By Vaidhya Smita Pimpley
Ritu means season and charya means regime or discipline. Ritucharya is seasonal diet and lifestyle changes we need to follow to adapt to changing seasons and keep our body healthy. It is a preventive medicine.
March is the beginning of Vasant Ritu or Spring season. It marks end of winters and hence it is the transition period and also called Ritu Sandhi Kala.
Our body is made of vata, pitta and kapha doshas. During winter the kapha dosha is accumulated in the body. In Vasant ritu because of rise of temperature the kapha begins to liquify, giving rise to various digestive problems, lethargy, respiratory disease like cold, cough, asthma, allergies, skin problems etc. Vasant ritucharya focuses on balancing the excess kapha in the body.
Diet
There are six tastes or rasa. Madhur (sweet), amla (sour), lavan (salt), katu (pungent), tikta (bitter) and Kashaya (astringent). Madhur, amla and lavan increase the kapha dosha in body. So, in Vasant ritu we need to incorporate tikta, katu and kashay rasa in our diet.
Roasted seeds, roasted grains and roasted chana help balance the kapha dosha in body. These foods are easy to digest.
Include grains which are at least one year old in your diet. Wheat, barley, millets like jowar are good.
Dals like green gram, also called as moong, red lentil called as masur and yellow arhar dal can be taken. Urad dal increases kapha in body and hence it is better to avoid it, in this season.
All fresh vegetables available in this season can be consumed. Especially bitter gourd, fenugreek and neem are beneficial. Spices like black pepper, dry ginger, hing, coriander powder, turmeric, ajwain can be consumed in this season.
Beverages:
- Lukewarm water mixed with honey is excellent in this season
- Those who want to avoid honey can add dry ginger powder in water, boil it and can have
- Buttermilk is very good in this season
- You can flavour the butter milk with black pepper, rock salt, dry ginger powder or ajwain. This masala chaas is good for digestion and also helps balance the excess kapha in body
Tip: Consume tender neem leaves about 4 to 5 and 2 black pepper every day in morning for 15 days. This will purify blood and prevent diseases arising from kapha dosha.
What to avoid
Ice creams, milk, paneer, cheese, khoya, excessive sweets, salty and sour foods, oily foods to be avoided in this season. Curd increases the kapha in the body, but buttermilk helps reduce the kapha hence butter milk is taken in this season.
Lifestyle changes
Moderate to intense exercise should be done in this season. It helps reduce excessive kapha.
Udwartan
Udwartan means dry massage. Chicken pea four or barley flour can be used. Haldi or triphala choorna can be mixed with the above flour. This can be used as ubtan. Udwartan balances the kapha dosha.
Avoid sleeping during daytime in this season as sleeping during day increases the kapha dosha in body.