General guidelines
The nature of kapha is cold, heavy, smooth, moist and dull and therefore herbs, foods, beverages and lifestyle habits used to pacify kapha should be opposite in nature, i.e. warming, light, rough, dry and sharp.

Foods to emphasize
Fruits: sour and mildly sweet fruits, including  apple, cranberry, grapefruit, lemon, lime, papaya, pineapple; dried fruits in small amounts
Vegetables: most vegetables, eaten steamed or baked
Cereals and grains: grains and cereals with a dry and light quality, including millet, long grain brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, granola, buckwheat, barley, corn, popped grains
Legumes: most legumes, cooked with spicy and warming herbs such as ginger, including mung, lentil, split pea, soy and kidney bean
Nuts and seeds: dry and light seeds in moderation, including as sunflower and pumpkin
Dairy: old ghee, aged cheese, goat cheese: all in small amounts
Meats and animal products: lean animal products, in small to moderate amounts, including fish, poultry, rabbit, mutton, goat, ostrich, and wild meat
Oils: mustard oil, olive oil, sesame oil, used in small amounts
Spices and condiments: all spices are indicated; vinegars; small amounts of salt
Beverages: warm water squeezed with lemon or lime, any herbal tea, green tea, coffee
Sweeteners: old honey

Foods to Avoid
Fruits: most fruits are generally avoided because of their excessive water content and cooling nature
Vegetables: raw vegetables, fried vegetables, avocado
Cereals and grains: flour products; heavy and moistening grains such as wheat and oat
Legumes: oily and heavy legumes, such as peanut and black gram
Nuts and seeds: most nuts and seeds, including cashew, filbert, walnut, macadamia and almond
Dairy: dairy should be avoided because of its heavy and congesting nature, including milk, ice cream, cream, unripened cheeses, yogurt
Meat and animal products: most meats are too heavy and greasy for kapha, including beef,  fatty fish, pork, and shellfish
Oils and fats: most oils, due to their heavy and congesting nature
Spices and condiments: table salt, toppings, dressings, mayonnaise
Beverages: excessive water, cold water, rice and almond milk
Sweeteners: white sugar, molasses, raw sugar, jaggery, maple syrup, treacle

Lifestyle habits to emphasize
As the nature of kapha is cold, heavy and wet, there is a tendency towards dullness, apathy, and lethargy.  It is thus important to emphasize lifestyle patterns that are active, energetic and stimulating to break up the stagnation of kapha.  This includes regular saunas, vigorous exercise and manual labor, as well as busying oneself with volunteering and charitable work, enabling others to find fulfillment.  Time should be spent in open, dry locations, under the influence of the warm sun and breeze, in the company of men, children and dynamic individuals.  The home and work space should be a well-ventilated, warm, and dry, decorated in warm, stimulating colors.

Lifestyle habits to avoid
Inactivity, laziness, excessive sleeping, day sleep, sleeping until late morning, exposure to cold and damp.

Aromatherapy
Essential oils for kapha should be warming, stimulating and clearing in nature.  Balsamic, pungent and musky odours are best, including cedar, pine, rosemary, basil, frakincense, myrrh, eucalyptus, cajeput, camphor, ginger and clove.

Colors
Colors that have a warming energy such as yellow, orange, gold or red are useful for kapha, as is brown, grey and black.   Soft, pale, cool and pastel colors should be avoided.

Meditation
Meditation techniques to pacify kapha increase and balance the solar qualities of the psyche, enhancing motivation, will power and independence.  Techniques should be chosen for their energetic and active qualities, rather than techniques that involve extended periods of sitting and stillness. The most effective approach is typified by bhakti and karma yogas, which encourages active forms of worship and humanitarian service.