Ever wondered why some people can eat plenty of sugar and never get fat while others just have to look at it to put on weight, some people seem to need more sleep or have more stamina than others; why some children always seem to have a runny nose while others are rarely sick, and why there is no one diet that is right for everyone?
According to Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, we are all born with our own individual constitution or body type. Like the rest of nature, we as humans are made up of a balance of the 5 elements – space, air, fire, water and earth. Our personal constitution is determined by our own unique proportional blend of these elements.

A predominance of space and air brings the qualities of light, dry, cold and mobile to the body and is called Vata. Classically this is a person who is imaginative and creative but also restless and easily distracted. Their appetite is variable, eating lots one day and picking the next. They take a long time to wind down at night before going to sleep and may have a tendency towards anxiety and waking at night. Their build will be slight but they may seem to be always on the move, finding it difficult to sit still.

Pitta is the name given to a predominance of fire and has the qualities of hot, sharp, oily and light. Fire is probably a concept more easily understood as it often manifests as impatience and anger and the classic red hair. However, a pitta person may also be blonde, have soft but freckly skin or be prone to skin rashes. Fire also brings a penetrating quality which means this person may ask lots of questions, have a love of exploring and discovering, and be quite determined in their approach to life. Their appetite is strong and are more likely to be irritable if ameal is late.

A Kapha child has a predominance of earth and water with the qualities of heavy, cold, slow and oily. They began life as the classic “good” baby who ate well, gained plenty of weight, and put themselves to sleep. They have a very calm and placid nature but can tend towards sluggishness – they don’t really like to exercise but have good stamina and strength for endurance sports. If they are out of balance they are quite content to sit in front of the TV all day. If they become cold and immobile they will produce more mucous than the other body types and may have a tendency towards chest or ear infections as well as weight gain.

There is no one constitution that is better than another and when in balance each has wonderful gifts and joys to offer. However, if we eat food or live lifestyles that are incompatible with our constitution then we can become imbalanced. For example, if a Vata dominant person eats a diet that is high in salads, which are dry, light and cold, this will increase the air quality further and can lead to problems such as anxiety, dry and cracked skin, cold hands and feet and constipation. Once we understand what our body type and our childrens body types are it can help us to prevent many imbalances and achieve greater health and harmony within the family.