SAVE SYMPTOM
Eyes reflect the speed of thought. To pacify Vata, keep the eyes still. Internally, bring your attention to the front of the eyes, the back, and to the muscles in the sockets. Identify where the eye tension arises from. The darker the eye, the deeper...
Depression is often related to excess sweet taste in Kapha individuals. Sweet or rich blood becomes thick and difficult to circulate, congesting the lungs and heart area. The lack of good circulation creates a subjective feeling of heaviness and...
Kapha individuals have steady emotions, a sign of Kapha's stability. Once angered or crossed however, Kapha people take a very long time to calm down and trust a person again.
Kapha's stability, generosity, and loving nature is visible in their facial expressions, and especially their eyes. Large eyes also imply fatty deposits behind the eyes.
Kapha people tend to store excess water. They avoid humidity and anything soggy, including soggy foods because it resembles the way they feel: congested, clammy and heavy. Since Kapha people crave heavy foods without sogginess, they are seduced by...
Volatile or unstable emotions are a sign of a blood imbalance and a distressed liver. Vata people may be distracted by the moment, and and susceptible to quick mood changes. Pitta people are highly sensitive, and may have strong reactions when slighted.
Even though a Kapha person may feel psychologically insecure, their body is generally abundant & secure. This security bestows Kapha with a caring, generous, calm & patient nature. Kapha individuals appear calm outwardly but often experience a storm of...
Thick mucus in the stomach blocks the action of digestive enzymes, making digestion sluggish. In Ayurveda, mucus in the stomach is called an accumulation of Kledaka Kapha - one of the 5 canonical signs of Kapha dosha aggravation. Mucus in the...
Women naturally tend towards an excess of blood. This excess can cause heat, irritability, water retention and malaise. Menstruation releases this blood, helping a women feel refreshed and grounded. A light period can come from a hormonal...
Breast size increases with sweetness and lipid concentration of the blood. Many women are pear shaped, with large buttocks and small breasts. This is a circulatory issue with stagnant blood in the lower half of the body. Estrogenic foods like soybean...
Chapped lips is a sign of inadequate circulation to the lips, dehydration, or overexposure to cold. Chronic candida and toxicity can also dry out the lips.
Thin lips are constitutionally natural for Vata. Since light Vata constitutions tend to have thin skin, they often frequently have thin lips. However, thin lips may also be a sign of deficient ojas (nourishment), especially if your constitution is...
Why You Should Check Your Tongue for Scallops We've all heard the expression "bite your tongue," but what does it mean when you unconsciously are? Teeth marks on the edges of your tongue are a sign that you are literally biting...
Kapha individuals have large, smooth lips due to the richness of rasa dhatu, the blood plasma.
Cracks on the tongue often indicate tissue distress of the digestive tract, including inflammation, degenerative changes, toxicity of the colon, etc.
Xerostomia, or dry mouth is a subjective feeling that the mouth is too dry. The terms comes from the Greek: Xeros = dry and stoma = mouth. This condition is commonly called pasty mouth or cotton mouth and effects 20% of the population. Lips may stick...
Dry eyes can be a sign of dehydration or irritation. Sours taste generally flushes the eyes and skin (for example: lime).
Crying, saddness and depression are often related to excess sweet taste in Kapha individuals. Sweet or rich blood becomes thick and hard to circulate, congesting the lungs and heart area. The lack of good circulation creates a subjective feeling of...
Sleep in the eye is a sign of sweet, thick, rich Kapha blood. When the blood plasma is thick and rich, it tends to coagulate in the eyes.
Glossitis is a condition where the entire tongue surface appears depapillated and inflamed, usually a side-effect of nutritional deficiencies.
A sweet taste on the tongue is experienced when the saliva tastes noticeably sweet. It is caused by elevated blood sugar levels, often due to a rich, sweet diet. A sweet taste on the tongue may follow an infection in the sinus, nose, or...
Cholesterol functions to repair irritated and inflamed tissues. High cholesterol is often a kapha response to high inflammation. It also strengthens the cell wall....
High triglycerides indicate high fat content of the blood. Often, the best way to deal with fatty foods cravings is to find a satisfying substitute. Sweet potatoes, beans and sunflower seeds provide heaviness but won't aggravate triglyceride levels as...
Insulin resistance is one cause of abnormally high blood sugar levels. A kapha pacifying diet and reducing sweets / high glycemic foods in your diet will help. Exercises, and even breathing exercises (pranayama) can improve insulin uptake by...
Thick mucus is mucus that is viscous, like molasses, instead of watery. Thicker mucus is generally a sign of "sweeter blood". Sweet blood is blood that is high in sugar, fats, or proteins. Sweet blood plasma (rasa) is thicker than deficient...
Often, hypoglycemia means your body isn?t used to experiencing hunger. Instead of regulating your metabolism or metabolizing fat, your body wants you to eat more. The pattern of constant 'grazing' is a modern one. Fasting between meals is important to...
Insulin resistance is one cause of abnormally high blood sugar levels. A kapha pacifying diet and reducing sweets / high glycemic foods in your diet will help. Recent research shows that high cortisol may be linked to insulin resistance. Exercises,...
Diabetes Type I, is a generally a Pitta disorder where the immune system attacks and destroys insulin producing cells of the pancreas. Diabetes type II, from insulin resistance, is generally a Kapha disorder. Diabetics tend to develop thick, doughy...
Bacteria naturally proliferate when the blood is sweet or rich after sweet or rich foods. This is especially true for the gums, which are exposed to the outside air. Toxicity in the blood further irritates tissues, making them vulnerable to infectious...
Nerves and muscles, which function similarly, are highly sensitivity to changes in blood chemistry. These tissues are irritated by toxins, often arising from fermentation in the digestive tract, or other pathogenic factors including...
Cysts are a sign of aggravated Kapha. When Kapha is aggravated, the body has trouble detoxifying irritants. Instead, Kapha surrounds the irritant with fluid to neutralize it.
Tonsil stones, or tonsilloliths, are accumulations of dead cells and mucus that get trapped in the crevices of the tonsils. Over time, they can harden and form yellow or white masses that can vary in size. Bacteria and fungi feed on these dead cells,...
Strong body odor is a sign of toxicity. The toxicity may come from infection, a proliferation of normal gut bacteria, and other metabolic disorder. When at high levels, toxins in the blood are released through the skin and breath, giving an odor....
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition that leads to fluid accumulation around the heart, reducing its ability to pump effectively. When the heart can't pump blood effectively, it can't deliver oxygen to tissues. This causes other fluids to...
The skin around your eye area is the thinnest and most fragile skin found on the entire body. As you age, the lids under the eye may swell with fluids or fats. Muscles and ligaments responsible for holding those fats in place may become lax. Since the...
DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body. The information on this page is for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat a medical condition. It is not a substitute for medical care. Please check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.
On Joyful Belly, we've created an extensive categorization of food so you can easily match food to your imbalanced biocharacteristics. By eating an optimal diet that balances your biocharacteristics, your whole body is strengthened and the conditions that created the disorder are removed. Once the root causes of the disease are removed, the disease lessens in strength or disappears altogether. Additional remedies - such as herbs and lifestyle practices - focused on the specific disorder, can greatly enhance your healing.
Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’
