Treating Pitta-type heart disease
Recommendations:
Follow an anti-Pitta diet . Avoid alcohol, hot spices, excessive oil or greasy food, red meat and too much salt.
Vitamins: B-vitamins, calcium and iron are usually prescribed.
Wear an emerald set in silver on the middle finger of the right hand. Pearl and moonstone are also recommended.
Apply sandalwood oil to the third eye and to the chest.
Chant the mantra 'Sham.' It has cooling and calming action.
Recommended herbs include aloe, arjuna, barberry, golden seal, gotu kola, motherwort, myrrh, goldenseal, saffron, shatavari, sandalwood and katuka. Sometimes Chinese herbs are prescribed such as: salvia, coptis and formulas such as Coptis and Rhubarb combination for acute conditions.
Apply sandalwood oil to the chest and to the "third eye" in the middle of the forehead.
Practice meditation to reduce pent-up anger, hatred and resentment. Cultivate peace, love and forgiveness.
Limit exposure to sun. Avoid strong exercise.
Take katuka or barberry in equal parts with licorice and ghee (Take two grams after meals).
Purgation is helpful in acute conditions.
Herbal combinations often prescribed for this condition include Arjuna preparations, Gotu Kola compound and Brahma Rasayana.
Anti-Pitta Diet
The anti-Pitta diet consists of cool, slightly dry and heavy foods. The foods should be raw and relatively plain-tasting. Avoid foods prepared in lots of oil or heavily spiced. Three regular meals a day are suggested. Avoid eating late at night.
Diet Guidelines:
Vegetables are good for Pitta-type heart disease. Eat them raw or steamed, but never fried. Cauliflower, celery, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, asparagus, lettuce, green beans, peas, cucumber, okra, potatoes, parsley and com are all OK. Avoid chilies, onions, tomatoes, avocados, carrots, beets, spinach, eggplant, radishes, watercress and seaweed.
Fruit: Take apples, pears, pineapple, cranberries, dates, grapes, figs, oranges, raspberries and mangoes. Avoid grapefruit, lemons, limes, bananas, cherries, peaches, strawberries, papaya and apricots.
Grains: Most grains, including whole-grain breads and pastas, are OK. Avoid brown rice, corn, rye and buckwheat.
Beans: Beans are good. Eat them with cumin or other spices to minimize upsetting the digestion. Avoid peanuts and lentils.
Meat: Avoid meat. The white meat of chicken or turkey and the whites of eggs are OK. Avoid all other poultry, meat and fish.
Dairy products: You can take milk, cream, unsalted cheeses and cottage cheeses. Avoid salted cheeses, buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream and ice cream.
Nuts: Avoid nuts. Coconut and sunflower seeds may be eaten in small amounts.
Oils: Avoid oils if possible. Take coconut oil, butter, corn oil or soy oil if oils are absolutely necessary. We recommend avoiding coconut oil and butter.
Sugar (fruit, maple and raw) and honey are helpful. Avoid refined white sugar, molasses and old honey.
Spices: Spices can fuel the heat of Pitta. So, ayurvedic practitioners will only allow you take only selected ones if you are suffering from this condition. These include fennel, cilantro, coriander, mint, parsley and cinnamon.
Drinks: Black tea, green tea and herb teas are helpful. Avoid spicy teas. Milk and other dairy products are OK, as well as fruit and vegetable juices. Alcoholic beverages are forbidden.
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