
The liver, heart, brain, and genitals are most sensitive to heat. Heat also aggravates a rash, or any inflammation in the body.
Heat generally aggravates inflammation, including rashes. High metabolism, peri-menopause, and obesity are other common causes of overheating.
When you feel hot in your torso area, but also have cold extremities, it can indicate poor circulation and overcompensation by the heart. Sweet, thick Kapha blood is the likely culprit.
Sensitivity to heat indicates various patterns of imbalance. Sometimes the body becomes hot when deficient (as in dry eczema, or yin-deficient heat of Chinese medicine). Otherwise, heat may come from some kind of internal inflammation. A fever is a...
A Vata person feels cold due to stress, light clothing or deficiency - anemia, skipping meals, low blood sugar levels, high metabolism, excessively light foods, etc. A Kapha person feels cold due to depressed metabolism, low heart rate, and lethargy,...
Low metabolism is a Kapha condition often appearing with hypothyroid, anemia, and poor circulation. Exercise, spicy foods, and avoiding foods with gooey, oily, and sweet qualities often helps in this type.
Basal body temperature (BBT) is your temperature at rest typically measured immediately upon waking, before any physical activity, using a thermometer. Most people have a body temperature that is lower than the "average". But when is low too...
Cold extremities can imply a blood deficiency such as anemia, poor circulation from dehydration or congestion, a low metabolism, low blood sugar levels, insufficient clothing or fat, or stress. A chronic infection such as candida can rob the body of...
Our body redirects blood flow to digest a meal, when thinking, to fight an infection, or when exposed to the cold. If you are chronically cold, suspect either deficiency of ojas or fungal/pathogenic infection (a heat condition).
Kapha people become cold when metabolism is low or circulation is poor (Kapha). Vata people are cold when the skin is too dry, there is a lack of adequate fat tissue in the skin, or blood sugar levels are low. Pitta people feel cold when they radiate...
Bluish or purple lips may be a sign of cold, such as when a child swims in cold water for several hours. Or, it may be a sign of blood stagnation due to other reasons.
Pale skin can come from anemia or other blood deficiencies (Vata), low basal body temperature, or poor circulation at the surface of the skin. Often, poor circulation is related to thick, rich blood (Kapha).
A blue / purple tongue indicates internal blood stagnation (Kapha) or cold quality (Vata).
A bright red tongue can indicate heart heat or blood stagnation.
A red tip of the tongue is a normal sign of good metabolism (strong agni). When the tongue appears pale with a red tip however, it is a sign that the heart is overcompensating for anemia (Rakta dhatu deficiency). The heart in general...
Blue nail-beds signify stagnant blood, which may be due to poor circulation or low blood pressure.
Dark shadows under the eyes have two types Yellow / Black and Puffy => Gallbladder stagnation Purple and flat => Cyanosis / Blood pooling Anything that causes pooling of blood or thinning of the skin can lead to purple...
Warm and rosy skin is a sign that blood vessels are dilated close to the surface of the skin. This may be due to a variety of causes, including lymphatic stagnation, general inflammation, toxic buildup, excess heat, fever, or chronic infection. Ideally...
Redness or flushed skin is generally a sign of heat and inflammation (Pitta). This internal heat may be due to fever, skin allergies, toxins from inflammatory processes, infection, or buildup of toxins in the skin. Skin may also be flushed due to...
The body releases toxins through the digestion, urine, skin & lungs. Rashes may result when there are too many toxins, or the liver becomes otherwise aggravated. Some rashes may be infectious and require a visit to a medical doctor. All rashes are...
Dermatographism, the ability to 'draw' on the skin, is a sign of capillary vasodilation due to Pitta type toxicity. It may indicate lymphatic stagnation as well.
Rosy cheeks, red lips, a pink tongue, and redness in the palms of the hand is a sign of rakta saar - or excellence in blood tissue. If the redness is a bright red, it can indicate high Pitta. While yellow color points to liver weakness, bright red...
Rosaceae is an inflammation and dilation of capillaries typically around the nose and cheeks. Demodex mites are present in 80% of cases - these mites trigger an immune response that causes rosaceae. For this reason, some consider rosaceae to be an...
Hives are a sign of allergy and aggravated Pitta, or lymphatic congestion in aggravated Kapha.
Acne is considered a hot, oily pitta condition in Ayurveda. When oils build up in the skin and clog your pores the small pustules known as pimples appear. Acne represents a small local infection of the skin. Acne due to...
A sign of aggravated / inflamed blood (rakta) in Ayurveda.
The eyes may be bloodshot from a lack of sleep (Vata), irritation from contact lenses or debris (Vata), allergies (Pitta), a heat condition and even blood stagnation. Cucumbers on the eyes, cleansing the blood, and soothing the liver may help.
Skin may become lusterless and dull when Circulation to the skin is poor Toxins (ama) in circulation are released through the skin Poor Circulation Poor circulation causes the skin to appear lifeless. Lusterless...
Pink skin appears predominantly pink in color. It can be a sign of strong, healthy circulation of blood to the surface of the skin. However, in some cases, skin may appear pink if it is inflamed, irritated, or there is sun damage. Pink or inflamed...
Oily in the T-zone only implies that heat/blood is moving upward into the head.
Oily face can indicate heat moving upward, especially when the extremities are cold. It can also indicate that sweet, Kapha thick blood is blocking circulation to the extremities.
A person may flush easily when they are overheated, experience intense emotions, due to toxicity or hormone fluctuations, or after indulging in Pitta aggravating foods or lifestyle. Intense emotions can trigger an increase in the heart rate or...
Sweating often may indicate congested fluids, or excess fat tissue. The backed up fluids can causes clamminess in hands or feet especially. A heat condition, a dry-heat condition, or irritating toxin can also cause the pores to open...
Sweating rarely may indicate chronic dehydration, electrolyte imbalance such as magnesium deficiency, or other factors. Drinking inadequate amounts of water, urinating or passing too much liquid in the feces will reduce the amount of sweating. The...
Pale lips may be a sign of anemia or other blood deficiencies. It could be a sign of vasoconstriction due to cold or other circulatory issues.
Redness of the ears could be a sign of upward moving heat (Pitta). Ears may be red continuously, after eating, after eating red meat or spicy food, or not at all.
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?’