Holi officially marks the change of the season from winter to spring. But considering how the overall climate has seen changes all over the world, there are speculations as to whether there is any fixed season we can really demarcate. However, this is not merely a cause of a vague global climate crisis. The strange climate changes are wreaking havoc with our bodies as well.
Ayurveda recommends a conscious effort at maintaining the balance of the three doshas in our bodies especially during the cusp between seasons. But with the way climate change is messing up with seasons, it feels like every single day sees more than one season. There is a reason we see at least a couple people constantly ill around us. The human body has not evolved to handle this level of temperature change.
The three doshas in our body, according to Ayurveda are Vaata, Pitha and Kapha. In the transition of the season from the Shishir to the Vasant season it is usually the Kapha that tends to go into overdrive. This is not in small part because of the fact that coming out from the winters we tend to overindulge in the cooling recipes and behaviours of summer. We are usually so happy to leave the cold winter behind that we jump straight into summer, forgetting that there is the taxing season of spring ready to take a toll on the body. Our temperature regulated indoors competing with the extreme seasons outside only contributes to hospitals lining up with sniffling patients.
So what can you do to skip the trip to the doctor this season?
1. Avoid white sugar. Have you ever noticed the feeling that your throat seems to be constricted with phlegm almost minutes after you have something sweet? Well, that is not a coincidence. If you do have a sweet tooth, opt for dates and fruits instead.
2. Choose aged grains and cow’s milk. New grains require time to become more stable. This lack of stability sends our body into a tizzy once we consume the food as well. And considering the amount of fat in buffalo milk, cow’s milk should always be your preferred choice.
3. Vary your grain and pulse choice. Choose to supplement your daily meals with barley, millets, green gram and roasted chana.
4. Pick the right veggies. Orange carrots, various gourds and green leafy vegetables are all great ways to beat the perils of the changing season. Ginger in moderation can also be consumed if you have the tendency of catching a cold easily.
5. Eat light. A general rule of thumb during any season change is to eat easily digestible food. This ensures that the body can focus its energies towards fighting the seasonal cold and flu attacks rather than digestion of the oily, sweet food you loaded it with.
All in all, the season change is a great time for a wardrobe change, but if you also incorporate this diet change, there will be less for you to worry about, health-wise, as you ride the wave of a prosperous financial year.
