GET YOUR SWEET ON!
/As we progress into Early Winter (Hemanta), there is an understanding in Ayurveda that Agni (particularly Jatharagni, the digestive fire) continues to increases in strength. It is important to manage and regulate Agni to maintain health within each season as one season influences the next. In fact, what we do today affects our tomorrow and what we experience in the current season is partly an outcome of the previous season. It is all connected!
This is the time of year, especially here in the Northeast when the climate progresses with coldness colder and becomes drier, and sometimes more moist due to snow, based on your location. A sense of lightness exists in general due to the cold combined with dryness, but a sense of heaviness can occur on cold and moist (snowy/rainy) days. In general, the management of cold dryness is remedied by warm moisture, and the resolution to cold moisture is warming dryness.
According to Ayurveda, Agni/Jatharagni (state of metabolic digestive functioning and health) performs according to physics involving centripetal and centrifugal forces. Centripetal forces are directed from the periphery to the center, which is what occurs when we transition from summer to winter. Whereas, centrifugal forces operate from a center point outwardly. In the case of digestion and the progression into summer months, as heat in the external atmosphere increases as summer months occur, the body’s innate intelligence and physiological functionality adapts where the heat surrounding the digestive system redirects towards the extremities (centrifugal), causing the heat to dissipate in such a way and the main digestive organs lose their potency. Imagine it like this: in the summertime, you turn off the heat in the home and open the windows and doors to disperse the heat contained within the home and let the cool air in. However, in the winter, you close all the windows and doors to contain the heat as the heater gets turned on again.
According to Ayurveda, there are six tastes (Shad Rasa.) Click HERE for an article discussing the six tastes in detail. Madhura is the taste favored in general this time of year. Read more about Madhura HERE. Ayurveda uses the six tastes throughout the year as it takes a whole year to achieve health according to the seasons (rtu), and not trying to get all six tastes in one meal. Attempting to create any one meal with all six tastes is incorrect cooking and can contribute to health ailments. Following the seasons, incorporating your prakriti (baseline constitution) and vikriti (deviated state from baseline constitution where conditions occur) and understanding your state of digestion (jatharagni) are important considerations when aligning with any protocol that will support your level of health and homeostasis.
In general, there is a rule of thumb in Ayurveda that states Vata is pacified/maintained by sweet, salty, and sour tastes; Pitta is pacified/maintained by sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes; and Kapha is pacified/maintained by bitter, pungent, and astringent tastes. Excluding the other tastes within the context of each dosha isn’t what this is implying but that the predominance of the associated pacifying tastes help maintain better homeostasis.
Therefore, in the case of this article and this time of year Vata and Pitta are kept in better homeostasis, with Kapha the closer to late winter we progress, and as Kapha time of year approaches, the less present the sweet taste should be. The qualities of madhura consists of earth and water which can ground and lubricate individuals accordingly.
Based on the state of Agni, dietary and lifestyle considerations must be adjusted in order to maintain or regain health and well-being. The state of agni is an important factor in Ayurvedic assessment that determines the course and line of treatment meant to rectify health issues correlated with Vata dosha (prakriti and vikriti.) Broadly, it is known in Ayurveda that Vata predominant individually possess a natural state of vitiated agni (Vishama) due to the elements of air and space inherently present by design; Pitta predominant individuals have great agni but can tend towards increased/aggravated agni known as Tikshna (sharp) due to the inherent predominance of heat/fire ; and Kapha predominant individuals, possessing a predominance of water and earth elements, their agni tends to be Manda being sluggish.
If a Vata predominant individual is experiencing low Agni or compromised Agni, warming tastes/spices should be integrated into their diet. Using pungent spices can actually cause Vata to become more vitiated and Agni to be harmed even further due to the extreme qualities of pungent. Warming foods and spices such as cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, fresh ginger, mustard, basil, thyme, and rosemary would be better than cayenne, chili, red pepper flakes, or dry ginger. For the Pitta predominant individual with low Agni or compromised Agni, warm spices similar to that used by the Vata individuals can be used along with cardamom, fennel, coriander, black pepper (small dosage), fresh ginger (small dosage), turmeric, and even basil would be much better than the pungent spices. If Vata and Pitta predominant individuals have a generally healthy state of Agni, pungent can be minimally used or avoided, because of pungent containing the elements air and fire which would exacerbate Vata and Pitta accordingly, in order not to cause their Agni to vitiate, along with other aspects of their mind and physiology.
Temperature and qualities of the atmosphere (both being climate and based on geography) are also key components to be determined as protocols are implemented. Generally, for those individuals that are Vata predominant, whether with Vata prakrti (constitution) and/or vikrti (vitiation from or of constitutional design), they would struggle more so this time of year with the cold as this is a quality that increases Vata. The quality of cold can also affect Kapha since cold is a quality of Kapha and when Kapha is predominant individuals are unable to thermoregulate properly and feel colder and heavier. The dryness, otherwise, is supportive. Kapha predominant individuals may struggle with ongoing upper respiratory ailments such as asthma (Kapha type), colds, allergies, a runny nose in excess with mainly whitish mucus, overall heaviness, and increased lethargy. Vata predominant individuals may actually feel increased dryness unless the warm moisture is present. Vata predominant individuals tend to do a little worse in cold and dry climates. Whereas, Pitta predominant individuals generally do better in cooler climates, with dry and/or moist qualities.
It is important to remember that too much of a good thing can have the opposite effect and therefore, it is important to know your own physiology and psychology before jumping completely or extremely into any dietary consideration. Start slow because slow and steady wins the race. Foods cooked with the right spices to align with your constitution are an important component to understanding proper cooking and the pharmacological actions of foods. Additionally, Ayurveda considers any food anything that is “lickable, chewable, drinkable, and edible.” Ca Su. 28/1 Ayurveda doesn’t support a “quick fix” mentality and in this case, it is essential to understand that anyone particular substance (Dravya) may have a predominance of a certain taste but that doesn’t exclude other tastes that are inherently present in a substance. That being said, just because something may be known to be mainly bitter it may also have other tastes that can affect the overall design of a diet or plate. This is why it is important to know what the substance is, to its fullest capacity as shown within the science of Ayurveda, and its appropriate application.
Use your body as your guide and notice the Karya Karana (cause and effect) relationship with what you put into your body and what you’re getting out of it.
Below is a basic list of sweet items, foods that contain low sodium, that you can include as part of your diet.
Rice
Wheat
Milk
Butter
Pumpkin
Dates
Raisins
Butternut Squash
Sweet potatoes
Ghee
Eggs
Beef
Buffalo
Pork
Beets
Figs
Garbanzo beans
Ketchup
Avocado
Sugar
Maple Syrup
Cardamom
Vanilla
Cashews
Almonds
References:
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DOSHAS AND SEASONS
DISCLAIMER: This information is meant for educational purposes only. Any changes in lifestyle should be reviewed with a qualified practitioner and primary care physician if you are currently under their care for specific conditions.