Health guidelines for the festive seasons

This blog is in response to the queries about the Dos and Don’ts for the festival season.

After all Ayurveda is a life science, not just a medical science. Ayurveda is for “SWASTHASYA SWASTHYA RAKSHANAM ATURASYA ROGA NIVARANAM”.

It is equally important to preserve the health of the healthy as much as to treat the diseased.

To understand the ideal food and lifestyle for this season, the most logical place to take guidance from would be the Ritucharya explained in the classics. ‘Ritu’ means seasons and ‘charya’ means the regimen or the Dos and Don’ts.

We are in the Sharad Ritu now which is from mid-September and mid-November.

Sharad Ritu succeeds the Varsha Ritu which the monsoon season, when the body is accustomed to the rains and the agni (digestive fire) is weak causing the accumulation and vitiation of the pitta dosha. So, when the Sharad Ritu arrives, the already increased Pitta dosha gets further aggravated due to the warm sun.

Food and other recommendations:

• Intake of Tiktaka Ghritham is advised in this season to pacify the aggravated Pitta.

• The rasas or tastes