Seasonal Regimes for Winter

By Dr. Ajit

I am sure all of you must have enjoyed the wonderful summer but now the time has come to welcome Winter. At the same time, everyone starts getting a little concerned about the idea of months of cold, wet, damp, moist & cloudy weather. Thoughts too turn to the inevitable illness’s that winter brings: chest infection, runny nose, cough, hay fever, migraines and stiff shoulder joints and we start shivering in anticipation

Specifically, those who have children can understand what I am trying to share – the restless nights with a constantly sick child and the regular visits to the GP for a quick fix to these problems. Those who are elderly approach winter with horrible thoughts of a season of painful & stiff joints while those suffering from arthritis know they have to spend many restless nights in constant pain. Soon we will receive letters from our GP’s advertising flu accines and many of us will endure this because we feel we don’t have a choice. But those who understand the principles of Ayurveda and have experienced its benefits in the past know that by following Ayurvedic easonal regimes one can enjoy a healthy winter free from the suffering of seasonal ailments.

According to Ayurveda, Winter is the time when the Kapha Dosha is dominant (one of the three primary intelligences that govern all bodily functions). In simple terms, this means that the Kaphaqualities of coldness, dampness, moistness, heaviness, cloudiness and thickness will manifest in the environment. Unfortunately, these external qualities start impacting on us, causing them to accumulate in the body and causing the Kaphaintelligence to become aggravated. It is when Kapha becomes imbalanced in the body that health problems such as colds, coughs, runny nose, hay fever, headache, migraine, stiff & painful joints, asthma start manifesting.

From an Ayurvedic point of view our focus will be to mininise the accumulation of Kapha in the body by changes to our diet & lifestyle. Ayurveda gives us a clear message that whatever problems we suffer do not come for anywhere else but are created by us when we make incompatible diet, lifestyle & environmental choices. Below is a list of seasonal routines to follow in Winter so that all our valued clients, their family & friends can enjoy the benefits of good health during this season:

Regime	Benefit	Special Benefit
Massage the body with warm Kapha oil for 5-10 minutes at least once a day, using upward, circular movements.	Will help counter the natural sluggishness that occurs in the lymphatic & circulatory systems during Winter	Particularly important for Kapha body types as they are prone to sluggish circulation & water retention during this season
Carry out a 5 minute steam inhalation every second day – 10 drops of eucalyptus oil in a bowl of hot water.	This will help to clear sinus congestion & prevent the onset of hay fever, migraine, asthma & cough	Those people who suffer from asthma or children that are prone to runny nose or chest congestion should do this daily.
Daily nasal drops– three drops of warm Ayurda Nasal oil in each nostril.	This will help those who suffer from chronic sinus, migraine, headaches & hormonal imbalance.	It can also be a preventative measure for all who suffer from these problems.
Avoid foods such as cheese, cold milk, bread, cold foods, cold drinks, tomato & soya sauce, fish & chips, cream, butter, bananas, peanut butter	These all have cold, damp, moist, heavy & sticky qualities that can aggravate Kapha.	From an Ayurvedic perspective these qualities are the cause of such diseases as asthma, sinus, migraine, cough, high fever
Avoid extreme temperature changes.	Will counter the cold, damp, moist, heavy & sticky qualities that can aggravate Kapha.	These qualities cause congestion in the alveoli & bronchiole that makes breathing difficult.
Only eat warm, cooked food eg: Breakfast – Channa pancakes or porridge Lunch – Warm soup Dinner – Rice & cooked vegetables	Will counter the cold, damp, moist, heavy & sticky qualities that can aggravate Kapha.	Removes excess water from our cells & extra-cellular fluid that contributes to such illness as asthma, cough & runny nose.
Use Planet Ayurveda's Winter mix in your cooking	Helps to expel toxins from your gastro-intestinal tract.
Take 1 tablespoon of Ajwain Ark (an Ayurvedic preparation), mix with 750mls of warm water & drink during the day	Will counter the sluggishness in gut, enhance metabolism & flush out toxins.	Ayurveda's Natural De-toxification drink.