The change in the season from summer to winter brings in various changes to the human body. In Ayurveda, this transition is also known as Vata. Vata is the element of air. Vata governs various physical aspects in the human body like physical movement, ingenuity and acuity.
Colder season increase the Vata level in the body. This could bring in trouble if your body is pre-dominant with vata. According to Ayurveda excess of vata can make you vulnerable to the numerous physical and mental problems.
Symptoms of vata dosha are:
- Fear, depression and anxiety
- Restlessness
- Disorganised
- Too much thinking
- Forgetting day to day task
- Impatience
- Moodiness
- Constipation
- Dry skin
- Acne in lower part of the face and around chin
- Sore throat, cold and dry cough
If you are experiencing these symptoms especially during the winter season then it may be because of the Vata dosh. But you don’t have to worry about it; Ayurveda has simple and holistic solution. Let’s check on the few dietary and lifestyle changes that you can adopt to avoid any such problems.
Try to consume extractive food and avoid eating raw veggies
Ayurveda treats balanced diet as the key to perfect health. Augmented and extracted foods are little bitter in taste. However, these foods help your body by keeping food moving in the digestive tract. They act more like a cleaning agent but consumption of too much of these may increase your vata dosha and can result into sickness. So, it is advised against eating raw vegetables during the cold season. It is recommended to cook your vegetable with sesame oil or ghee before consumption. Ghee also aids in stimulating hunger and helps in absorption of nutrient from the food.
Some typical extractive foods are beans, garbanzos, black peas and lentils. Other than that you can also have some leafy veggies like chard, spinach or collards. Broccoli, cauliflower, celery, nuts, corn etc. can also be used in the diet.
Give emphasis on augmented foods
Augmented are quite good in soothing and balancing vata dosh. Most of these foods are heavy and sweet in taste. According to Ayurveda you should consume about 40 % of extracted food and 60 % of augmented food in your diet. But in the colder season you can increase the ratio to about 70% for augmented food and 30% for extracted food.
Some typical augmented foods that you can induct in your diet are brown/white rice, cereals, barley, oatmeal, beets, millet, quinoa, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, zucchini, squash etc. These foods are quite helpful in balancing your vata dosha.
Follow the routine
The major sign of vata dosha are difficulty in sitting at one place, restlessness, overreacting and loss or sleep or insomnia. Let’s have a look at some lifestyle tips that can relieve you from vata dosha.
Try to wake up at the same time in the morning. Make habit of performing daily routine of meditation and yoga asana. Try to take your meals at the same time each day. Before going to bed rub some sesame oil on to the bottom of your feet and put on a pair of socks. Try to sleep early.
A quick recap
- Consume warm, cooked meals at the same time of the day. Keep the ration of 70:30 for augmented and extracted foods.
- Avoid consumption of raw veggies and juices during the cold season.
- Maintain your routine
The key behind getting relief from the excess vata lies in the routine you follow and lifestyle you maintain. A healthy mind lives in a healthy body.
A tasty treat
A delicious vata soothing recipe containing dates, cinnamon and apple.
Ingredients:
- 2 apples
- 9/10 dates
- 2 cup of water
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp grounded cardomon
- 1 tsp ginger (grated)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
How to make?
Peel and slice both the apples. Then put all the ingredients into a saucepan and boil it over high heat. After the water starts to boil lower the heat to medium and seethe the mixture for 5 minutes. Using a scoop transfer the content into a juice, blender or food processor and blend it until it forms puree. Stir puree into a pane and serve it.