What Ayurveda says
Ayurveda is a complete system of medicine documented in Sanskrit texts (Caraka Saṃhitā, Suśruta Saṃhitā, Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya) over 2,000 years ago, with oral roots going back much further. It defines health not as the absence of disease, but as a dynamic equilibrium of doṣha (biological humours), agni (digestive fire), dhātu (tissues), mala (wastes), and a clear, contented mind and senses. Every recommendation — food, sleep, herb, season — is judged by whether it preserves or restores this balance.
Possible dosha pattern
Ayurveda views every person as a unique blend of three doṣhas: Vāta (air + space — movement), Pitta (fire + water — transformation), and Kapha (earth + water — structure). Your prakṛti is the blend you were born with; your vikṛti is your current imbalance. Most disease is the gap between the two.
Foods to favour
- ·Fresh, seasonal, locally grown food cooked with care
- ·Six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent) at every main meal
- ·Warm, lightly spiced food matched to your dominant doṣha
Foods to reduce
- ·Processed, packaged and microwaved food
- ·Eating on the move, in front of screens, or in conflict
- ·Foods that contradict your dominant doṣha (cold raw for Vāta, hot spicy for Pitta, heavy oily for Kapha)
Daily routine
- ·Dinacharyā — wake before sunrise, scrape the tongue, drink warm water
- ·Eat the main meal at midday when agni is strongest
- ·Sleep by 10 p.m. to allow Pitta's nightly repair work
- ·Match exercise and diet to the season (ṛtucaryā)
Herbs (with cautions)
- TriphalaFull guide →
The classical tridoshic rasāyana — a daily introduction to Ayurvedic herbs
Caution: Avoid in pregnancy and acute diarrhoea
- AshwagandhaFull guide →
The most studied Ayurvedic adaptogen
Caution: Avoid in pregnancy, hyperthyroidism, active Pitta heat
- AmalakiFull guide →
Tridoshic rasāyana — cooling, rich in vitamin C
Caution: Avoid in active diarrhoea
When to see a doctor
Ayurveda runs alongside, not instead of, modern medicine. For diagnosis, screening, emergencies and serious chronic disease, see a registered GP — and use a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner for constitutional and lifestyle work.