Ayurveda . Food & Recipes

Ayurvedic diet for autumn and winter seasons

On September 30, 2022 by margheviviani

Ok, I can officially say that the summer is finished 😉 And with seasons changes also our bodies. During autumn and winter, we feel more cold and dry in our bodies. We also get lazier and is more common to start gaining extra kilos in the wintertime. All those means that is time to switch to the winter diet. When I was modeling in Asia, I used to eat only fresh salads and fruits all the time. And also in cold seasons, I was stuck to the same diet, but I was not feeling so great actually. Even though I was practicing yoga daily, my metabolism went even slower and I couldn’t warm myself in any way, also my mood became less positive and more anxious. Thanks to Ayurveda studies I learned that all those signs are classical Vata accumulation.

The Ayurvedic lifestyle is based on three things: routine, moderation, and tuning in to the natural rhythms of the doshas and Agni (digestive fire). In winter and autumn, Vata increases and should be pacified. We should strengthen our Agni and try to keep warm. And autumn and winter time we must follow the diet to calm down our Vata. Here I’m going to tell you how.

Learn more about Ayurveda in this post: Have you heard about Ayurveda

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Responding to the body

The state of the body is in constant flux, with the strength of the doshas and the strength of Agni always changing. It is helpful to develop an awareness of your body so that dosha imbalance and Agni weakness can be noticed and addressed. Vata is the most easily elevated due to its changing nature; it is also the quickest to rebalance.

Signs of elevated Vata

• Lack of concentration.
• Sleeplessness.
• Sensitivity (such as to noise and touch).
• Exhaustion.
• Strong intolerance to cold.
• Restlessness and inability to sit still.
• Muscular tension.
• Constipation, gas, or runny bowel movements.
• Cravings for sweet, salty, or sour food.
• Stiffness or pain in the joints.
• Susceptibility to common illnesses, such as colds or UTIs.

Winter diet to pacify Vata

Vata is irregular, moving, light, dry, cool, fine, quick, and rough. It is pacified by practices that are regular, stable, heavy, oily, heating, viscous, slow, and smooth as these characteristics are opposite to its own.

To pacify Vata you will benefit from a regular diet of warm, soupy food and only consuming drinks hot. A diet to pacify Vata contains more fats and grains than diets for other doshas.

The table shows the proportions of different foods to eat for a Vata diet as part of your daily meals:

Grains – 55%	Wheat, white rice, spelt, quinoa, cooked oats, yeast-free bread.
Vegetables – 20%	Fennel, cucumber, carrots, squash, okra, parsnip, beetroot, spinach, asparagus, sweet potatoes, courgettes, sweet peas, cooked and peeled tomatoes, artichokes.
Fats, diary products, nuts, seeds – 15%	Ghee, all cooking oils except for coconut oil. Fresh cheese, mozzarella, sour and sweet creams, hard cheese. Almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds.
Pulses – 10%	Mung beans, kidney beans, soy milk, red lentils, soy products.
Spices and herbs	Aniseed, basil, dill, fennel, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, bay leaves, cloves, sage, marjoram, rosemary.
Fruits	Sweet and/or sour fruit: grapes, pineapple, apples, avocados, fresh dates, strawberries, figs, oranges, kiwis, limes.
Salt	The salty taste pacifies vata. Opt for local or Himalayan rock salt (rose-coloured or white).
Sweeteners	Small quantities of: raw cane sugar, jaggery, fruit juice concentrate, molasses, honey.

* Food to reduce or avoid to soothe Vata

1. Grains: millet, brown rice, any wholemeal grain, corn, barley, buckwheat, oat bran, cold cereals, puffed cereals, crispbread, cereal flakes, rice flakes, puffed rice or corn cakes, popcorn
2. Vegetables: all types of cabbage: kale, Brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower
3. Pulses: chickpeas, aduki beans, white beans, black beans
4. Dairy products: sheep’s milk cheese, buffalo mozzarella
5. Nuts and seeds: bitter almonds
6. Spices and herbs: chilli, cayenne pepper
7. Drinks: cold or caffeinated beverages: coffee, black tea, green tea, and fruit or vegetable juice in cold weather
8. Fruit: astringent fruit: pears, unripe bananas

Yoga and meditation for Vata

Vata’s tendency for movement, irregularity, and lightness benefits from the focus, quiet, and calming and grounding effect of yoga and meditation.

To practice yoga with me register in my Online Yoga Studio and get the first lesson for free. To register here and join the lessons click here.

Takeaway

We should always remember that living along with nature and listening out rhythms and rhythms of nature will help to maintain our health. And Ayurveda is the best study that teaches us that. It’s been many years that I practice Ayurvedic knowledge for myself and my family, and I feel better in every season of the year, every stage of my life.

Try this winter diet and let me know how it works on you. If you would like to study more about Ayurveda I highly recommend you to get this book: Practical Ayurveda by Swami Sivananda.

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Always yours,

Marghe