Dosha Video Clips

Click on these clips to really get an idea of what these doshas look like in hollywood!

Elliot on Scrubs -Vata
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjowbdkp0fk
Monica Geller- Pitta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOkjsFcyKNs
Paula Deen- Kapha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9NCKqGJmN0

Watch this and use it as your meeting closer... as your call to action- it is powerful... and buy the hour and a half movie on www.prosperitytools.com or www.foodmatterstv.com ! ABSOLUTELY WORTH EVERY PENNY- share it with your friends, they will get why you are passionate about what you are doing!
Food Matters Video Clip-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4DOQ6Xhqss

Dosha Characteristics Handout

Dosha Characteristics

· Vata

In Balance: are dynamic, experience life below the surface and have the natural ability to inspire others. They make good teachers, artists, musicians, consultants, healing arts practitioners, philosophers, foreign ministers, religious ministers, or any profession requiring creativity and communication skills.
Out of balance: overly active thinkers, restless, can’t sit still, inclined towards fear, anxiety, depression, earn easily, spend impulsively, “spacey”, ungrounded, emotionally delicate, think skinned, quick to judge, shy and introverted, disorganized, lack confidence, moody, talk, interrupt or zone out in conversation, impatient

· Pitta

In Balance: Blessed with a joyful disposition, a sharp intellect and tremendous courage and drive. Funny, natural leaders, sharp memory, perform well under pressure, organized, focused. They make good business people, lawyers, professors, doctors, engineers, architects, scientists, politicians and designers.
Out of balance: overly intense, manipulative, stubborn, arrogant, jealous, materialistic, loud and aggressive, controlling of others, overly competitive, critical and judgmental, suppressive of emotion. It is said that imbalanced Pitta individuals don’t go to hell; they simply create it wherever they go!

· Kapha

In Balance: warm, loving, gentle and a good place to go for a big hug. Mentally and emotionally healthy and have a deep satisfaction for life. They make good parents, teachers, chefs, healing arts practitioners, construction workers, task force organizers and community leaders.
Out of balance: greedy, set in their ways, unable to say “no”, easily attached to people, easily taken advantage of, possessive, take on other people’s problems, fearful of letting go, overly passive, lethargic, give up easily, introverted, complacent, depressed

Understanding the doshas:
Like increases Like, Opposite creates Balance. Key lies in choosing foods with opposite characteristics to the dosha you are trying to pacify! As you tune into your underlying constitution, you’ll notice that you’ll naturally desire dosha balancing foods… this type of intuitive self guidance is your greatest nutritional guidemap of all!

Basically-

Vata is dry... so anything dry increases Vata and imbalances you... the opposite is salty- (because it RETAINS moisture...so salty is most balancing taste for VATA)

Pitta is Firey and HOT- so anything hot or spicy increases Pitta, and imbalances... the opposite (and therefore most balancing) for pitta is bitter (because it is cooling also)

Kapha is Sweet and Moist- so anything sweet and moist increases Kapha and imbalances them... so the opposite, and balancing taste for Kapha is Pungent (which is invigorating to Kaphas)
Do you want to know the early symptoms of an imbalanced dosha?
Vata- earliest sign is anxiety or confussion, constipation or gas
Pitta- Irritability, alternating dry and loose stools, pressure or heat above the neck
Kapha- sluggishness, congestion, bloating

Ways Vata becomes imbalanced- eating vata aggravating foods, eating while anxious or depressed, eating on the run, drinking alcohol, coffee or tea, smoking, following irregular routine, going to bed late at night, traveling frequently, excessive stimulation, suppressing inner creativity

Ways to balance Vata- think NOURISHING, WARMING, ROUTINE… eat vata balancing diet (favor sweet, sour, salty), eat in peaceful environment, spend time in nature, follow a regular routine, go to bed early, gentle physical exercise (yoga, swimming), incorporate bright warming colors into surroundings (orange and green), listen to calming music, laugh and smile more, take a nap, spend time engaging with grounded people (balanced pittas and kaphas)

Ways Pitta becomes imbalanced- eating pitta aggravating foods, eating while angry, drinking coffee, tea, or alcohol, smoking, overworking, being overly compulsive, allowing oneself to overheat in physical and mental activity, failing to make changes in accordance with season (especially summer), surrounding one’s self with loud, aggressive sensory input (like violence on TV).

Ways to balance Pitta- think COOLING, CALMING, MODERATION… eat pitta balancing diet (favor sweet, bitter, astringent), eat in peaceful environment, avoid artificial stimulants, engage in calming activities- like spending time in nature, calming physical exercise (yoga, swimming), incorporate cooling colors into surroundings (blue, white and green), listen to calming music, laugh and smile more, take a nap, do volunteer work, take cool showers, get in touch with emotions (through introspective journaling).

Ways Kapha becomes imbalanced- eating kapha aggravating foods, overeating, eating to offset emotions, spending too much time in cool, damp climates, not engaging in physical activity, spending most of one’s time indoors(especially on the couch watching TV), avoiding intellectual challenges, storing emotion, focusing too much on money or material goods, failing to make seasonal changes (especially winter and spring)

Ways to balance Kapha- think DRYING, STIMULATING, EXPRESSION… eat kapha balancing diet (favor bitter, pungent, astringent), eat in loving environment, avoid a luxurious, leisurely lifestyle, focus on non-attachment in daily life, do emotional housekeeping regularly, make time for introspective activities like meditation and writing), make a distinction between being nice and being taken advantage of, go to bed early, with no daytime naps, stimulating physical exercise (running, hiking), incorporate bright vivid colors into surroundings (red, orange, gold and purple), listen to enlivening music, observe the seasons (especially spring and winter), vary one’s daily routine, spend time engaging with interesting and motivated people (balanced pittas and vatas).

Dosha Quiz-

What’s my Dosha?

Circle A, B or C to answer the following questions;
choose whichever you think best describes you and your personality.

BODY

1. My least favorite kind of weather is
a. cold weather
b. hot weather
c. damp weather

2. a. My hands and feet tend to be cold
b. My hands are usually warm
c. My hands are usually cool

3. a. My weight is below average for my build
b. My weight is average for my build
c. My weight is above average for my build

4. a. I tend to lose weight easily
b. I maintain my weight easily
c. I gain weight easily

5. a. My skin tends to be dry and tough, especially in winter
b. My skin is soft and ruddy
c. My skin is oily and moist

6. The most prominent feature about my hair is that
a. it tends to be dry
b. it’s fine, thin, reddish, or prematurely gray
c. it’s thick and wavy

7. a. I walk quickly more quickly than others
b. I have a determined walk, just to get where I’m going
c. My walk is slow and steady a more leisurely pace

8. a. I like to be active, “on the go”; it’s sometimes hard to sit still
b. I enjoy physical activities with a purpose, especially competitive ones
c. I like leisurely activities best

9. On a daily basis
a. my appetite varies
b. I am uncomfortable skipping meals
c. I like to eat but can skip meals easily

10. a. I tend to eat quickly; I have a delicate digestion
b. I have a strong digestion; I can eat almost anything
c. I eat and digest slowly

11. a. I get worn out easily
b. I am fairly strong and can handle various physical activities
c. I have good stamina and a steady energy level

12. a. I am fairly flexible
b. I am fairly muscular
c. I am fairly solid and big-boned




MIND

13. When conflicts arise,
a. I can be anxious and restless
b. I can become intense and irritable
c. I can get lazy or depressed

14. a. My moods change quickly
b. My moods change slowly
c. My moods are mostly steady

15. a. Under stress, I am easily excited
b. Under stress, I can be angry or critical
c. I’m pretty easygoing; it takes a lot to stress me out

16. The most prominent feature of my personality is that
a. I am creative, imaginative
b. I am intelligent, efficient, a perfectionist
c. I am caring, calm, and patient

17. a. I have lots of ideas and change my mind about things easily.
b. I gather lots of facts before forming an opinion
c. I am stubborn; I make up my mind quickly and don’t change my mind often

18. a. I have a short attention span
b. I am detail-oriented and can focus for long periods of time
c. I am a “big-picture” person and can focus for long periods of time

19. a. I learn quickly and forget quickly
b. I have a good general memory
c. I learn slowly and have a good long-term memory

20. a. I am good at getting things started but not necessarily at finishing them
b. I am very organized and will see a project through from start to finish
c. I may need help getting things started, but I am good at getting things accomplished

21. a. I tend to make and change friends often
b. Most of my friends are work-related and change when I change jobs
c. My friendships are long-lasting and sincere

22. a. I like to shop and often spend too much money
b. I don’t like to spend money, except on special items
c. I prefer not to spend at all; I’m good at saving money

23. a. I have difficulty falling or staying asleep
b. I sleep well, for an average length of time
c. I generally sleep long and soundly, and have difficulty waking up

24. a. I have lots of dreams but can’t remember them specifically
b. I can remember most of my dreams; I often dream in color
c. I only remember dreams when they are intense or significant

Now add up the totals, your highest score is your dosha type:

MIND type: Vata (a) _____ Pitta (b) _____Kapha (c) _____

BODY type: Vata (a) _____ Pitta (b) _____ Kapha (c) _____

shopping list for wellness nights (6 tastes)

Shopping list for the 6 tastes
(email this to the hostess before the party and this can be your party food instead of brownies and sugary punch or soda…
the choices I usually recommend are underlined in each category)
· Sweet
o Bananas, avocado, coconut, dates, raisins
o Wheat, rice, barley (whole grains)
o Butter, Cream, Ghee
o Cooked carrots, potatoes, acorn squash, artichoke, cucumber, cooked beets
· Sour
o Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, pineapple, kiwi, strawberries
o Cheese, yogurt, sour cream
o Wine, vinegar, soy sauce, sauerkraut
· Salty
o Chips, Sea Salt, Rock salt
o Seaweed, kelp
o Salted Nuts
o Pickles
· Bitter
o Spinach, kale, green cabbage
o Zucchini, eggplant
o Turmeric, fenugreek, dandelion root
o Coffee
o Olives, bitter melons
· Pungent
o Salsa, chili peppers, garlic, onions, beets, raw carrots, eggplant, horseradish, sun dried tomato, tomatoes
o Ginger, black pepper, cumin,
· Astringent
o Popcorn
o Cranberries, pomegranates, pears, prunes, apples, cherries, mangos, dried fruits
o Beans, legumes, lentils, nuts- almonds
o Broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke, asparagus, turnips
o Grains (rye, buckwheat and quinoa)
o Turmeric, Marjoram
o Coffee, black and green tea

Have your hostess print off this page and cut the words apart- or you print it out before hand and laminate to lay next to food or tape to toothpicks to stick in it!

Sweet

Sour

Salty

Bitter

Astringent

Pungent


Pitta
Sweet Bitter Astringent


Vata
Sweet Sour Salty


Kapha
Bitter Pungent Astringent

Health Crisis in America Game for Dosha party

cut these apart and pass out to your guests to guide this interaction:

1. In the early 1900’s, the world’s leading causes of premature deaths were infectious diseases:

· INFLUENZA
· DIPHTHERIA
· TUBERCULOSIS
· PNEUMONIA

2. Today, the world’s leading causes of premature
deaths are degenerative diseases
Ø Cardiovascular Disease
Ø Cancer
Ø Stroke
Ø Respiratory Disease
Ø Diabetes
_______________________________________________
3. According to leading health experts:

NEARLY 1 BILLION people suffer from
High Blood Pressure
______________________________________________
4. According to leading health experts:

300 MILLION are Obese

5. According to leading health experts:

177 MILLION suffer from Diabetes



6. According to leading health experts:

165 MILLION suffer from Arthritis

7. According to leading health experts:

150 MILLION suffer from Asthma


________________________________
8. Now listen to the staggering percentages that are
affecting our children!

33% of children born in America are expected to develop Type 2 Diabetes.

For Black and Hispanic children, the number jumps to 50%
_______________________________
9. What do you think the good news is?

(PAUSE…wait for answer)

The good news is… the leading causes of death
today are completely PREVENTABLE!!!
_______________________________
10. How many of the #1 killers today are related to
the food we eat?
_______________________________
11. DOES IT MAKE SENSE THAT IF WHAT WE EAT CAN
HARM US, THEN WHAT WE EAT CAN HEAL US?