Sweet taste results from the combination of water and earth. It is heavy, moist, and cooling by nature. Sweet taste builds and strengthens all of the bodily tissues. It has a soothing and nourishing effect on the mind, stimulates salivation, is a mild laxative, soothes heartburn, relieves thirst, and increases milk production. Sweet taste naturally promotes a sense of love, compassion, and satisfaction.

Sour taste is composed of earth and fire. It is hot, moist, and moderately light by nature. Used appropriately, sour taste stimulates digestions (agni) and acid secretion, reduces gas, increases circulation, is anticoagulant, increases stamina, stimulates the mind, and aids in healthy discrimination. It also helps to extract minerals such as iron, from food.

Salty taste is composed of fire and water. It is hot, heavy, and moist by nature. Salt brings out the other five tastes in food, so when used appropriately it can enhance the flavor of all of the tastes. It strengthens the digestive fire (agni), opens the bodily channels, acts as a laxative, relieves spasms, and calms the nervous system when used appropriately. Salt promotes confidence and a zest for life.

Pungent taste derives from the elements of fire and air. It is dry, light, and the hottest of all six tastes. It aids digestion and absorption, and improves metabolic function. Pungent reduces congestion, removes blockages, improves circulation, and relieves pain and muscle tension. It will raise the body temperature and promote sweating and detoxification. Pungent foods wake us up and get us going when we need it, encouraging extroversion and the ability to speak out and be bold.

Bitter taste is composed of air and ether. It is the lightest, driest, and most cooling of all six tastes. While bitter taste is often not appealing alone, it stimulates the appetite and helps bring out the flavor of the other tastes. Bitter taste is a powerful detoxifying agent; it purifies the blood and acts as a liver tonic. It is antibiotic, antiseptic, and anti-parasitic. It can help to sooth skin rash and burning sensations, reduce body temperature and fever, promote weight loss, absorb excess fluid, and dry-out āma (sticky toxic sludge) and congestion.

Astringent taste results from the combination of air and earth. It is dry, cooling, and moderately light in nature. It is the least common of all the six tastes and many foods in this category overlap closely with bitter taste. Astringent taste is not as cold as bitter taste, but has a greater cooling effect on the body than sweet taste. 

Vāta does well to eat larger quantities of carbohydrates in the form of whole grains like rice, quinoa, and wheat. This can be the majority of their meal (50%) with equal parts protein and sweet vegetables such as roots like sweet potato, carrot, and parsnip, or other seasonal vegetables that are sweet at that time of year.

Use of oil, especially warming oils like sesame or olive oil, in addition to butter or ghee are good for vāta doṣa. Since digestion is often quite sensitive for folks with a strong vāta constitution, portion size is an important theme.

It is best to avoid underwhelming or overwhelming the digestive fire (agni). Frequent snacking, rather than full meals is especially disturbing to vāta. Hard, dry, rough, and crunchy foods, such as chips, crackers, and popcorn are best avoided, and can have a negative impact on elimination, mental state, and emotional balance. Additionally, warm, cooked foods will serve vāta well, especially in the fall and winter seasons or in cold and dry climates.

Pitta does well with equal portions of whole grains, vegetables, and a protein source. Because their digestive fire (agni) tend to be intense, they can consume cooler, heavier food and some raw food without much difficulty. Bitter veggies likes greens and sweet root vegetables are great for pitta. Due to its oily and hot qualities, avoiding fried food and excessive use of fermented vegetables is advised.

For anyone experiencing excessive fire or inflammation, minimizing food in the pungent, salty, and sour category can be helpful, especially in the summer or hot and humid climates. If consuming animal protein, pitta should favor poultry over red meat and eggs, which can be overly heating.

Pitta tends to overeat if eating off schedule, as their appetites can be voracious. The term "hangry" can often be associated with pitta folks who delay or skip meals. Sticking to regular meal times is great preventative care for pitta. Including some fruit or vegetables, especially cucumber, between meals can be supportive when actual hunger exists.

Kapha does well with fewer meals per day and no snacks. It is important for kapha to have strong, present hunger when eating.

Cooling, heavy foods, especially dairy should be avoided unless properly prepared with pungent spices in small quantity. Kapha's plate should have a predominant quantity of vegetables, some protein, and a small amount of grain. Drier grains such as corn, millet, buckwheat, or barley are best.
 
Kapha does well with rough, cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, kale, raw salad greens, and sprouts. Heavy root veggies are not ideal. Lighter protein such as meat from smaller birds can be favored, while heavy, oily meat is better to avoid. Legumes, seeds, and less oily nuts are good vegetable protein for kapha. Incorporating pungent spices and food into the diet is beneficial for folks with a strong kapha constitution.

If the digestive fire (agni) is really low or damp, it can be helpful to spread meals farther apart, and be sure to eat well before going to sleep.

The concept of like increases like, and opposites balance is foundational to healing within the āyurvedic framework. The idea being that if we add like qualities, those same qualities will increase. If we add opposite qualities, the opposite will serve to balance out the other.

For example, if you have a bowl of cold water and you add ice to it, the water will become even more cold. If you add hot water instead, the water will first become less cold, slowly cooling the more hot water that is added. Soon the water becomes warm, and if you keep adding hot water, it will eventually become hot, which may or may not be what you want.

The idea is that by slowly adding the hot water to the cold water, or in the case of Kitchen Medicine, incorporating foods with hot or warming qualities if excess cold is an issue, you can ease your way back into balance.

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We are the microcosm within the macrocosm, and as the energy of the day, season, and phase of life fluctuates so do the energies within our own bodies. What is happening outside of us is also happening within us. One of the fundamental principles of āyurveda is that our routines and dietary choices adjust slightly according to which season we are entering or the dominant climatic forces where we live. The doṣas accumulate during the season in which their qualities are most dominant. Adjusting the ingredients in our meals, and using of different herbs and spices medicinally can balance and minimize the effects of this accumulation.