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Spring Diet in Ayurveda (5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review

A Season of Transition

January is traditionally the coldest month of the year in North America. Ayurvedically, January is a month of transition from Vata to Kapha season. Vata season is characterized by the body scrambling to protect itself from ever dropping temperatures (see Fall/Early Winter). As soon as temperatures bottom out and begin to rise, the pattern shifts from building to releasing. Literally the body melts fat much as a dog sheds fur. Late winter & early spring are thus ideal seasons for begining a new diet and losing weight (see Spring Diet). Spring fasting, the traditional time of year for many Native American cultures, helps cleanse the blood after a long winter of fatty, heavy foods.

Late winter and early spring is a Kapha watery season of warming temperatures lasting from February to mid-May. Outside, snow melts making the rivers full and muddy. Warm temperatures encourage tender young sprouts and sweet sap to run in the vasculature of maple trees. Our internal landscape reflects mother nature's. Spring is a time of cleansing and renewal. Kapha fat along with toxins melt away from tissues and into the blood, making the blood sweet. Blood plasma and toxins are our metaphorical maple syrup and muddy river, releasing a flood of mucus in allergy season.

Rich Blood

As the layer of winter fat begins to melt into the blood, it enriches the blood provoking Kapha dosha. Blood that is too rich and thick clogs circulation and the liver. Much like a stuffed goose, your stuffed liver starts to look as fatty as foie gras. Liver "heat" is responsible for moving this sludgy blood and metabolizing it. However, cold weather keeps the heart sluggish and the vessels constricted. Temperatures may be too cold in early spring to move blood stagnation. Clinically, the symptoms of spring Kapha are stiff muscles, arterial plaque buildup, mucus & hay fever. Allergy season is a sign of aggravated Kapha.

Turmeric re-invigorates the blood. It is a powerful blood mover that restores circulation, cleanses the liver and re-ignites metabolism (via rasa dhatu agni). Late winter is the season for sour foods. Spring is the season for bitter foods. Both sour and bitter taste are cholagogues. A cholagogue is any substance that encourages the liver and gall bladder to release bile. Examples include dandelion and lemons. Since bile is a fatty substance, cholagogues aid the cleansing process because they drain excess fats from the liver & blood and deposit them, in the form of bile, into the digestion tract. Gall Bladder Tonic and tikta ghrta are herb formulas that helps with this process.

An Ideal Season for Weight Loss

Useful Products for Losing Weight and Managing Cravings

• Gymnema Sylvestre - Destroys the taste and craving for sugar, regulates blood sugar levels
• Weight Away - Helpful with weight loss and cleansing
• Trikatu - Improves metabolism and destroys Kapha
• Triphala - Cleansing action supports weight loss
• Triphala Guggulu - Aids fat metabolism and detoxification
• Neem - Destroys sweet cravings
• Ginger - Improves digestion, circulation and metabolism
• Cardamom - Refreshes the palate and destroys cravings

February

February comes at the bitter end of winter, the time of ashes. The natural environment offers slim pickings this time of year and the pantry is nearly bare. Early spring is the hardest month for animals in the wild. Anxiously awaiting the hope and promise of spring, lovers will make a last ditch effort on Valentine's Day to resurrect the dying embers of affection.

You may experience waves of bitterness, discouragement and a sense of failure in February. Try not to take these 'liver' emotions too seriously. Instead, these emotions offer an important cue. Ayurvedically, it signifies a critical time to cleanse the liver and jumpstart the body's fat metabolism. You may notice a loss of appetitie and week or two of dark, muddy stools during this period as your body naturally purges the liver and gall bladder. If Kapha is aggravated, you may experience flu-like symptoms. These are all signs that your body is ready to start its own natural cleanse cycle.

To assist your body, favor vinegar, lemons, beets, dill, kale, beans and vegetable juicing to aid in fat metabolism.

March

Sunlight is steadily returning, and a warm spell or two could leave congestion and upper respiratory conditions in its wake. In the spring, a warm day makes a person feel sick. In the fall, a cold day makes a person feel sick. Physiologically, March is the hottest month of the year because our body is not yet prepared for warmer temperatures.

The rapid release of fats in the blood increases water element that attacks the lungs. Psychologically, March is a month of lamentation, saddness, and release of deep seated emotions. Parsley, celery, asparagus, coriander, cumin, corn and other diuretics will help drain these excess fluids. Include radishes for fat metabolism.

April

Clinically, by April spring fever is in full swing. Much as the sap runs in the maple trees, the hands will swell on a warm day in April as the heart rate increases. You may notice the cheeks & face feel swollen. With every one degree rise in basal body temperature, the heart rate increases by ten beats per minute. The hot blood, no longer sluggish, surges into the muscle layer bringing with it an itch for the outdoors. This itch, appropriately named, is colloquially known as 'spring fever.' Your skin color will be restored from the gray and lifeless color of winter to the rosy-cheeked glow of summer. Your knuckles may be itchy and the eyes blurry with the shift in blood. The bitterness of February turns to anger in April. Mint, other aromatics and diaphoretics like raw onions and garlic will facilitate this blood flow to the exterior.

May

By May the appetite begins to wane during the heat of the day. Your electrolytes may be quickly depleted during a hot day of sweating.

General Spring Diet

Generally, eat a dry Kapha pacifying diet favoring bitters. Drying grains such as barley and corn may be tolerated. Continue with warming spices like ginger and turmeric to ward off blood stagnation. Warming bitters like dandelion and arugula will also aid if fat metabolism. Take triphala to keep bowels clear and aid the cleansing process. Avoid heavy, oily, sweet and salty foods such as red meat and dairy.

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* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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