General guidelines
The nature of pitta is hot, light, ascending and fast, and therefore herbs, foods, beverages and lifestyle habits used to pacify pitta should be opposite in nature, i.e. cooling, heavy, descending, and relaxing.

Foods to emphasize
Fruits: all local fruits, in season, especially cooling fruits such as pear, grapes and melon; tropical fruits
Vegetables: most vegetables, consumed raw and steamed, especially leafy green and cruciferous vegetables; cooling vegetables such as cucumber and cilantro
Grains and cereals: most cereals and grains, including oats, basmati rice, jasmine rice, brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, khus khus, chapati
Legumes: all legumes in moderation
Nuts and seeds: cooling nuts and seeds including coconut, pumpkin, and melon; small amounts of other seeds, including almond, brazil, cashew, filbert
Dairy: milk, unripened cheeses, buttermilk, ghee, butter
Meat and animals products: most animal products, consumed in small to moderate amount, including eggs, poultry, cold-water fish, rabbit, wild game; small amounts of goat, mutton and lamb
Oils and fats: flax, hemp, ghee, butter, coconut, sunflower, olive
Spices and condiments: cooling or neutral spices such as turmeric, mint, cumin, coriander, fennel, cilantro, cardamon; saindhava  in moderation
Beverages: cool spring water daily, kukicha (twig) tea, any herbal tea except those made with spicy herbs such as cinnamon and ginger, fresh vegetable and fruit juices, rice and almond milk
Sweeteners: most sweeteners, in small amounts, jaggery, maple syrup and treacle

Foods to Avoid
Fruits: all sour-tasting fruits, including sour citrus fruits (e.g. lemons, grapefruit, sour oranges); warming fruits including papaya, some types of mango and strawberry
Vegetables: raw onions and garlic; chilies, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant, radish, daikon, watercress, mustard greens
Grains and cereals: fermented grains, e.g. sourdough bread, idli
Legumes: peanut; fermented soy products
Nuts and seeds: most nuts tend to be warming in nature and should be avoided to excess
Dairy: sharp and pungent cheeses, yogurt, sour cream
Meat and animal products: tropical fish, red meat, pork, shellfish
Oils and fats: canola, peanut, sesame
Spices and condiments: warming spices, including chili, black pepper, mustard, horseradish, ginger, clove and cinnamon; vinegar, catsup
Beverages: coffee, alcohol
Sweeteners: molasses, old honey

Lifestyle habits to emphasize
As the nature of pitta is hot, light and sharp, emotions such as impatience, ambition, aggression and anger tend to dominate.  It is thus important to emphasize a balanced, calm and relaxing lifestyle to counter these qualities, cultivating patience, friendliness, empathy and compassion.  Exercise can be helpful to discharge excess energy, but should be performed with a routine of mental discipline that promotes self-control, such as the martial arts or hatha yoga.  Such activities should be balanced with social pursuits, contributing to the welfare of society, enjoying social outings, listening to music, laughing and telling stories with friends.  Time should be spent next to rivers and lakes, in gardens of flowers and other delightful places, bathing in the moonlight, and in the company of women and gentle individuals.  The home and work space should be well-ventilated and cool, decorated in cooling colours and fresh cut flowers.

Lifestyle habits to avoid
Excessive expression of anger, sarcasm and criticism, competitive relationships, excessive physical activity in warm weather, and direct exposure to the hot sun.

Aromatherapy
Fragrances and scents to balance pitta should be cooling, soothing and grounding in nature.  Floral fragrances are particularly useful for pitta. Examples include chamomile, lavender, rose, gardenia, honeysuckle, ylang, vetivert, jasmine and sandalwood.

Colors
Emphasize colors that have a cooling energy including white and off whites, pale colors, pastels, and blues and greens.  Overtly bright colors should be avoided, as should many in the red to yellow spectrum as they are too heating and aggravating to pitta.  Black, grays and browns can also be used, but to a lesser extent.

Meditation
Meditation techniques to pacify pitta increase and balance the lunar qualities of the psyche, emphaszing as introspection, intuition, forgiveness and compassion.  Techniques should be chosen for their directness and simplicity, rather than elaborate rituals. The most effective approaches include mindfulness of breath (anapanasati bhavana), the development of insight (vipassana) and self-inquiry (vedanta), coupled with compassion for all living beings (metta bhavana)