DIET FOR DIFFERENT SEASONS
DIETETICS FOR WINTER
During the cold winter, the digestive power of human beings possessing good health is enhanced due to the restraint caused upon it by the cold wind, so much so that it is capable of digesting any food stuff irrespective of its heaviness and the quantity when it does not get the proper fuel, the digestive fire affects the nutritive fluids, resulting in the vitiation of vata having cold quality. Therefore one should take the unctuous, sour and saltish juices eat more sweet and less of bitter, astringent, pungent. Avoid dry or uncooked foods (especially salads, raw fruits and vegetables). If one is habitually takes preparation of cow’s milk, cane juice, fat, oil, new rice and hot water during the winter. His span of life is never decreased for winter, heavy food is prescribed -both quantitatively and qualitatively. Unless heavy food is taken, the digestive process cannot function properly. Because for the want of adequate fuel within the body as a result of which the vata gets vitiated. This also happens because väta is cold by nature and its contact with external cold wind during winter season renders it liable to be vitiated. This can be neutralized by only by the intake of heavy food, which provides sufficient heat and also adequate nutrition to the tissues. Don’t worry if your appetite increases –this is a natural tendency in winter and helps pacify vata.
DIET FOR SPRING
During the spring, the accumulated kapha is liquefied by the heat of the sun and as such disturbs the power of digestion and causes many diseases. So, one should avoid heavy, unctuous, sour and sweet diets. One should take food consisting of barley and wheat Favor a diet that is lighter, drier and less oily than during other seasons. Heavy dairy products which tend to aggravate kapha. Favor warm drink and warm food. Eat more food with pungent, bitter and astringent tastes and fewer with sweet, sour and salty tastes
DIET FOR SUMMER
During the summer, the sun evaporates the moisture of the earth by its rays. In that season, agni is natural yellow, so we may find that our appetite decreases in summer. Respect this change not by over eating. The in take of sweet, cold, liquid and unctuous diets and drinks is prescribed. One should take cold mantha (a type of groat) along with sugar as well as ghee, milk, along with shali rice. Favor sweet, bitter and astringent tastes .one should avoid diets, which are salty, sour, pungent or hot.
DIETETICS FOR RAINY SEASON
In the body, weekend during the period of dehydration the power of digestion is also weakened. It is further weakened due to the vitiation of vata dosa during the rains. The power of digestion in this period is also affected due to gas coming out of the earth rainfall increases of acidity in water and consequently vata and other dosas get vitiated so it is advisable to be moderate as regard to diet and regimen during rainy season. One should generally use honey in preparing diets, drinks. If the days are cooler due to heavy rains accompanied by the storms, one should take such of the diets as are conspicuously sour, salty and unctuous, this serves as an effective antidote to the vitiation of vata during the rainy season .In order to maintain normal power of digestion one should take old barley, wheat and shali rice. When it is too cold due to heavy rains accompanied with storms, the sour and salty diets are to be taken.
DIETETICS F OR AUTUMN
The body parts adopted for rains and cold are suddenly exposed to the heat of the sun with the beginning of the autumn so the pitta accumulated during the rains gets generally vitiated. In this season bitter food and drinks, which have potentialities to alleviate pitta, are to be taken in proper quantity when there is good appetite. Intake of ghee prepared with bitter medicines. In this season only light food is to be taken. Lighter the food the greater is the power of digestion. Even though pitta is identified with fire itself, it brings about loss of appetite due to an increase in its liquid fraction. As it has been said, “As even hot water extinguishes fire, so does pitta suppress the digestive power.