Kapha season is the perfect time to revitalize and get super healthy. Here are some recommendations for those of you who may feel a little heavy, out of sorts, and / or unmotivated to spring into action. Are you naturally calm, thoughtful, and loving?
Do you have a strong build and excellent stamina?
Do you sleep soundly and have regular digestion?
Does excess, weight gain, fluid retention, and allergies manifest in the body when you're out of balance?
Are you ruled by Earth & Water?
O.K., Kapha . . . now that it's May, it's time to shake things up a bit. Ready to take action now that winter is definitely over? The sun is shining, the birds are singing; nature is waiting for you to play outside. To pep you up in the morning, take honey, warm water, lemon juice, and ginger. Try hot ginger tea. Try skipping a meal or two and take a spoonful of honey in hot water to keep you going. Here are some guidelines that can be used for your kapha mind-body constitutions, to maintain dosha balance, and to restore balance if necessary, regardless of the basic constitution. Kapha influences the heavy, moist aspects of the body.
What kind of foods balance kapha?
- Warm, light food
- Dry food, cooked without much water, minimum of butter, oil and sugar
- Stimulating foods with pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes
Kaphas need to watch the consumption of too much sweet foods or fatty foods. Keep an eye on the salt consumption also, which tend to result in fluid retention in Kaphas. Light meals are to be favored such as light breakfast and dinner.
Avoid deep fried foods. Eat lightly cooked foods or raw fruits and vegetables. Eat spicy, bitter and astringent foods. Watch out for eating too much food, a typical kapha tendency.
Select hot food over cold food whenever feasible. Dry cooking methods (baking, broiling, grilling, sautéing) are preferable for kaphas over moist cooking such as steaming, boiling or poaching. As an appetizer eat bitter or pungent foods instead of salty or sour. Foods such as romaine lettuce, endive, or tonic water are good to stimulate your appetite. Take ginger tea or eat a slice of ginger to stimulate appetite. Other preferred spices are cumin, fenugreek, sesame seed, and turmeric.
Any food that is spicy is good for the kapha dosha. Spice it up, Kapha!
Foods that are good for kapha breakfast are hot spiced cider, buckwheat pancakes with apple butter, corn muffins, and bitter cocoa made with skim milk and a touch of honey. Avoid cold cereals, cold juice or milk, and sugary pastries. Bacon and sausage aggravates kapha due to their salt and oil. And for kapha types, breakfast is optional. (You may skip it if you like). Not doubt about it, Kaphas have a sweet tooth. So, cutting down on sugar is difficult; but cutting sugar out is highly recommended. Choose honey instead! But void taking more than a giant spoonful of honey a day. Don't overindulge on dairy foods. Butter, ice cream, and cheese are among the worst foods you can take as it aggravates the kapha. Take warm low fat milk. Avoid hamburgers and milk shakes. Eat more raw fruit (all by itself); eat more vegetables, and salads with minimum salad dressing. Watch out the restaurant foods, especially oily, salty, sweet or deep fried foods . . . these are all kapha aggravating. Take a glass of warm water instead of ice water. Eat salad instead of soup especially in hot weather. Overall, avoid sugar, fats, dairy products, and salt. Take ghee and oils only in small amounts. Choose light, dry foods. The main meal should be at the middle of the day, and only a light, dry meal in the evening. Avoid cold foods and drinks. Pungent, astringent, and bitter tastes are all right. Add all spices to your diet.
Here are some of our favorite kapha balancing foods for spring:
- apricots
- asparagus
- beets
- cauliflower
- celery
- leafy greens
- lettuce
- garlic
- ginger
- mangos
- mushrooms
- onions
- peppers
- potatoes
- sprouts
- strawberries
Make a happy Spring into Summer!
Learn about the five elements found in the science of Ayurveda
RESOURCE: HOLICSTIC ONLINE
