YOUR MIND & BODY TYPE IS FIRE (PITTA)
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MIND
They are considered intelligent, ambitious achievers who have a powerful intellect and a strong ability to concentrate. When they’re in balance, they are passionate, good decision makers, outgoing team leaders and entrepreneurs. They are precise, sharp-witted, direct, and often out-spoken. They love both adventure and challenges and tend to love competitive sports. Out-of-balance Fire types can be fiery-tempered, easily irritated, aggressive and jealous. They are perfectionists so can also be workaholics and judgmental, of others but mostly of themselves. To balance a Fire person, they need to make sure they get enough fun and play in their lives to balance out their intensity, as well as practice daily self-love practices, meditation and relaxation.
BODY
Fire dominant people have a fiery nature that manifests in both body and mind. They enjoy a more muscular or athletic body type with an efficient metabolism, hearty appetite and strong digestion. They can withstand the cold better as anyone else, as they have a warm body temperature. They tend to have oily skin and a rosy complexion. Since they have an efficient digestion, they can generally eat just about everything but do get into trouble by eating too much salt, sour, spicy foods, and general overeating. When imbalanced, they must be on guard against bleeding disorders, inflammations, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rashes, and anger. To achieve balance, they are advised to avoid skipping meals, extreme heat, eat less spicy food, stimulants such as alcohol and caffeine as well as making sure they get regular, steady sleep and moderate exercise.
HOW TO BALANCE FIRE
Ever wonder how to feel more balanced in your everyday? Ayurveda shows us that small lifestyle and diet changes can have a huge impact on our overall wellbeing.
Browse through the following guidelines to understand how to balance your FIRE Mind & Body Type. As you read through the suggestions below, keep in mind that no one expects you to shift your lifestyle and diet overnight. Slow and steady shifts are huge wins and, based on our experience, you’ll feel them right away.
PACIFYING LIFESTYLE
Food: What we eat is at the crux of our wellbeing so take a look at the food guidelines below and try to follow them as much as you can.
Meal regularity: Avoid skipping meals. FIRE types have a sharp and sometimes insatiable appetite that needs to be kept in balance. Skipping meals can make a FIRE type overeat at the next meal.
Workout: FIRE types are blessed with a naturally athletic build that makes them love to move and sweat. But they also overheat easily so they should workout at cooler times of the day preferably outside, favoring cooling and calming activities like swimming, skiing, ice skating, paddle boarding, kayaking and surfing.
Moderation in excess: Make time for play and adopt an attitude of moderation in all things. FIRE types are ambitious achievers who gain balance by moderating their strong love of doing and being efficient in their everyday.
Ideal climate: Avoid situations of excessive heat or humidity and drink plenty of fluids. Avoid steam rooms and stay in the shade when at the beach.
Rest: Take a break with contemplative activities like meditation. FIRE types have a hard time resting but they should leverage their impressive ability to concentrate for giving their mind the break it needs to achieve their many goals without feeling burnt out.
Stay cool: Stay cool, mentally & be nice to yourself. When out of balance, FIRE types can be short-tempered and aggressive so they benefit from avoiding situations of potential conflict. They can also be judgmental, especially with themselves, beating themselves up for not meeting their own standards of success or perfection in those instances, taking a step back and listening to the perspective of their loved ones would benefit them greatly.
RECOMMENDED HERBS
Detox: Amalaki: detoxifies the GI tract by cleansing the colon, eliminating excess toxins and heat while supporting healthy bowel movements. These herbs can be taken upon waking and before bed.
Cool and calm the body & mind: Blend of multiple herbs: cools and calms the body and mind helping FIRE types achieve balance. These herbs can be taken in the morning.
Clear skin: promotes blood cleansing, proper function of liver and healthy skin. These herbs can be taken periodically as part of a cleanse or acne spurt.
PACIFYING FOOD GUIDELINES
FAVOR
Cooling foods over heating: Favor cooling foods like most veggies, cucumber, cilantro, herbal teas such as mint or licorice root teas and vegetarian foods, as consuming red meat tends to heat the body from the fat.
Dry foods over oily and moist: FIRE types tend to have oily skin so eating drying and astringent foods like beans, potatoes, oats, pasta, popcorn and most veggies will decrease internal heat and prevent inflammation by absorbing excess liquid and oil. When cooking, use moderate amounts of ghee or oil. Reduce heating and oily foods like egg yolks, hard cheeses, olives, nuts and steamy hot soups.
Grounding and nourishing over light: The efficient metabolism of FIRE types makes them light so they benefit from foods with sustenance that offer solid, stabilizing sources of energy and nourishment like grains, Kitchari, milk, root vegetables, seeds, and cooling coconut oil.
Mild over sharp: Sharp flavors like hot chilies, pineapple, pickles, vinegar, sharp cheese and coffee, nicotine and alcohol over stimulate the fiery nature of FIRE types. Favor milder & cooling tastes that apples, cucumbers, lime juice and soft cheeses offer.
Bitter tastes: Favor bitter greens like kale, dandelion greens, kale and cabbage. The bitter taste is exceptionally cooling, and also drying.
Sweet tastes: Cooling and anti-inflammatory, naturally sweet foods like fruits, grains, squashes, root veggies, ghee and yogurt benefit FIRE types’ thirst, skin and hair and strong appetite. FIRE types should avoid honey.
Astringent tastes: Legumes like beans, chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, raw apples, cranberries, pomegranate, artichoke, broccoli, cauliflower, popcorn and rice cakes are drying and beneficial to FIRE types who tend to sweat easily.
AVOID
Pungent tastes: Avoid spicy, hot flavor like chilies, radish, turnips, raw onions and garlic, coffee as they can cause excess thirst, burning sensations, dizziness and inflammation for FIRE types. Favor spices like cumin, neem leaves, saffron and turmeric.
Sour tastes: Avoid foods like vinegar in salad dressing (use lemon juice instead), green grapes, pineapple, grapefruit or anything fermented like hard cheeses, sour cream, kombucha or alcohol (the occasional beer or white wine is often fine).
Salty tastes: Avoid salty tastes as like sour tastes, they are too light, hot and oily in nature which can aggravate FIRE types.
*This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.