Seasonal Tips

March - The Kapha Season

March needs to continue the theme of balancing kapha because kapha is not only increased by the heavy weather of winter, but even spring time increases kapha because kapha is responsible for growth and so must be strong through March and April into May.

In January we emphasized balancing kapha in general. In February we emphasized exercise as a most fundamental strategy for keeping kapha balanced.

In March it’s worthwhile considering the foods you are eating and the processes of digesting the food so as to keep a better balance.

You may by now have noticed that your weight is increasing as the season progresses, and if so this will indicate to you that you are eating more than your body wants. So, certainly you need more food in winter in order to generate more heat in cold weather to keep yourself warm, but you may be overdoing it.

Eat Appropriately

So the first strategy for a balanced kapha in relation to food is to eat appropriately to your nature. So you should always have hunger for your meals and eat to satisfy the hunger.

This is most important at breakfast. If you overeat at breakfast time you throw kapha out of the balance for the day because breakfast comes during kapha time of the day, between six and ten.

So ensure you have a light breakfast leaving you just contented, but hungry come midday for your middle meal of the day.

Having eaten appropriately at breakfast you are hungry for your lunch and, again, after lunch ensure that you haven’t overeaten. Just check that you are fulfilled but not filled full.
So if you eat appropriately at lunch you’ll have some appetite again for your evening meal about six.

You should not eat in between meals unless hungry, but, if so, just have something light between meals so as not to rob the hunger for the next meal.

Presuming you are eating the right amount of food at the right time, the next strategy for good digestion is relaxed eating. Always sit, always take time out and always relax and enjoy your food. There should be no stress, or anger, or depression over food. Food should be enjoyed. This stimulates the digestive juices and helps you get more benefit from the foods you are eating.

Kapha Reducing Foods

Choose kapha-reducing foods. These should be eaten warm.
• Because our digestion and metabolism can be dull with the kapha season, it’s nice if you could use a digestive. A good one is chopped ginger with a little lemon, salt and honey just before the meal.
  
• In the food itself, spices like fennel, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, basil are excellent to support digestion.
  
• The foods to favour are foods which are light, hot, dry. The tastes -  pungent, or hot; bitter taste and astringent taste. The bitter taste is there in leafy greens, it’s there in a lemon. Astringent taste is the dry, puckering feeling in the mouth like with an apple or with dhals.
  
• Steam, or boil, or bake, or grill foods, but don’t use much oil in the cooking. Avoid using oils, or avoid much heavy dairy.
  
• In general, vegetables, spices, pulses and grains, other than wheat, are good for kapha.
  
• Remember your nature. If you are kapha, two meals a day may be sufficient, whereas pitta and vata will need more.