How to balance your Pitta Dosha Child

The child with a Pitta body type is of medium build and height, with coppery skin and possibly reddish hair. Moles and freckles are common on Pitta skin, which also tends to be oily and warm.

Pitta children tend to have an average body temperature that is higher than that of other children, so they can feel quite warm while others feel cold. They have a low tolerance for hot weather, sunshine or hard physical work. The summer is the most challenging time for them, so this is the time when extra care should be taken.

They tend to have a strong appetite, metabolism and digestion. They also tend to have uninterrupted sleep, and excellent powers of comprehension and concentration. Their memories are sharp, have good logical, investigative minds and love to solve problems. Often wise and brilliant, they can also have controlling, dominating personalities, and be critical of themselves and others, especially when out of balance.

Out-of-Balance Pitta Children tend to be:

prone to fevers, inflammatory diseases, acid indigestion, excessive hunger, jaundice, profuse perspiration, hives and rashes, burning sensations, ulceration, burning eyes, colitis, sore throats, irritability, anger, and having a “temper‟.

What Aggravates Pitta Children?

Eating foods that are too spicy, especially foods with black pepper, cayenne pepper, curry peppers, and jalepeno peppers. Eating too many sour and citrus fruits, fatty or fried foods, and working or playing in hot conditions will bring discomfort, as well as simply being hot for any extended time.

How to Calm a Pitta Child?

Have them avoid excess heat, oil, steam, and salt is helpful.

Eating cooling and non-spicy foods, drinking cool (not iced) drinks, and exercising during the cooler parts of the day are best.

Calming massage - use cooling oils like coconut, sunflower or ghee mixed with essential oils such as vetiver, rose, lotus, jasmine, gardenia, and honeysuckle and have them apply on the forehead, top of the head, and heart is beneficial for Pitta children.

Burning incense of sandalwood or rose does wonders. White and cool colors, such as blue and green, in home and clothing will help, while strong bright colors, such as red, will aggravate your child’s natural fire.

Food Tips for the Pitta Constitution:

Sweet, bitter and astringent tastes should be emphasized. Foods should be cool, heavy and dry, and exclude hot spices. Raw foods and juices are excellent. Water should be drunk cool, not iced).

1.     Most sweet fruits such as apples, berries, dates, figs, coconut and pears are recommended, while sour ones such as apricots, berries, grapes and pineapple are not.

2.     Sweet and bitter vegetables are best, such as artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, beets, cucumber, kale, and zucchini.

3.     The Pitta digestion works generally well with grains, as long as they do not make up the bulk of the diet. Prepare barley, oats, rice and spelt for best results.

4.     Pittas should be able to digest almost all beans (legumes).

5.     Most organic unsalted dairy products are good in moderation, but yogurt should be diluted and cheese be soft.

6.     Nuts such as coconut and soaked, peeled almonds are beneficial in small quantities.

7.     Seeds such as flax, popcorn, pumpkin, sunflower are good in moderation.

8.     Sunflower, ghee, canola, olive, soy, flaxseed, primrose and walnut oils are most suitable.

9.     Most sweeteners are suitable, except for honey, jiggery, and molasses. Avoid refined white sugar.

Herbs and Spices:

For digestion, use bitters such as aloe vera, gentian, and barberry, as well as cooling or mild spices, such as fennel, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and mint.

For elimination, serve mild milk, ghee, and rose.

For energy, saffron, aloe vera gel, licorice, marshmallow, dandelion root, burdock will act as tonics.

For the mind, use gotu kola, sandalwood, rose, lotus seeds, skullcap, passion flower, chrysanthemum, hibiscus.