The Secret to Finding Your Ideal Diet: Ask Your Body
I wore boots today for the first time since spring. In the Seattle area, the ten-day forecast is hovering right around 70, and I couldn’t be happier. Fall is my absolute favorite season. The changing leaves, sweater weather, slower days, hearty soups and stews—it just makes me giddy inside.
Many years ago, I learned something that made my love of fall make a lot more sense.
If you know me, you know I’m a lifelong learner. I’m constantly collecting knowledge—whether it’s physiology, psychology, or even how to crochet. About a decade ago, that curiosity led me to a book on Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient system of healing still practiced throughout India.
Ayurveda breaks people into three main “doshas” or body types: Pitta, Vata, and Kapha. While most of us are a mix, we usually lean toward one. Each type has its own tendencies with digestion, energy, even personality traits.
I discovered I’m a Kapha. Kapha types tend to have slower metabolisms (thanks a lot), slow digestion, but also a more grounded personality. But this means that a lot of raw foods aren’t ideal for us.
At the time, I was vegetarian and living on giant salads every day. And I felt awful. Constant bloating, indigestion, sluggishness. I kept telling myself my gut must be broken and that I just needed to push through until it got better. But it never did.
When I learned Kapha types thrive with warm, cooked, easy-to-digest meals, it clicked. No wonder I feel my best in fall when I live on soups and stews. My body wasn’t broken—I was just trying to force a style of eating that didn’t work for me.
There is endless advice out there on the “right” diet. Paleo, vegan, keto, raw—each with studies proving why their way is best. But the truth is there is no one best way for everybody. We are all bioindividual, and our needs even change depending on the season of life we’re in.
For example, if you’re under a lot of stress, your digestion naturally slows down. Stress diverts blood away from your gut toward your muscles, so food sits longer than it should. That can lead to fermentation, gas, bloating, and indigestion. In those seasons, heavy-to-digest meals aren’t doing you any favors, even if they’re “healthy.”
The key isn’t to follow every piece of advice—it’s to ask: How does this make me feel?
Think of it like body types in sports. Arnold Schwarzenegger was built for bodybuilding. Mark Allen (six-time winner of Ironman World Championship) was built for triathlons. Both are world-class athletes, but each excelled in very different ways. If Arnold had tried to out-run Mark, or if Mark had tried to out-lift Arnold, they would have struggled—not because they weren’t strong, but because their bodies were designed differently.
The same goes for us. My digestion will probably always be on the slower side, even at my healthiest. That just means I thrive when I:
Chew thoroughly
Eat slowly
Take walks after meals
Stick with warm, easy-to-digest foods when I need them
Support my gut with fiber and other tools
That’s not weakness—that’s wisdom.
Your body isn’t broken. The signals it sends aren’t mistakes, even when those signals are indicating something’s off. Those signals are guidance. Instead of ignoring them or assuming something is wrong with you, lean in and listen.
Things like indigestion or inflammation can be a sign that you have an imbalance in your body, or it could just be that you’re trying to eat or live in a way that doesn’t support your system.
Health doesn’t have to be complicated. If you focus on nutrient-dense whole foods, avoid ultra-processed ones, and pay attention to how you actually feel after you eat, you’ll have all the information you need to make choices that support your body best.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself after meals to help you discern whether something is truly supporting you:
Do I feel light, satisfied, and energized, or do I feel heavy, bloated, or foggy?
Does this meal give me steady energy, or do I feel like I need a nap right after?
Am I craving more food right away, or do I feel comfortably nourished?
How’s my digestion—calm and easy, or unsettled and gassy?
Your body is always speaking to you. The more you practice listening, the easier it becomes to know what works best for you in each season of life.
If you want to learn more about Ayurvedic medicine, Dr. Stephen Cabral teaches extensively about it on his podcast. He studied Ayurvedic medicine in Sri Lanka and India and has a wealth of knowledge.
Here’s a few places to start:
Episode 922: The 10 Different Doshas & Match Your Celebrity Body Type
Episode 929: Ayurvedic Dosha Diet Plans for All Body Types
Episode 950: How Your Ayurvedic Body Type Handles Stress & How To Overcome It
