Ayurvedic diet for spring and late winter comprises of various food patterns that are essential for the proper well being of the health. During this season, the accumulated kapha is aggravated due to the heat of the sun. Therefore, Ayurveda recommends a kapha pacifying diet.
A kapha pacifying diet emphasises on warm foods and hot beverages and encourages eating of minimum oil and fat. Freshly prepared vegetables and legume dishes, with proportionately smaller amounts of grains and fruits are good for the spring and late winter diet. It also says that the food should be spiced according to taste.
Food of Ayurvedic Diet
Food, which contains grains like barley, rye, millet, quiona, buckwheat and wheat, should be consumed during spring and late winter. Consumption of sidhu that is wine prepared from sugarcane is also allowed for the season. Animals, which live in dry places, like fowl, rabbit, lamb or venison can be eaten but red meat is to be totally avoided.
The late winters are the coldest part of the winter. During this part of the year, the vata is most aggravated in the body. The body gets dry and there is a need to take a special care for the diet. It is during this part of the year sweet, sour and salty foods are to be eaten.
During the shishir ritu or the late winters, oily fresh and warm food should be eaten. Heavy foods such as flesh of lamb, pork is also to be eaten. Fish from the lakes being sweet, oily and nutritious can be consumed.
Food to Avoid during Spring and Late Winter
There are certain foods that should be avoided during this season like cold drinks, cold food, and frozen desserts, such as: ice cream, popsicles, frozen yogurt, etc. Dry, light, fermented and stale food should also not be eaten. Pungent, bitter and astringent food should not be consumed in excess. Flesh of animals like deer should also not be consumed. Heavy, oily and cold food is to be avoided. Also staying away from canned, bottled, or pack-aged foods, frozen foods, processed foods, rich, creamy foods is good for the body.