Kapha Diet Guidelines: Keeping the Kapha Dosha in Balance

This will help give you a problem-free winter. GUIDELINES FOR SPRING Spring is the king of the seasons. In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna reveals his predominant attributes in the eleventh chapter: “I am the Soul in the body, the Mind in the senses, the Eagle among birds, the Lion among animals. Among all the trees I am the sacred Bodhi tree, and of the seasons, I am Spring.” In spring Mother Earth wakes up and causes sprouting; energy moves up; everything is blooming and flowering, full of colors and greenery.

People feel energetic and love to go outdoors. It is the season of celebration. The qualities of spring are warm, moist, gentle, and unctuous. Due to the warmth, the accumulated snow and ice of winter begin to melt.

Similarly, accumulated kapha in the body starts liquefying and running. That is why so many people get spring colds. In addition, as flowers shed their pollen, fragrance, and perfume, making vata and pitta people happy, many kapha individuals get hay fever and allergies. As early winter carries some of the qualities of fall, so early spring is much like winter, and many of the recommendations are the same.

For example, panchakarma is highly recommended, to clear the system of accumulated kapha dosha and help prevent allergies, hay fever, colds, and sinus congestion. • Good herbs for spring include ginger, black pepper, pippali, and a tea made of cumin, coriander, and fennel in equal proportions. Sitopaladi, punarnava, and sudarshan are also beneficial. • Strictly avoid heavy, oily food.

Also, it is better not to eat sour, sweet, and salty foods, as they provoke kapha. Stay away from dairy products, especially in the morning. Avoid ice cream and cold drinks, which are especially kaphagenic. • Favor bitter, pungent, and astringent foods.