Few things get people more worked up than food and diets. Should you diet? If so, what sort of diet? Should you go vegan? Should you pay for a fancy DNA test to tell you what to eat? Does it even matter? Why not just embrace your body type? Everything in moderation! Just eat mindfully!

And so on, and so forth. In truth, we all already know that there’s really no secret. Eat well, eat clean, and you will reap the benefits. But what about eating right for your body type?

You may think that the trend to ‘eat for your type’ is new, but in fact, in Ayurveda, that’s a concept that’s thousands of years old.

Ayurvedic medicine focuses on balancing different types of energy within your body. Rather than medicating the symptoms of sickness, the Ayurvedic diet promotes a holistic lifestyle that aims to keep you from being ill in the first place. And yes - the Ayurvedic diet provides personalized recommendations about which foods to eat and avoid based on your body type.

According to Ayurveda, five elements make up the universe — vayu (air), jala (water), akash (space), teja (fire), and prithvi (earth). These elements are believed to form three different doshas, which are defined as types of energy that circulate within your body. Each dosha is responsible for specific physiological functions.

The Ayurvedic diet is a type of eating plan that sets guidelines for when, how, and what you should eat based on your dosha, or body type.

 Pitta (fire + water). Intelligent, hard-working, and decisive. This dosha generally has a medium physical build, short temper, and may suffer from conditions like indigestion, heart disease, or high blood pressure.

• Vata (air + space). Creative, energetic, and lively. People with this dosha are usually thin with a light frame and may struggle with digestive issues, fatigue, or anxiety when out of balance.
• Kapha (earth + water). Naturally calm, grounded, and loyal. Those with a kapha dosha often have a sturdier frame and may have issues with weight gain, asthma, depression, or diabetes.

According to this diet, your dosha determines which foods you should eat to promote inner balance. In general, the Ayurvedic diet as a whole encourages eating whole foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, and minimises processed foods.

Want to find out more? Join us on 12 Sept for an Ayurvedic lunch experience with Shy Kalra.

Shy Kalra, a graduate of The Ayurvedic Nutrition Foundation, truly believes that food is medicine. Her father taught her that food is blessed when shared, and Shy now carries on the tradition of curating meal experiences that give an insight into ayurvedic practices.