Spring into action: Prepare for summer

Springtime is allergy time.  For some people we only need mention the word “spring” and they begin to sneeze.  Many people feel confused when they become sick in the spring.  After all the weather has become warmer and during the cold winter months they were quite healthy.  Why now, they wonder?  Why now am I sneezing and coughing and wishing my sinuses would not be constantly reminding me of their existence?

Both the ancient medical system of Ayurveda and modern medicine know that seasonal transitions challenge the body:  they cause minor illnesses and contribute to larger ones.  If we wish to stroll through the year with a happy and healthy step we must consistently aim to keep the mind-body in balance.  Spring’s health disrupting influence is partly the backlog of winter’s effects.  Kapha dosha gives the body strength and substance during the winter months.  In the spring the warmer weather loosens and liquefies the kapha and if there is an excess of this dosha mucus (which is a physical waste product) appears.  In the spring we are all more susceptible to colds, nasal allergies, coughs, sinusitis, and other respiratory congestion syndromes.

Ayurveda offers a manual for living.  The ancient sages understood the place of the human being in the natural world and they understood the effects changes in nature had on the mind-body.  Wisdom, coming from the sages, was originally passed through the generations orally.  Later texts were written and we are fortunate to have this knowledge at our disposal today.  Whereas modern medicine is beginning to take note of the problems inherent in seasonal transitions Ayurveda gives deep knowledge and practicalities for how to handle these challenges.  Following are some interventions you can use to eliminate a susceptibility to allergies or spring time colds and coughs.

1.  Eat well cooked beans and lentils.  These are drying to the physiology.  In the spring we need foods that dry and warm the body.  Lentil soups and dahl will serve you well during this time of the year.
2. Try drinking fennel tea.  Digestion often becomes slower as the weather warms and fennel tea will act as a digestive aid.
3. Now is a good time to eat onions, garlic, shallots and leeks.  This family of foods is heating and drying.  Consuming them will help you to dry and warm the body.
4. A few drops of sunflower oil in the nose will help to coat the lining of the sinuses.  These drops of liquid will bring down inflammation and will protect the lining of the nose from the pollen and dust which trigger the inflammatory process. Do three drops in each nostril for one month.
5. Drink hot water with lemon first thing in the morning.  Start your day with this.  Just a few drops of lemon in water are a powerful medicine against inflammation.  As the body tries to break down the pollen that is fighting against it becomes inflamed.   Lemon alkalinizes the body.  Inflammation causes an acidic environment and alkalinizing the body is protective.

In natural medicine we do things habitually.  It is every day habits which keep us healthy.  For instance, we know you will feel better the first time you use the sunflower drops, but you must do this habitually, for at least one month.  The same goes for the other suggestions.  Stick with them for a month and we believe you will have a smooth transition into summer.  It is always possible to feel better than you do.  All any of us know is our experience of ourselves—-maximize this experience and be amazed at just how great you can feel!

Happy springtime!

Feeling Tired Lately?

In the past few weeks, it has seemed to me, that when I ask friends how they’re doing, I often get the same answer, “Lately, I am just so darn tired.”   Or else I hear that they are recovering from a cough, a cold, or the flu.  Does the experience of my friends match your experience?

The calendar page has recently been flipped and we are now into April.  Spring has arrived!  Shouldn’t we all feel terrific and happy about this turn of events?

Springtime brings the promise of warmer days and a feeling of exhilaration.  After all, the freedom of summer is just around the corner.  At the same time spring does have a health-disrupting influence, primarily the result of the backlog of winter’s effects.

It is widely accepted in the scientific world that the elements of nature are expressed in the human physiology.  Following this line of thinking it is logical that we are all deeply affected by the change in seasons.  In Chapter 3 of Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way we discuss the “elemental you” and explain how the elements of nature are expressed in the human physiology.  (Physics is a heady subject but remember that modern quantum physics echoes ancient knowledge.  But don’t be scared.  We explain all this in a straight-forward, easy to understand manner—-Sandra and I find physics a bit intimidating too!)

Kapha dosha, which is a combination of the elements of earth and water, accumulates in the physiology during the winter months.   Kapha dosha is responsible for the body’s substance.  In the spring this dosha is eliminated from the body.  If the physiology has accumulated excess Kapha, mucus is often produced as a waste product.  As a result in the spring many people are more susceptible to colds, nasal allergies, coughs, sinusitis, and other respiratory congestion syndromes, and they often have a heavy feeling of tiredness.

According to Ayurveda we need to alter our diet and our daily habits to fit the demands of the natural world.  Therefore, in the springtime we need to focus on reducing Kapha dosha.  Following are a few helpful ideas for accomplishing this goal:

Exercise is always an important aspect of daily routine but in the springtime regular exercise is more important than at any other time of the year.  Exercise reduces toxins in the physiology and protects against the build-up of mucus-causing illnesses.

Yes, you may feel tired at this time of the year but according to Ayurveda you should avoid daytime sleep.  Sleeping during the daytime doesn’t rest the body.  On the contrary, it adds to the experience of lethargy and heaviness.

In the springtime we often want to reach for a cool drink, but this is not advisable.  We should drink warm drinks which help the digestive system to eliminate toxins.  Stay away from cold and especially iced drinks.  At the very least make sure your drinks are room temperature.  And, stay warm—-Kapha dosha accumulates when the body is cold.  Mother was right when she told you to cover your head and keep yourself warm.  This does help to ward off colds!

Ancient knowledge suggests that in the spring we minimize cold, sweet, sour, salty or oily foods and favor warm, spicy, astringent, and bitter tastes.  Your food should, as always, nurture your spirit and fit the requirements of the season.  Remember, the most important requirements about nutrition are always that the food be fresh and eaten with attention.  In other words, pay attention to what you are eating.  Take the time to taste it and enjoy it.  No, attention-deficit eating allowed!

The seasons of the year influence us through many factors such as weather, length of day, and even plant life, which is altered during the yearly rhythm of the earth’s journey around the sun.  Seasonal transitions challenge the body; they cause minor illnesses and can contribute to larger ones.

Ayurveda is all about prevention and by adjusting our routines to the season we aim to keep the body in balance.  In this way we reduce colds, sore throats, and other seasonal ailments while maintaining health and vitality.

When we take care of our physical health we are also protecting our emotional life.  The mind-body is one—–moving smoothly from one season to another protects us from depression as well as from other maladies.

 

Thanks for reading,

Nancy and Sandra