Winter Diet According to Ayurveda

“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.”  ~ Ayurvedic proverb

Winter Diet According to Ayurveda
​The word “diet” used in the above proverb does not mean food restricted plans that we’ve all tried before. The ancient science of Ayurveda promotes the correct “diet” or food choices for each individual, depending on the current season and any current health imbalances.  Food medicine looks different for everyone, and we all need to take back our power and listen to our intuition around what we put in our body. Instead of googling what to eat or asking someone else, ask yourself “What am I craving right now?”  If your first choice is a sugary substance, that is an ignorance of intellect (i.e. I know I do not need that second cookie, but I’m having it anyway) and needs to be addressed.  The idea is that you see blueberries, for example, and your mouth waters or you think about green beans and must have them.  This is your body telling you that there is something in that food that your body is lacking and needs.
For this winter season (known as Vata in Ayurveda), there is a tendency for the body to be constipated and produce dry skin, so we want to bring the body back to balance with warm/cooked foods like soups and stews as well as protein in the form of nuts and seeds. Small amounts of fish can be a beneficial protein as well, if that is part of your diet.  Ayurveda aims to teach you what to eat by paying attention to what is naturally abundant in nature this time of year.  All bodies work uniquely, therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all diet or food list.
Top Tips for an ayurvedically-balanced winter season:

• Sauté a small amount of spices in ghee or high-quality oil (i.e. sesame or coconut). These standard spices can be ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, black pepper, and salt.  Once you start to smell the spices in the pan (about 30 seconds), the spices are waking up and releasing their benefits.
• Cut up veggies that are grown locally and in season and add them to the pan of oil and spices. For the North East, this means carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, etc.
• Eat less salads, cold foods and drinks, and crackers.
• Be creative with your meal. Make each meal a relaxing experience with three deep belly breaths before you start your first fork-full of food.  This prepares the body to digest with ease.
• According to Ayurveda, “If you eat standing up, death looks over your shoulder!”