How Ayurvedic body matches can affect your weight

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Ayurvedic Body Types

As I am talking about body types, I thought I would add in the body types relevant to Indian Medicine, called Ayurvedic.  You will notice that they match up with the three main body types once again reinforcing that your body type is instrumental in how you manage your weight and exercise.  Again most people are normally a merge of two types but one type is normally predominant.

This is what an Ayurvedic practitioner would recommend for each body type for food, exercise and herbs balance the body. 

Remedies	Vata	Pitta	Kapha
Food	Warm, well cooked food. Sweet, sour and salty tastes	Warm to cool rather than steaming hot. Sweet, bitter and astringent tastes.	Decreased quantities of warm food. Pungent, bitter and astringent tastes. To be taken earlier than 10 am and not later than 6pm.
Exercise	Moderate exercise such as yoga, walking and light weights	Moderate exercise which may include jogging, swimming, Yoga, cycling and weight lifting	Regular and vigorous.
Herbal Dietary supplements	Ashwagandha, shatavari, haritaki, Guggul, Trikatu, Vata tea, Calming Tea.	Haritaki, Bhumiamla, Chyavanprash, surakta, sitopladi churan, pitta Tea.	Guggul, sitopladi churan, trikatu, chyavanprash, Kapha Tea

Vata body type (ectomorph)

Here are some of the common characteristics of people who have a predominantly Vata constitution.

·        Creativity, mental quickness

·        Slenderness; lightest of the three body types

·        Tendency toward cold hands and feet, discomfort in cold climates

·        Excitable, lively, fun personality

·        Variable appetite and digestive efficiency

·        Physical Features:

People of vata constitution are generally physically underdeveloped. Their chests are flat and their veins and muscle tendons are visible, the skin is cold, rough, dry and cracked. Vata people generally are either too tall or too short, with thin frames which reveal prominent joints and bone-ends because of poor muscle development.

Physiologically, the appetite and digestion are variable. Vata people love sweet, sour and salty tastes and like hot drinks. The production of urine is scanty and the faeces are dry, hard and small in quantity. They have a tendency to perspire less than other constitutional types. Their sleep may be disturbed and they will sleep less than the other types. Their hands and feet are often cold.

Pitta (mesomorph)

  Here are some of the common characteristics of people who have a predominantly pitta body   

  type.

 

·        Medium physique, strong, well-built

·        Strong digestion, strong appetite; get irritated if they have to miss or wait for a meal

·        Mind is focused and sharp

·        Tend toward anger, frustration or irritability when under stress

·        Excellent memory

Physical Features:

 

These people are of medium height, are slender and body frame may be delicate. Their chests are not as flat as those of vata people and they show a medium prominence of veins and muscle tendons. The bones are not as prominent as in the vata individual. Muscle development is moderate.

 

Physiologically, these people have a strong metabolism, good digestion and resulting strong appetites. The person of pitta constitution usually takes large quantities of food and liquid. Pitta types have a natural craving for sweet, bitter and astringent tastes and enjoy cold drinks.

Kapha (endomorph)

Here are some of the common characteristics of people who have a predominantly Kapha constitution.

·        Easy-going, relaxed, slow-paced

·        Physically strong and with a sturdy, heavier build

·        Slow moving and graceful

·        Tend towards being overweight; may also suffer from sluggish digestion therefore not losing any weight

Physical Features:

People of kapha constitution have well-developed bodies. There is, however, a strong tendency for these individuals to carry excess weight. Their chests are expanded and broad. The veins and tendons of kapha people are not obvious because of their thick skin and their muscle development is good. The bones are not prominent.

 

Physiologically, kapha people have regular appetites. Due to a slow metabolism and a poor digestion, they tend to consume less food but cannot lose weight.

 

Chinese Medicine

 

A very simple explanation of Chinese Medicine is that it is based around the five elements, Water, Fire, Wood, Earth and Metal which aren’t exactly different body types but  all of these elements refer to different parts of the body and control how they work.  Chinese medicine has been used over 5,000 years with great success and if you would like to know what element you are I would suggest that you select a local practitioner or buy a book and get the good old dowser out!

 

Chinese doctors then prescribe herbs and diet according to what type of element you are.  Again you are likely to be a mixture of two and once you understand the concept you can see how this affects your health, weight and build – it is really fascinating.

 

From a weight loss point of view the one with which I have had great experience is water, as this is the one that controls the kidneys and bladder.   When being diagnosed I was informed I was mainly water with a little fire that gave me damp!  The diagnosis was correct because obviously I have suffered with tremendous water retention, my kidneys and bladder have not worked correctly and I like my food cooked – apparently raw food makes damp worse. Also I was informed that I shouldn’t drink too much water as it added to my problem – something I had suspected for a long time.