OCTOBER diet guide

If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, try the Ayurvedic Diet for April Instead. 

In the month of October in the Northern Hemisphere, the air and ether element become predominant in the atmosphere and in the universe of you. These elements compose what is referred to in Ayurveda as Vata dosha. Vata is characterized by the energy of catabolism. An energy that breaks things down. We can see this in the winds of change that have brought the season of summer to close. This catabolic energy is also visible in the skies that now have crystal clear evenings full of stars. 

The cooler weather and winds lead to a feeling of nostalgia where you may find yourself wanting to ground down during this time. Wanting to spend more time indoors and get cozy in your home. 

As the air becomes dryer and the temperature of the atmosphere drops. The body responds by starting to draw blood from the extremities into the core.  This can cause the muscles to feel tired and your hands and feet cold. Sipping on cinnamon tea can help warm those extremities. Blood is still circulating, but more towards the core of your being…towards your internal organs. Digestion therefore becomes stronger during the colder months; so, we crave heavier foods like potatoes and heavy grains, and more fat filled foods that will help our bodies stay warmer through the winter months. This layer of fat insulation not only keeps us warm but supports our ojas (immunity). 

Overall the lifestyle and dietary guidelines for October are grounding and nurturing. Enjoy the qualities of warm, oily, and heavy when you cook and design your days. Think grounding routines and comfort foods that build ojas (immunity). The tastes of sweet, salty, and sour will support these qualities. The sweet taste grounds and nourishes the tissues. The salty taste helps with water retention/hydration. And the sour taste helps your digestion stay strong.

To ground down, start to swap out salad for soups, lighter veggies for root veggies cooked in good oils like ghee/sesame oil, warm dairy, bone broths, nuts and beef. These will add a layer of insulating fat to your body that will support your immune system and body temperature through winter. Swap out cold drinks for warm water or herbal decaf tea. Enjoy mildly spiced food with spices like allspice, anise, asafoetida, basil, bay, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, mustard, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, saffron, turmeric.

Very hot spices like cayenne or horseradish may make you feel hot in the moment but that heat may dry you out more and once the rush is gone, leave you feeling colder. 

Depending on your dosha, you may notice a variety of physical, psychological, and energetic symptoms. 

Those with high pitta (the elements of fire and water) may find themselves enjoying the cooler nights as their hot disposition gets balanced by the coolness of the wind element. They may also find that heavier foods are just what they need to feed the roaring fire of their digestion so that they don’t get hangry. (Get your pitta balancing tip sheet here.)

Kapha types (the elements of earth and water) may notice that they have an increase in cravings for sweet and comfort food. They may find themselves thriving from the dryness of the air and yet working hard to balance out the cold qualities that can exacerbate their imbalances. Kaphas may also start to overeat and must take extra strides to stay disciplined and practice mindful eating during this time. (Get your kapha balancing tip sheet here.)

Vata types are typically dry and during the fall months get even dryer from the air and ether elements of fall winds. (Get your vata balancing tip sheet here.) Vatas can better support their immunity and digestion by making sure they are well lubricated inside and out. Their digestion is weaker overall because the wind of fall further exacerbates the dryness in the body making it hard for food to flow down the digestive channel. Consuming ¼ cup of warm to tea like hot water with meals will help soften and moisten the food, making digestion easier. Vatas may also stimulate their digestion by eating a dime sized slice of ginger sprinkled with rock salt and sucking on a slice of lime about 20 minutes before meals. Hvingastak tea is also helpful for stimulating digestion. Overall vata digestion is eased by enjoying more cooked soups, stews, and one-pot meals and cultivating steady, regular routines. The dryness of the air also affects vata’s skin and mucous membranes. 

Vatas may also experience eczema, constipation, insomnia, or dry coughs through this season. Sipping warm to tea like hot water throughout the day, oiling all orifices, and a regular practice of abhyanga (Ayurvedic self massage) will also help them stay well lubricated so they can digest better and feel grounded within themselves. If you try all this and realize that you need more support for your digestion, you may choose to experiment with haritaki. Haritaki softens stools, supports the colon, reduces gas, and soothes the nervous system. A great remedy for those with vishama agni (irregular digestion, learn more about healing gas and bloat here). When vata is very aggravated, you can lose sleep. If you notice yourself experiencing loss of sleep/insomnia, check out this article on healing sleep.

All doshas will do better with a regular routine. Our feelings of wanting to get cozy indoors are a direct physiological response to a body that feels a bit ungrounded and we can support our nervous system by cultivating a steady and stable routine that attunes to circadian rhythms. In other words, attune to the sun, how it rises and sets. Rise with the sun, eat your biggest meal at noon when the sun is strongest in the sky, and wind down as it sets and get to bed by 10pm.  Other grounding activities include walking, sitting by fires, curling up with books, using weighted blankets, baths, and snuggling with people you love. Create time for leisure, space to think, and avoid unnecessary distractions that invite more anxiety or scattered feelings that lead to overwhelm. Slow down. Ground down. 

Abhyanga (self massage) is also incredibly grounding, follow this practice with a bath and your skin will feel nurtured, your nervous system totally relaxed, your immunity stronger, and your sleep will be deeper. Vatas benefit from sesame oil. Kapha from olive oil and pitta with sunflower or coconut oil. 

Sipping on dashmoola tea can also be incredibly grounding. Dashamoola stimulants apana vayu – downard moving energy. It is great for grounding during vata season. If you find yourself in a space of overwhelm or having trouble eliminating, try dashamoola tea. This tea also supports the lungs and reduces mucus without creating too much dryness in the body. 

In order to maintain balance throughout this season it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms in your body and strive to create balance by balancing the qualities of the elements that are exacerbated. This work now will go a long way in supporting your immune system throughout the cold winter months. If you get stuck or have trouble with sleep, energy, digestion, or even your spiritual practice consider joining Healthwise. This program does wonders for helping the body and life thrive.