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| Health Corner: Ritucharya For Spring |
Pratibha Shah
03/17/2009
Hello every one and Happy Holi!! Aren’t we all glad that Spring (Vasant Ritu) is finally here? Since Vasant Ritu has just started, I am breaking my series on Kitchen herbs to write the prescribed regimen for this season. This is a very vibrant season, when cold is dissipating, new foliage is covering the bare trees and every living being seems to be coming out of hibernation. In India, ‘Holi’ and the harvesting of crops mark this season.
As per the Hindu calendar, Vasant Ritu comprises of two months – Chaitra (March12th this year), and Vaishakh (which will continue till 9thMay this year). The sun is still in its Northern cycle and the ‘bala’ or physical strength is medium. From ‘dosha’ (the three humors in Ayurveda) point of view, it is the season where all the ‘kapha’ (one of the three humors) accumulated as a result of the cold in the winter season, starts melting with the first rays of the sun, thereby dulling the ‘jathragni’. So, the ‘dosha’ to watch out for in this season is ‘kapha’, because if you don’t take measures to keep it in control, you are likely to get afflicted by various ‘kaphaja’ disorders. For those of you familiar with ‘panchakarma’, the procedure indicated for this season is ‘vamana’, of course to be performed under the guidance of an Ayurvedic expert.
The major dos and don’ts in terms of food and activities are listed below:
• The first thing to do at the onset of this season is gradually stop eating heavy (difficult to digest) food items, specially ghee and other fat rich food. The mantra in Spring is to avoid anything that increases ‘kapha’.
• Consume food predominant in ‘katu’ (pungent), ‘tikta’ (bitter) and ‘kashaya’ (astringent) rasa (tastes); e.g. vegetables like cabbage, bitter gourd, peppers, radish, beetroots, etc. and fruits like pomegranate, guava, jamun (a type of plum), etc.
• One should eat food that is easily digestible and ‘dry’ in effect like corn, millet, soy, barley, etc. Old grains should be preferred instead of freshly harvested grain, as old grain is light and easily digestible, whereas new grain increases ‘kapha’.
• In meat, one should opt for lean meat like that of deer, rabbit, turkey and small birds. It is very interesting that there is a description in the texts, of piercing the meat with an iron arrow and roasting it over fire. Looks like our ancestors enjoyed grilling!!
• In keeping with the effort to keep ‘kapha’ under control, this is a good season to fast. So choose your favorite day or God, and fast, at least once a week.
• Mild alcoholic drinks like ‘draksharisht’ or ‘pancharisht’ or drinks made out of sugarcane and grapes, like ‘seedhu’, ‘mradveek’, akin to different types of grape wines, go well with meals in this season.
• Ginger ale made the old fashioned way (without soda) is also a good drink to have in this season. * (Please see recipe at the end of the article)
• DO NOT sleep during the day, as this leads to an increase in ‘kapha’.
• Trekking through forests is recommended. I am not surprised. Don’t we all love to put on our hiking gear in this season?
• It is advisable to exercise, massage, smoke with suitable herbs as prescribed in Ayurveda, (Yes! There is a ‘dhumra yantra’ described in our ancient texts), snuff with appropriate herbs, use warm water for bathing and washing, and apply ‘lepa’ (paste) made of ‘karpoor’, ‘chandan’, ‘agaru’ (eagle wood), and ‘keshar’.
So just follow the above regimen and stay healthy. Enjoy the beautiful Spring!
* http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/Ginger_Ale_Ag0.htm
Please go to this link for a simple recipe to make ginger ale at home (the old method, without soda). But I would recommend making a few changes in the above recipe:
First of all, take a glass bottle instead of a plastic one.
Secondly, use a cork instead of a tight lid. This will significantly reduce the chances of the bottle exploding during fermentation. An old wine bottle can be a good choice. Thirdly, leave 1/4th of the bottle empty for accommodating gases.
Lastly, once the ingredients are in, wrap the bottle with a warm fleece or woolen cloth piece, and then bury the bottle in a large rice container, or keep in a warm place.
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