Tips for a Happy Vata Season

  Hello Winter

Tis the Season to stay balanced

HOW TO EAT

·      Regular meal times – yes snacking, baking & cooking go hand in hand this holiday season so this can be very challenging to the digestion. The body really likes to know when it will eat next, it also like to be able to digest the previous meal before you start another, not so good with surprise nibbles here and there.

·      Emphasis on calming the nervous system before eating -this can be with prayer or 3 deeps breaths just prior to eating but please turn the TV and computer off and put the phone down! Make your eating space pretty and peaceful. The two things that are most important are the food you are eating and the friends or family you are eating with. 

·      Enjoy whatever it is you are eating & do NOT feel guilty -Just make sure you sit down to do it…. 

WHAT TO EAT

·      Foods that are naturally sweet, salty, and sour in taste

·      Unctuous (oily and moist) and warm

·      Well spiced cooked and delicious food

Fruits to Favor:  (sweet, sour or heavy fruits)

Bananas, dates, figs, grapes, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, tangerines, peaches, pears (ripe), mango, papaya, pineapple, plums, pomegranate, strawberries, apricots, persimmons, Apples (cooked), cranberries (cooked)

Vegetables to Favor: (cook all vegetables and add a healthy oil and warm spices. Favor root vegetables)

Beets, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, leeks, onion, garlic okra, avocadoes, Brussels sprouts, acorn squash, winter squash

Grains to Favor:  (most grains are good, best eaten warm, moist and with a healthy oil)

Amaranth, millet (moderation), buckwheat (moderation) Oats, Quinoa, brown rice, wheat

Legumes to Favor:  

Kidney beans, mung- split yellow

Dairy to Favor: (all dairy is good, ideally at room temperature or warm such as boiled milk)

Buttermilk, cheese (moderation and white is best) ghee, butter, cow’s milk, cream, Kefir, yogurt, goat’s milk, 

Oils to Favor: (most unrefined oils)

Ghee, sesame, unadulterated extra virgin olive oil, coconut 

Nuts & Seeds: 

Almonds, cashews, macadamia, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios

Spices to Favor:

Cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, fennel, coriander, cumin, basil, oregano, thyme, mustard seeds, cardamom, clove, nutmeg

WHAT TO AVOID

·      Drying foods (crackers, corn chips, dry toast, popcorn, salads-especially without oil)

·      Cold foods

·      Cold drinks

·      Raw foods

·      Smoothies

·      Overeating 

WHAT TO DO

·      Nourish and baby yourself with lots of self care

·      Keep a daily routine, with regular meal times, regular sleeping and waking times, meditation and gentle exercise routine

·      Keep warm no matter what the weather

·      Oil your body with self-massage for 10-20 minutes with warm sesame oil (not toasted you will smell like stir fry) then rinse and relax with a warm shower or bath

May you be happy, healthy, safe and live with ease and peace this season and many many more to come!

Exploring Ginger, Ayurveda and the Common Cold

     The common cold is still our most common ailment. It indicates a breakdown of our immune defenses from which further diseases can arise.  While the rhinovirus causes the common cold, the weakness of the immune system precedes the onset of the infection.

     Colds are generally Kapha in nature resulting in accumulation of mucus, runny nose, sore throat, congestion, cough,  with Vata contributing to body aches and chills even a mild fever thank you Pitta. Exposure to cold air or wind (yes our grandmothers were right, put on a coat and/or hat when you go out or you will catch a chill) cold, damp or mucus forming food, and seasonal changes are all causes of the common cold. 

     The best remedy for colds and the flu from the West and the East is bed rest and fluids, aspirin and antibiotics are not recommended. All remedies that our grandmothers taught us are usually the best, including chicken soup made with ginger and garlic in the broth. (Vegetable broth with garlic and ginger is my way now)  Remedies that include babying yourself while getting plenty of rest, warm fluids, and peace and quiet are the gold standard. 

     A light diet, warm, simple and easy to digest is prescribed. This includes grains and cooked vegetables in moderate quantities with spices especially in the form of a soup. Dairy products, heavy and oily foods like meat, nuts, breads, pastries and sweet fruit juices should be avoided.

     Lemon and ginger root juice mixed in warm water and a little honey is a classic formula. Other spices like cinnamon, basil and cloves are also excellent to incorporate in tea, soups or grains. These herbs are considered good at promoting sweating and relieving mucus. Bengal Spice Celestial Spice tea is a great way to incorporate into your cold and flu healing ritual since it contains warming spices (ginger, cardamom, black pepper, cloves and nutmeg) of course you can make your own or any version of chia. 

      When congestion is severe and blocking nasal breathing, the neti pot is not recommended. Water may get trapped in the sinuses.  Neti pot should be done on a daily basis especially during cold and flu season for prevention.

    Previous to Ayurveda my professional belief was that if whiskey can’t cure it, it can’t be cured. My attempt at babying myself was a hot toddy with whiskey, ginger tea with lemon and honey or a blast of Nyquil.  Zicam tablets dissolved in the mouth every few hours within the first 24 hours of symptoms of a cold can potentially shorten the duration and intensity of symptoms. It seemed to work well for me the 2 to 3 times a year I would develop a cold. 

     Today my Neti Pot and improved self-care have reduced my colds to I can’t remember the last time I had one. My Zicam  bottle is expired.  Whiskey bottles are now used as canisters for lentils and such.  Golden Milk and teas have taken the place of whiskey.  I feel much better. I hope you do too!

Ayurveda Life Without Hacks

     Swadhyaya is a sanskrit word that means "self-study." It is one of yoga's five Niyamas that are the internal disciplines or how we treat ourselves.  Ayurveda integrates all health care disciplines and offers a treatment regimen that is appropriate and unique to each individual. It is considered a “living” science because it weaves modern developments and techniques along with ancient wisdom. Self-knowledge is a critical part of this process. Knowing our particular constitution is required for the Ayurvedic practitioner to provide the right treatment regimen and must include all aspects of our physical, psychological and spiritual nature. Ayurveda succeeds when we devote time, effort, and dedication to the process and ourselves. Ayurvedic treatment is centered on following the appropriate life-regimen according to our unique constitution.

     Modern life often deprives us of the time that we need to take care of ourselves. We must expend a lot of energy to navigate our lives but do not always have the time or knowledge of how to replenish it. However the responsibility is ours and there is no one else to blame if we do not make the effort.

    What we do every day determines who we are and what we truly value in life. Ayurvedic life-regimens are simple, non-invasive, flow with nature and generally do not interfere with other forms of treatment. They often enhance allopathic medicine as well as psychological treatment. In Ayurveda, body, mind, and consciousness work together in maintaining balance.

     Our daily routine starts the night before. Going to bed at the right time, getting up before or with the sun, eating without distraction in a pretty uncluttered place, sitting down at regular times for meals are examples of Ayurvedic regimens. These are also called routines or even rituals. People hate the word routine because it can conjure up feelings of being stuck, boring and being in a rut not to mention hard to establish and easy to break. Any natural form of healing takes time as well as our own efforts. Herbal therapy, food changes, and other practices may take a month or so to see any noticeable changes. Slow and steady wins the race. 

     We do not need to live chaotically but we must live creatively in order to be truly healthy and happy. Creativity is not chaotic. It establishes an order that gives us more time and freedom because our energy is no longer focused on wrong action. 

     What times of the day do you eat, sleep, and exercise? Do you eat standing up, in your car or even distracted by TV or your phone? How do you feel after you eat or when you wake up? What is the first thing you do in the a.m. and what is the last thing you do before you go to sleep? Do you have room for more creativity and less chaos in your day?

   Ayurveda offers no “hacks” no shortcuts, no quick fixes, no purple pills. The prescriptions are perhaps unconventional and are not picked up from the pharmacy but may include simple forms of self-care such as daily oil massage, morning walks, herbal teas, spices, healing foods and more time in nature. Side effects may include:  prevention of imbalances that cause disease and an improvement in the quality and quantity of your life.

     Self-care and self-love are not selfish or ego driven. When we are healthy and feel good, our vibrancy spills outside of us and touches everyone in our lives. Ayurveda offers to teach us a new way to love and care for ourselves in a new and radiant light.