The crisp fall air always makes me think of thick sweaters, riding boots, pumpkin flavored everything, and Vata season.
Wait... What?
Yes, through my experience in yoga teacher training, I have learned to embrace every aspect of the being a yogi including Ayurveda, or life science. While at the Yoga Journal LIVE! Conference in Estes Park, CO this year, had the pleasure of attending a session with the Dean of the School of Ayurvedic Medicine at the Kripalu Center in the mountains of Massachusetts. Larissa Carlson Hall gave an overview of Ayurveda that I found very beneficial for understanding how food, weather, experiences, etc. affects our bodies... Now I'll share what I learned with you!
The practice of Ayurveda includes everything from lifestyle habits to diet, but for the purposes of this post we'll focus on the diet aspect, starting with a short description of the 3 doshas - Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
Simply stated, the doshas are constitutions which everyone has at different ratios in their body. Doshas are made up of varying elements, and can be described like this:
- Vata: Wind and Esther (Space)- think cool and crisp, fall
- Pitta: Fire and Water - think hot and acidic; summer
- Kapha: Earth and Water -think thick and sticky; winter and early spring
Depending on the constitution, we need more or less of things that support the other two in doshas in our bodies. For example:
- If the Kapha constitution is most prevalent (slower and warm natured), foods that increase the metabolism and cool the body down should be consumed, such as spicy foods and iced beverages.
- If the constitution of a person is Pitta (fast paced and hot natured), they should avoid foods that are too hot or increase the metabolism, such as spicy foods or caffeine.
Make sense?
So fall is vata season, meaning everything gets cool and crisp. The leaves get crunchy, and in a way, so do we. The skin gets dry and the body gets cold. Vata increases in fall, and to combat these symptoms we should use the concept of ayurvedic diet to keep our bodies in balance. Foods that assist in keeping balance during the Vata season include:
- Hearty soups and stews
- Warm beverages - Hot chocolate, cider, etc.
- Roasted or sautéed root vegetables
- Oatmeal
Keeping the body nourished with warm, thick, hearty foods can help to keep the Vata in balance and the body happy. Be careful to not overdue these foods if your main constitution is Kapha as it can be overdone!
Here's an easy recipe for a hearty bowl of oatmeal that is sure to shake off that fall chill!
- 1/2 cup dry, old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon of pure maple syrup
- palm full of chopped walnuts
- palm full of raisins
