Ayurvedic Body Types and Coffee

Ayurvedic medicine, the sister science of yoga, has helped us understand that we’re not all the same person. Different foods will not act the same in each one of us since we are not all the same. One implication of this is when you read a scientific study about any food, please understand that it only applies to the people in that study, not to each one of us. – Tweet this

Everyone is unique. In my Academy for Integrative Medicine, to train health coach students, I say, “Test, don’t guess.” But another way that you can see if a food is right for you is through Ayurvedic medicine, by knowing your body type.

Coffee, according to Ayurveda, can cause inflammation, arthritis, skin breakouts, irritability and hormonal imbalances in a pitta-dominant person. – Tweet this

I’m a pitta-dominant person. A pitta person typically has a medium body build, has reddish undertones to their skin, maybe freckles, and a lot of moles. This person has easily broken capillaries, red acne, and inflamation that show up in different ways.

Coffee is not good for you if you are a pitta-dominant person. For instance, when I have coffee, I can get hemorrhoids, which a sign of inflammation. Consider any symptoms of inflammation in your case and see if coffee makes that worse.

The effects of coffee will be even worse if you live in a hot climate, and also at a pitta time of day, for instance from late morning to early afternoon. And then there are genetic types that can’t manage caffeine very well either. Again, one size does not fit all.

According to Ayurveda, coffee will make the vata person more jittery, more anxious, have more insomnia, more ADHD, and be more forgetful. – Tweet this

A vata person is the skinny-mini person, either very tall or very thin. They tend to run towards imbalances that have to do with flightiness, anxiety, and joint pain. They may have popping and clicking joints and dry skin. These are vata imbalances.

The one body type that’s actually pretty good with coffee is called the kapha body type. – Tweet this

A kapha person tends to be more of a couch potato. They tend to hold on to weight and fluids more readily. They have thicker lips, thicker skin, and thicker hair, oiler complexions. They’re grounded. They’re loyal, and they have a hard time getting going in the morning. A little bit of caffeine is not so bad for them.

Think about this the next time you have the urge for a cup of coffee. Depending on your body type, you might want to think about an alternative, such as capomo.

Thanks for joining me. Have a glorious day!

Big Love,

Dr. Keesha Ewers