What is Ayurveda?
Translated as ‘knowledge of life’, Ayurveda is a holistic Indian philosophy covering diet, remedies, lifestyle, detoxification, rejuvenation, hands-on therapies, sound healing and meditation. After being practiced for around 5000 years, it remains one of the world’s most powerful mind-body-spirit health systems, reminding us our health is connected to our family, our work, our society, and the planet. It’s based on the concept of the microcosm and macrocosm, along with the five great elements: space, air, fire, water and earth. Every substance in the universe, whether animate or inanimate, is composed of the these, meaning everything is inextricably linked. Whether we are talking about diet, herbs, seasonal weather or types of yoga, all things can be described in terms of these.waste elimination.
Bioindividuality- we are all different
The term dosha is probably the best-known Ayurvedic principle and forms the cornerstone of its method of diagnosis, prevention and treatment. The five elements form the basis of the three doshas as follows:
Vata is composed of air and space.
Pitta is composed of the fire element with some water.
Kapha is composed of earth and water.
These govern our physical and mental functions- appearance, mental state, memory, digesting elimination, individual likes and dislikes, as well as hinting at which health problems we may be more susceptible too. Recent studies looking for genomic variations between people who were vata, pitta and kapha dosha found significant differences between them irrespective of ancestry (1).The key to unlocking Ayurveda’s self-help is finding out what your dosha or body-mind type is. These can be thought of as a particular pattern of energy, unique to each person, and can add fascinating insights in any client relationship.
Seasonal health approach
Each season ushers in a unique set of qualities that can either balance or aggravate the inner workings of your being. Ayurveda teaches us that like increases like and that opposites balance. So, some people love the summer heat while others crave colder climates. Winter is cold, wet, cloudy and heavy, dominated by earth and water elements which aggravate kapha dosha. Those with high kapha can become prone to chesty, mucus coughs and colds, slow digestion and chills. However, if the climate is exceptionally cold and dry, vata can also be aggravated leading to increased dry skin. The intestinal and respiratory tracts can also become drier, causing constipation, reduced immunity and joint issues. . For those with a dominant pitta dosha (higher in the fire element) winter can help keep their typically hot thermostat under control.
Food as medicine
"When diet is wrong medicine is of no use. When diet is correct medicine is of no need” (Ayurvedic proverb)
It’s hard to ignore the fact that humans have been eating seasonally until a few decades ago, and that health depends greatly on such a seasonal diet. Increasing evidence suggests that soil microbes, as well as those around plant roots also change with each season (2). Our agni (or digestive fire) is much higher in winter. This may appear contradictory but in cold weather the body retains heat around the core, where the digestive system lies. So, we need heavier foods and are meant to put on a little weight. If too little food is eaten to keep the fires adequately stoked, there is a danger of the body’s digestive fire beginning to burn up the body’s plasma and lymph tissues. So, a supportive winter diet will be aimed at balancing kapha without increasing vata or vice versa.
What to eat and drink
According to Ayurveda, there are six tastes of foods – sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Sweet (eg: complex carbohydrates), slightly salty, and sour foods are particularly beneficial in cold, dry winters. Avoid bitter and spicy food as they tend to increase the Vata element and cause dryness in the body. Additionally:
Favour warm drinks throughout the day, and sipping hot water is also advised.
Up your intake of protein- be it more animal protein or more pulses and other vegetarian protein sources, especially green mung dhal and the heavier black (urad) dhal.
Favour healthy fats to lubricate the mucus lining of the intestines, lungs and sinuses. Ayurveda loves ghee but coconut, linseed, avocado, hemp and extra virgin olive oil are also good.
Enjoy nuts and seeds are naturally high in protein and fat.
Fermented foods have been a way to preserve foods for the long barren winters for thousands of years but enjoy in very small amounts to support the biome and warm the body.
Favour seasonal root vegetables which have grown underground all summer, giving nature time to build more nutritional density. Squashes, and winter greens are also ideal, in soups, stews and warming casseroles.
Digestive spices that can be especially helpful when we need to eat heavier food. These work gently but powerfully to enhance your own digestive abilities. Many herbs and spices re now being shown to have a prebiotic effect too, such as ginger, rosemary, black pepper, cinnamon and oregano, while also inhibiting pathogenic bacteria (3). Ayurveda also favours liberal use of cardamom, cumin, fennel and turmeric in cooking and herbal teas.
Ginger, known as ‘the universal medicine’, holds a special place in the winter diet as it is excellent at stoking digestion and balancing vata and kapha. A slice of ginger root sprinkled with lime or lemon juice and a pinch of salt is a good way to kick start your digestive enzymes before a meal.
Minimise vata-aggravating food such as salads and raw food (dominant in air/space elements), along with any cold food from the fridge.
Ayurveda suggests the occasional small glass of warming (mulled) wine aids digestion and encourages circulation.
End the day with a mug of hot, spicy milk including herbs such as cinnamon and nutmeg before bed. Turmeric can be enjoyed in this delicious hot milk recipe: 1 cup almond or rice milk, 2 tsp organic almond powder, 2 cardamom pods, ½ tsp turmeric, pinch of nutmeg. Gently warm and add 1 tsp honey.
So, traditional festive meals of white meat or a nut roast with root vegetables, brussels sprouts and greens cooked with herbs and spices is a good fit with the winter Ayurvedic diet! However, it’s advised to have your main meal between 12 and 2pm, when the digestive fire is stronger. Ayurveda advises to only fill our stomach to half or three quarters to allow room for our digestion to work optimally. As a rough guide, our stomach is around the size of your hands cupped together. Key to this is to chew each mouthful careful and eat more slowly so we can listen to our body.
Lifestyle
In the grey days of winter, it’s important to invite warmth into your mind and body and create opportunities for fun. It’s also time to embrace a slower pace and stillness.
Sleeping in a little later is somewhat permissible in the winter, but you will feel fresher and more motivated if you are up by about 7 a.m.
To reduce external dryness, treat your skin to regular warm oil (self) massage followed by a warm bath or shower. Try and book a monthly massage from a practitioner too, an essential not a luxury!
Use aromatherapy oils that are warm, pungent and uplifting such as camphor, cinnamon, cloves, cedar and frankincense.
Drink warm/hot water to activate the digestive system and add a few drops of sesame oil to the nasal passages to awaken the mind and lubricate the respiratory passages.
Vigorous exercise gets the lymph moving, preventing congestion. A brisk morning walk is ideal as you are also getting valuable morning sunlight to support circadian rhythms.
Dress in bright, warm colours like reds and oranges, and cover your ears, neck, and head with a scarf or hat if you are outside in the cold.
Avoid day sleep which increases kapha dosha. Instead retire earlier, ideally by 10 p.m. Ayurveda also promotes the 'physical expression of love' (a heating activity) between couples as being healthy in the winter months!
Maintaining a seasonally appropriate diet and daily routine helps keep vata and kapha in balance during the winter months. However, everyone is different, and certain suggestions might not apply depending on your body type. It’s a good idea to explore your dosha through seeing an Ayurvedic practitioner or try our dosha quiz.
Sources:
1. Sharma, H. and Keith Wallace, R., 2020. Ayurveda and epigenetics. Medicina, 56(12), p.687.
2. The 3-Season Diet Solving the Mysteries of Food Cravings, Weight-Loss, and Exercise by John Douillard, Harmony Books, 2000. New York
3. Lu, Q.Y., Summanen, P.H., Lee, R.P., Huang, J., Henning, S.M., Heber, D., Finegold, S.M. and Li, Z., 2017. Prebiotic potential and chemical composition of seven culinary spice extracts. Journal of food science, 82(8), pp.1807-1813
Classical Ayurvedic texts
· Ashtanga Hrdaya Sutrasthana 3rd Chapter
· Charaka Samhita Sutrasthana 6th Chapter
· Sushruta Samhita Sutrasthana 6th Chapter
Joanna Webber BSc Hons Ayurveda Manipal-India, MA Oxon, APA member: is an Ayurvedic practitioner, yoga teacher and co-founder of The Ayurveda Academy. They offer an engaging 3-month CPD certified ‘Introduction to Ayurveda’ course as well as practitioner level courses.
Commentaires