One morning a couple weeks ago, I awoke to birds singing and sun coming through my window. It felt like winter would never end and then overnight, it felt like the earth woke up in celebration again.
Spring is one of my favourite times of the year. The flowers bright with colors begin to peek out of the soil, the air gains a warm welcoming breeze and the herring spawn turns the ocean turquoise.
However, for many, spring can be uncomfortable with seasonal allergies, runny noses and catching a cold easily.
Thanks to nature’s intelligence- foods and herbs that are available in this season come to the rescue. Plants like nettles, cleavers, dandelions begin to crop up.
Ayurveda, a 5,000 year old medical system from India has a lot of wisdom to share to stay in balance with nature during this transition.
According to Ayurveda, spring is the season of Kapha. Kapha is composed of Earth and Water. Spring, like Kapha, has a cold and heavy quality to it. Ayurveda is all about balance and so to counterbalance this heavy cold quality of spring, we want to do the opposite.
To balance kapha, we eat light, warm, drying foods. This may help with the typical issues we struggle with in the spring season.
During spring season:
- Eat more baked, broiled, steamed or grilled foods.
- Enjoy pungent spices like ginger, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric
- Enjoy bitter foods like dandelion greens, nettles
- Make sure to keep warm, wear a hat and scarf to protect yourself from cool drafts
During spring season avoid/reduce:
- cheese, yogurt, ice creams
- Cut down on sweets and fried foods
- Reduce sweet, salty, sour tastes
- Cold drinks and cold foods
Some other Ayurvedic spring tips are to reduce napping during the day, and dress in warm, bright colors like orange and red. Begin an exercise program or do a stimulating yoga practice a couple times a week.
Ayurveda is customized medicine and there is no one size fits all in Ayurveda. However, these are general guidelines that one can follow if you do not have any serious health issues. Make sure to consult with a doctor whenever you begin a new diet, try new supplements/herbs or exercise programs. With trying anything new: go slow, be moderate and enjoy the journey.
Happy Blooming,
Angelika Forray:
Ayurvedic Health Counsellor
