Consider following this diet if you have tendencies toward anxiety, worry, constipation, dry skin, or during the winter, when the weather is cold and windy.

SPICE MIX:

Here is a spice mix for balancing vata dosha.  Mix the spices, keep the mix in a shaker, and use with meals:
Cumin, 8 teaspoons.   Fennel, 8 teaspoons.  Coriander, 2 teaspoons.  Turmeric, 2 teaspoons.  Ginger, 1 teaspoon.  Cinnamon ¼ teaspoon.

GENERAL APPROACH:

Favor foods that are sweet, sour salty, heavy, oily, and heating, while reducing or avoiding foods that are bitter, pungent, astringent, light, dry, and  cooling.  It is very important to eat fresh food, and to eat on a regular routine.

GRAINS:

Favor: wheat, rice

Reduce: barley, corn, millet, buckwheat, rye

LEGUMES:

Favor: green or yellow mung beans, tofu

Reduce: all other beans

NUTS:

Favor: almost all nuts are generally good

Reduce: peanuts

VEGETABLES:

Favor: eggplant (peeled), zucchini, cucumber, asparagus, artichoke, tomato (peeled), celery, carrots, beets, and spinach. Just about all vegetables are good, but vegetables need to be cooked, generally with a little bit of ghee or other oil. 

Reduce: Raw vegetables.

DAIRY PRODUCTS:

Favor: low fat milk, goat’s milk, buttermilk, lassi,  ghee (clarified butter).

Reduce: ice cream.

SWEETENERS:

Favor: most healthy sweeteners are ok, including cane sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and raw honey.

Reduce: processed sugars, high fructose corn syrup

OILS:

Favor:  most oils are good for reducing vata

Reduce:  coconut oil (due to its cooling properties).

SPICES & CONDIMENTS:

Favor: Cumin, ginger, fenugreek, hing (asafetida), mustard seeds, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, anise, fennel, cloves, salt, lemon juice, tamarind, basil, clove, mint, nutmeg, bay leaves, fenugreek, turmeric, paprika. 

Reduce: red peppers and chilies

FRUITS:

Favor: sweet, sour, heavy, and ripe fruits are ideal.  Grapes, papayas, pineapples, bananas, avocadoes, cherries, peaches, melons, figs, plums, mangoes, papayas, pineapples, oranges and fresh apricots are good.  Raisins are good but should first be soaked overnight in warm water.

Reduce: dried fruits (unless soaked overnight in water just to cover), apples, cranberries