The Doshas and Food Cravings

Food cravings are common, and I'm sure we've all lost the craving battle a time or two before. As it turns out, it can be pretty predictable to what you'll be drawn to eating when life gets stressful or celebratory. It all boils down to the doshas.

Your personal constitution is such a dominant force in your mood and biochemistry that you literally construct an entire life and lifestyle around your strong and weak points. Look at your career, romantic relationships, and, yes, food cravings and it's pretty obvious which dosha dominates your metabolism.

Mr. Kapha, for example, was born into a body that excels in stamina. Slow and steady, that's him in a nutshell (albeit an extra large size nutshell). Since solid stamina is his birthright, Mr. Kapha creates a life in which he gets strokes for having stamina, being able to work hard and long without a break. He doesn't set any speed records, but he's that guy who is always available to take that extra overtime shift when his coworkers are totally drained.

We are also unconsciously drawn to foods that help us be our best. We are drawn subconsciously to the food chemicals that support our behavioral gifts in life.

Vatas excel at being creative and are drawn to white sugar, which digests instantly and gives them a blast of quick euphoria.

Pittas, those habitual overachievers, are productive and really, really like spicy food, which blasts them into the stratosphere of determined energy and intensity.

Kaphas go for grease and salt (think that Costco tub o' chips), which give the body the ingredients to make adrenal hormones, which are like the life blood to the solid and steady Kapha.