What is your digestive type?
Digestion is a quality in our lives that differs from person to person. Within our own household I can see that my children have a certain type of digestion and they differ from one another. My husband and I definitely have differences in our digestion patterns and I envy his regularity and routine.
I never realized that digestion is something that is going to vary so much from person to person. We are each born with our unique constitution. And each of these constitutions is more prone to a certain type of digestion. Some are fast. Some are slow. And there is the variable digestive type.
The beauty of Ayurveda is that it allows us to explore our unique body type to learn about how our body functions. If we understand our constitution we can also be more aware of our propensity towards certain ways of thinking, eating and our digestion type.
Digestive strength and regularity is an important variable in understanding diet and lifestyle habits that support short and long term wellbeing.
The different Ayurvedic constitutions are prone to different types and qualities of digestion.
Some clues into your constitution as it relates to digestion are as follows:
- Vata: Variable. Irregular. DRY. prone to gas and bloating.
- Pitta: Hot. Fiery. FAST. Prone to diarrhea, hyperacidity, heartburn and a sharp/hangry and quick appetite.
- Kapha: Slow. Heavy. Dense. Dull. Prone to slow metabolism, weight gain, constipation followed by large releases.
There are many tips and tricks for improving digestion based on our constitution. One such way is through spices, herbs and chutneys. Chutney adds flavor to food. It can be added to rice, kitchari, salads, or eaten right off the spoon. It is also a digestive stimulant when eaten 20 minutes before a meal.
Below are a few chutney recipes and the constitution for which they are best suited.
Vata balancing chutney: Filled with dates, soaked raisins and digestion enhancing spices. Vata benefits from sweet taste which builds and nourishes. This chutney also has fresh ginger and other digestion boosting spices for the weaker Vata digestion.
Pitta balancing chutney: Pitta is hot and sharp. It is balanced by cooling and sweet ingredients. This chutney accomplishes both of these goals with cooling cilantro, sweetness from coconut sugar and a tad of salt and lemon to enhance digestion without increasing heat.
Kapha balancing chutney: High in pungent flavor from ginger, this chutney boosts and improves sluggive kapha type digestion and circulation.
I’ve listed the recipes for each chutney below the constitution for which it is best suited. Try them out and let me know what you think.
KAPHA BALANCING CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup peeled ginger
1/2 cup soaked raisins
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 cup orange juice
Place all the ingredients into a food processor or small ninja blender and blend until desired consistency is achieved.
PITTA BALANCING CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS
2 apples
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 Tbs. turbinado sugar
Juice of 1-2 lemons
Place all the ingredients into a food processor or small ninja blender and blend until desired consistency is achieved.
VATA BALANCING CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS
1 cup fresh dates
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tbsp. fresh ginger root
Place all the ingredients into a food processor or small ninja blender and blend until desired consistency is achieved.