MAY diet guide

The days are getting longer and the sun is shining brighter yielding beautiful blooms and greens to enjoy. During this month we are working on releasing the last bits of winter insulation from the body by encouraging fat metabolism and cleansing the deep tissues of the body where toxins are stored. To support this process of detoxifying, we are lightening up, increasing the prana (life force energy) in our food, and enjoying the tastes of bitter, astringent, sour, and a little sweet.

Come May our blood is thinner as the winter insulation has burned off. It also flows more as the heat increases. On certain days however, it may feel more congestive from the humidity in the air. The earth and water elements can slow down your circulation. In Ayurveda, this is referred to as pitta kapha season: the fire and water elements rise (with the heat) and so do the earth and water elements (with the humidity/rain/moisture).

There are a variety of symptoms that can accompany this month where heat builds in the body and the liver in particular. You may feel irritable, angry, competitive, or determined – these hot headed emotions are emotions of the liver which is heating up with the weather and your body.

With all of the earth and water element abound in the mud, rain, and so forth, you may feel your allergies and sinuses still getting bogged down. 

Some quick tips to relieve mucus:

1. Move, especially in the morning hours, get that mucus and lymph flowing with exercise. Yogis will enjoy twists as a regular part of their practice to ring out the remaining toxicity in the body.

2. Do a daily swish to release the mucus from the deeper sinus cavities and clean up the gums.

3. Use a net pot daily to help keep those sinuses clear.

4. Or enjoy the Spicy Mucus Buster recipe by Cate Stillman. You could also sip on ginger tea throughout the day.

5. You may also find Super Nasya (a ginger infused nasya oil) relieving for excess mucus.

6. Dry brushing will also help keep your lymph moving.

7. Hydrate with warm to tea like hot water throughout the day.

If Vata is your dominant dosha you may have symptoms of weak muscles, mental fog, or dry mouth – all signs that you need to hydrate more. Ayurveda recommends drinking 2-8 cups of warm to tea like hot water first thing in the morning to stimulate good bowel movements and to sip that warm water throughout the day. Keep a thermos on you to keep it all in flow and add a pinch of salt, lemon, or lime to your water to keep those electrolytes in balance. The sour taste of the lemons and limes will also help you stay cool as it dilates your blood vessels.

Now that you can wear a t-shirt outside, you may find it beneficial to continue to lighten up. Get those grains lighter shifting to amaranth, barley, and quinoa. Shift to a plant based diet and enjoy lighter proteins like mung beans and tofu. Heavy fats and meats aren’t needed this time of year as you don’t need to insulate for the cold weather.

Enjoy salads and juices. The bitter and astringent tastes will help to dry the moisture of late spring, the fat of winter, and leave you feeling light and refreshed. These tastes can be found in greens, greens, and more greens. Increase the amount of vitality and freshness in your diet with sprouts, weeds, and edible flowers. These are full of prana of life force energy. Forage for these flowers and weeds like chickweed, dandelions, lamb’s quarters and more – these will help to diversity your gut microbiome, bringing in phytonutrients from deep within the soil that are shown to help heal a number of chronic modern diseases. The flowers can be used to balance the mental/emotional body too. So, set the intention to connect with mother nature and enjoy some of her divine gifts as you look around your neighborhood and infuse your life force with the vitality of the divine Mother.

Overheating? Introduce foods that cool down the body like cucumber, avocado, lime, fennel, cilantro, and bitter melon. Cilantro is also a staple for cooling down – this herb is particularly great as the days get hotter as it cleanses the liver, calms the immune system, softens stool, and clears inflammation in the urinary tract. You may find things like a chia pudding with mango and cardamom to be cooling and satisfying for breakfast, avocado toast on a sourdough bread with some sprouts and cilantro for lunch, or crudite dipped in guacamole loaded with cilantro to bring that coolness to the body. If you find yourself sweating a lot you can use the sweet taste to help boost your energy and replenish electrolytes. Enjoy berries, mango, papaya, melon, and kiwi to keep you cool.

Start to reduce those spices and focus on feeling calm and refreshed with diet and lifestyle. 

As always keep it local and organic and make it all a mindful experience. Slow down so you can smell the smells, taste the tastes, and enjoy the vitality of your food. The body is a vehicle for your evolution, keep it alive, fresh, and attuned to the rhythm of life.