March diet guide

In the late winter to early spring, the earth and water elements are predominant in our environment and in our bodies.

This time of year is referred to as Kapha season and it typically runs from late February to mid-May. (Download your kapha balancing tip sheet here.) Temperatures become slightly warmer, snow melts, the earth gets muddy. As as our environment warms up, so do we. (If you notice your environment is still very dry and cold, please check out the February Guide.)

The heat of the spring rising helps melt some of the fat in our bodies. Your body is prompted into a natural state of detoxification. You may first notice the psychological effects of heat rising with emotions such as frustration, anger, criticism, and bitterness. This is the effect of the liver beginning fat metabolism as you get warmer. As the environment continues to warm and get damper qualities, fat gets released into the bloodstream and can cause lymphatic congestion and the production of more mucus. This buildup can feel like sluggish digestion, sinus congestion, lots of phlegm, post-nasal drip, a feeling of inertia, and it can look like darker, muddier stools. You may feel this emotionally as feelings of sadness grief, or deep seated emotions. If you start to feel sore throats and congestion try some Cold Candy inspired by Cate Stillman. I give it to my daughter whenever she starts to feel symptomatic and the snot just/cold dissipates.

Thankfully, Ayurveda provides us with a number of simple tips you can make to your diet to stave off the imbalances of Kapha season. Ayurveda recommends that you create balance by cultivating opposite qualities. The qualities of March and Kapha dosha in most parts of the Northern hemisphere are cold, wet, heavy, dull, slow, sticky, smooth/slimy, soft or hard like mud…they are static, steady, cloudy, liquid, dense, and gross (as opposed to subtle). They can be balanced by lighter and rougher qualities and tastes that are bitter and pungent. All of these will help you align with nature’s fat burning season and help you prepare for summer.

Start with lightly cleansing by reducing the amount of sugar, heavy grains, gluten, dairy, heavy fats and oils in your diet. (You may even try stimulating autophagy, your body’s natural ability to detoxify by experimenting with intermittent fasting. In addition, enjoy the bitter, pungent, and a little astringent as these will help you feel light and refreshed. The bitter taste can be found in leafy greens, and roots like dandelion, burdock, chaparral, and goldenseal. These can easily be added to clear broth soups and they will help you cleanse the liver, move bile, and get excess fat and mucus out of the intestines so you can spit or cough it out easier. The astringent taste can be found in legumes, sprouts, and most raw veggies. The pungent taste can be found in herbs like cumin, cayenne, chilis, turmeric, ginger, mustard, tarragon, and many of the spices found in Mexican cuisine. You may find these spices paired with lighter fare particularly helpful if you are having sluggish digestion. These pungent tastes rev up your circulation, thin the blood, heat you up, promote healthy elimination, and help you cleanse the lymphatic system.

Debbie Helfeld, MPH, Ayurvedic Health Counselor, RYT-500 has gifted us a spice mix recipe this spring to help ease the transition from winter to spring (from vata to kapha). Check out her Korma Churna recipe here.

Not sure where to start? Add a simple cleansing vegetable juice to your breakfast, try a soup like borscht for supper, or throw some taco seasoning on your next meal. Better yet, join Debbie in her Conscious Cooking for Spring Class.

As always, keep it organic, keep it local and remember the importance of how you eat too. Slow down, relax, chew slowly and enjoy the lighter fare as you shift from spring into summer. Remember that food is medicine and can be used as part of your sadhana (spiritual practice) to help you cultivate balance in body, mind, and spirit.

Om shanti, shanti, shanti. Om peace, peace, Great Peace.

Love,

Suzanne