As you are headed towards the exciting Christmas Season, spare a thought on what diet works best for you during winter. Ayurveda has the most effective diet that is customized for every season and each individual, which works wonders for every one of us aiming at best health, fitness, and optimal immunity. Indulge in Ayurveda Panchakarma Therapies as well as follow Dinacharya to enjoy the best of health during Winter.

As per Ayurveda the predominant doshas (body humor) during monson are Vata and Pitta. _Wish to know your own dosha? Click Here). The combination of the two can give rise to some health issues that can be very painful to endure in the daily life. For ex: Gastric issues, bloating, indigestion, allergies, Arthritis, Psoriasis, Bronchitis, Asthma and any issues related to lack of immunity.
If you adhere to the rules prescribed for diet and lifestyle by Ayurveda for every changing season (Ritucharya), you can avoid a lot of unnecessary suffering. The time to gradually shift between the seasonal diets is at least 8 days before the next season sets in. Nevertheless, it is never too late. if you are enduring physical discomfort due to your regular eating ways, now is the time for the positive shift in your diet.

Why does disgestion alter during winter?
Once the outside temprature drops, the body begins to conserve internal heat. The digestive system steps down to support this. The result is sluggish digestion. This leads to many gut-related as well as immunity-related health issues. People with inherently poor digestion and poor immunity will suffer more than the healthier ones. Once rains hit the soil the compounds that integrate that arise from soil and integrate with air, create Vata in the atmoshere. Vata is the dosha that when not balanced, can create digestion issues and elevate pain levels in the body.Owing to this, the moisture and the humidity, monsoon can easily be termed as the season of maximum health issues.

Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts for winter:

Ideal Diet for Winter
Ayurveda states Pitta is Pangu (lame), it cannot travel in the body and remains active where it originates – Liver and the gall bladder. But, the notorious influence on Pitta here is that of Vata which is chara (mobile). When Vata flares, it takes Pitta with it to all parts of the body it travels.Aggression, depression, anxiety, gut-disorders, nerve-disorders, muscle pain, bone joints going dry, exaggerated pain levels, lethargy, hyperactivity, tendency towards food-binging, indulging in excess comfort, in short all issues that can disrupt the mental, physical and spiritual balance of an individual.

Things to avoid during winter:

• Avoid cold and chilled foods – beverages, chilled soft drinks, frozen deserts, cold salads, etc
• Avoid exposure to cold weather – when your extremeties are exposesd to cold (palms, feet, chest, ears, and head) temprature it absorbs the cold and the Vata instantaneously. Hence keep these parts coveered with warm woolen clothing.
• Avoid strenuous exercise – Keep in mind that the exercise should be in line with the food consumed. If food consumed is light, exercise should also be light
• Avoid binging on snacks and packaged food – An already sluggish digestion cannot handle these foods. Undigested food will turn into metabolic toxins called Aama and can open doors to many dsorders such as: Rheumatic pains, fevers, headaches, allergies, obesity, diabetes, etc.
• Avoid sleeping in the day as this increases Vata and effects the mental calmness.

As alarming as it sounds, the solution is very simple: A diet and lifestyle that balances Vata and Pitta. Since we have already discussed that exercises should be light, let us focus on what needs detailed attention, that is the diet.
There a few must-use ingredients in the monsoon cooking that can help your body build vitality and immunity that will be needed through the year. Those ingredients are:

1. Desi Cow ghee – Ayurveda uses desi cow ghee as medicine in form of food as it enhances metaboism, increasing the digestive fires. The classic texts compare eating food as sacred for the body as performing the sacred Homa (sacrificial fires) to appease the nature to augur prosperity and wellbeing for all. Just as Ghee is poured into the sacrificial fire to keep it ignited, ghee works the same way on the digestive fires. It keeps it burning strong enough to consume the Havvis (food offerings), burn the toxins (Aama) and keep the atmosphere (here, the gut and the body) healthy.
When digestion is perfect it helps your body absorb nutrients and helps you avoid issues such as gut inflammation, and keeping the colon clean and healthy. All this with just half tspn of purest form of organic cow ghee with the first morsel of hot rice.

2. Pepper, Cinammon & Clove : These spices help enhance your metabolism, aiding digestion, helping with weight-loss, and enhancing immunity

3. Ginger: It helps to increase secretion of digestive enzymes and juices such as saliva, bile and other gastric juices. Food is digested well and its nutrients are correctly assimilated. It is an excellent remedy for all indigestion issues.

4. Moong Dal (split green gram): makes up for the protein requirement of the body, keeps the body cool, and helps in building and repairing tissues, muscles, bones, and cartilage.

5. Shashtika shali,(Unpolished Kanji rice), barley: When this rice is used to prepare kangi along with fresh herbs and mentioned spices with rock salt it helps to avoid the monsoon fevers and prevent some of the common Vata related issues during monsoon.

6. Buttermilk: Apart from aiding digestion buttermilk contains calcium that helps to strengthen bones, potassium that is good for muscles and cardio vascular activities, riboflavin which helps to build energy, and vitamin B12 which keeps the nervous system healthy.

7. Pink Rock Salt: helps to reduce inflammation, reduce Vata and bring down pain levels.

8. Consume plenty of hot water through the day and especially between two meals. This helps to keep Vata at bay, cleanse your gut and keep your bowel movements healthy.

Now that you know all the right food ingredients for this monsoon, let me help you with using them the perfect Ayurveda way. Here are two links that will help you through preparation of Khicadi and Kanji the two elixirs for monsoon.

Elixir for Winter Health – The Khichdi Recipe:

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Servings: 3-4

To Cook Dal & Rice

Basmati Rice – 1/2 Cup
Moong Dal – 1/2 Cup
Water
Salt – 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 Tsp

To Make Dal Khichdi

Ghee – 2 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1 Tsp
Pepper Crushed – 1 Tsp
Cinnamon -1″
Chopped Ginger
Green Chilli – 1 No.
Onion – 1 No.
Tomato – 1 No.
Salt – 1/2 – 1 Tspn
Cumin Powder – 1/2 Tsp
Coriander Powder – 1/2 Tsp
Hing / Asafoetida – 1/4 Tsp
Garam Masala – 1/2 Tsp
Coriander Leaves

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice in a bowl for 30 mins.
2. Wash and soak moong dal in a bowl for 30 mins.
3. After 30 mins, transfer the soaked rice and dal to a pressure cooker. Add water, salt and turmeric.
4. Cook the dal and rice for 3-4 whistles on a medium flame and keep it aside.
5. Take ghee in a pan.
6. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, saute till you smell the aroma. Now add chopped ginger and saute.
7. Add in the chopped green chillies and onions. Saute until they are transparent and pink.
8. Now add the tomatoes and cook till they are soft.
9. Add salt, coriander powder, cumin powder, hing and garam masala. Mix well.
10. Add in the cooked rice and dal mixture. Mix it all again.
11. Finally, add some ghee and chopped coriander leaves.

Karkataka Kanji Recipe (Winter Kanji Recipe)
ingredients:
1 1/2 cups navara rice
1/2 cup moong dal
1 tbsp aliv/halim/asali
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil https://goo.gl/s5sXx2
—–
salt to taste
4 handful or about 3/4 cup grated coconut
4-5 shallots
2-3 green chilies
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
curry leaves
—-
water as needed about 3-4 cups
serve with mango pickle

Preparation Method:
Soak Navara rice for 30 minutes along with moong dal
Soak aliv seeds seperately
Add the sokaed rice and dal to the cooker, add 4 cups of water
Strain aliv seeds and add it in to the mix in the cooker
Cover and let the cooker and wait for 3 whistles. Let the cooker cool naturally before you open the lid
Mean whie grind shallots, chillies, turmeric and pepper powder, curry leaves and grated coconut into a coarse mix
Add this mix to the cooker and bring it to a boil when adding pink himalayan salt and coconut oil
Increase the consistency of the kanji by adding water if you so wish while boiling the kanji

Wish to know what suits your specific dosha during monsoon? Talk to our experts or take up the dosha specific