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 which are best to reduce Pitta are Tikta (bitter), Madhura(sweet) and Kashaya (astringent)

• The food should be light and easily digestible.

• Avoid curd, strong liquor, food items heavy in spice and oil, muscle fat and salty foods.

• Sour and fermented foods should be completely avoided. Reducing coffee and tea will be beneficial.

• Keep away from heavy meals.

Some food items recommended include:

• Old rice, green gram, amla and sugar

• Cow’s ghee is highly beneficial to pacify the pitta dosha.

• Intake of milk and milk products except curd

• Milk sweets, almonds, Indian dates and black raisins

• Local gourds like ridge gourd, ash gourd, snake gourd and ivy gourd are suitable for this season as they have bitter properties and are light to digest

• Spices like fresh ginger, jeera, coriander leaves/seeds/powder, fennel and turmeric are useful

• Methi leaves and seeds are good too

• Fresh coconut pulp and milk

• Pomegranate, yelakki bananas and other sweet, seasonal fruits

• Triphala powder also can used to eliminate the excessive pitta in the body

Panchakarma recommendation:

• Virechana (Purgation)

• Raktamokshana (Blood letting)

Lifestyle advice:

• Avoid exposure to fog, snow and mist.

• Over exposure to sunlight and eastern breeze

• Sleeping in the daytime

• Udvartana or rubbing the body with pure sandal paste in recommended

• Bath should be taken with warm water

• It is recommended to wear light coloured cotton clothes and pearls due to its pitta pacifying and cooling properties

• Abhyangam or body massage should be done with oils made of chandana (Sandal), ushira and other cooling herbs in coconut oil base

• Evening stroll on terraces to cool body temperature is recommended

We hope that this post will guide you to have a healthy and informed festival season.

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