The following suggestions should be followed if a) you have a Kapha imbalance, or b) you are eating seasonally for spring. In Ayurveda, we eat with the seasons when balanced, or eat to pacify the aggravated Dosha(s) when imbalanced.
Kapha Rhythms
The Kapha within is naturally pacified in the summer months, as the hot, sharp, and slightly drier weather offsets kapha’s spring-like cool and moist nature.
Kapha begins to accumulate when the cooler weather of late fall/winter arrives. The prevalence of the sweet, sour, salty, and heavy foods eaten to maintain vata in the winter months aggravates kapha’s already heavy quality (for example, dairy is pacifying for Vata but can build mucous, which aggravates Kapha.
The shift from winter to spring aggravates Kapha—around the last week of March to the first week of April. Kapha will continue to be susceptible to aggravation throughout the spring until about June, finally becoming pacified with the arrival of summer’s heat.
Kapha or Spring-Pacifying Foods
During this susceptible time, spring’s warmer days cause winter’s accumulated mucous to “melt”, hence the predominance of runny noses, blocked sinuses, and watery allergies. At the juncture of spring and summer, sinus/respiratory infections, and allergies can continue to worsen if not addressed early on, as Pitta becomes aggravated. Infection and yellow or green mucous are signs of Pitta. Hay fever and allergies in general are a Pitta imbalance.
Fortunately, Earth naturally provides a Kapha-reducing diet in the spring, full of leafy greens, roots, low fat and calorie harvest, and alkaline foods. Spring is a time of growth and renewal. The harvest is abundant in leafy greens rich in immune-boosting chlorophyll, like dandelion leaf, green beans, asparagus, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and mustard greens. Roots like onions and garlic can help to clear out mucus. Sprouts clean the intestinal villi and enhance digestion. Berries support the Lymphatic System. These foods all cleanse and stimulate the liver, which is sluggish at the start of spring because of the high fat, protein, and overall heavy diet in winter. Overall, these raw, bitter, astringent, and pungent seasonal foods are perfectly timed to help with the congestion of Kapha.
Take it Further…
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