grains that are exceptionally heavy, moist, or dense (like wheat, flours, breads, cooked oats, and pastas) as much as possible, and eat smaller quantities of appropriate grains. It often works well to supplement meals with extra vegetables or legumes, which are nutritionally rich, but also more balancing for kapha. Favor Avoid Amaranth Barley Buckwheat Cereal (unsweetened, cold, dry) Corn Couscous Crackers Durham Flour Granola Millet Muesli Oat Bran Oats (dry) Polenta Quinoa Rice (basmati, wild) Rice Cakes Rye Seitan Spelt Sprouted Wheat Bread Tapioca Wheat Bran Oats (cooked) Pancakes Pasta Rice (brown, white) Wheat Yeasted Bread

Avocado Cucumber Olives Parsnips Pumpkin Squash, Summer Sweet