The alleviating factors of the Vaat are those which bring about
Snigdha – unctuousness, oiliness
Guru – heaviness,
Ushna – heat,
Shlakshna – smoothness,
Mrudu – softness,
Picchila – sliminess and
Ghana – compactness.
By the use of these qualities, Vata gets dislodged from the affected place and gets alleviated.
Diet/ Nutritional guidelines to calm the aggravated Vaat:
FavorThese Food Items:
Foods that are naturally sweet, sour and salty in taste.
Warm foods, both energetically and in temperature.
Favor foods that are liquid rather than dry, and warm rather than cold.
Warming spices like ginger, black pepper, cinnamon and cumin.
Plenty of room temperature or warm drinks.
Dairy, as long as it is not very cold.
Avoid drinking milk with your meals. It is best to have it warm and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg especially in the morning or before you go to bed.
A generous amount of high-quality oils or GHEE in your daily diet.
nuts, especially soaked in water and not eating them dry.
Fruits:
Oranges, bananas, avocados, grapes, cherries, peaches, melons, berries, plums, pineapples, mangos and papayas.
Vegetables:
Vegetables should be eaten cooked.
Beets, carrots, asparagus and sweet potatoes, Okra, Pumpkin, Garlic, Parsnip, Mustard greens, Cucumber, Cilantro, Green Beans are good choices.
Avoid These Food Items :
Foods that are bitter, astringent and pungent
Foods that are cooling, both energetically and in temperature.
Dry and light foods (e.g. popcorn and crackers).
Too much raw food.
Most beans, including cold soy products.
Highly processed foods (like canned or frozen foods) Cold, chilled or carbonated drinks.
Overeating or eating very heavy meals.
Eating fresh fruit or drinking fruit juice within ½ hour of any other food.
Too many vegetables from the nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant), Green peas, the cabbage family (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage) or all the beans except Moong daal . All of them are “too windy”.
Too much of chilies, radishes, turnips, raw onions.
Raw kale, dandelion greens, collard greens,bitter melon, eggplant, and chocolate.
In moderate quantities, the following vegetables are also fine, especially if they are cooked with ghee or oil and Vaat reducing spices: peas, green leafy vegetables (chopped small, with thick fibrous parts discarded), broccoli, cauliflower, celery, zucchini and potatoes.
FOLLOWING THE SAME ROUTINE EVERYDAY IS THE KEY TO CONTROL THE VAAT. e.g.Eating on the same time and going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday regulates the vaat.
Total body oil Massage / Abhyanga is the best way to calm the aggravated vaat.
Mudra To balance Vaat: