Blog
It is April and spring is in full swing in the UK – trees are laden with pink and white blossoms, and gardeners are busy planting. The sun is frequently out, and we are beginning to feel the effects of the beaming sun. We start to feel the urge to enjoy nature, a clue that our physical vessel too is under the influence of Spring’s greeting.
Winter is a time when the heavy and sticky elements of water and earth (or kapha dosha) accumulate in our bodies; conversely with the introduction of Spring these start to dissolve, leading to the development of viral infections, colds, and coughs. This results in low digestive fire, lethargy, tendency to over-sleep and skin flare ups.
Ayurveda points the way to ease our bodies into this seasonal change. Naturally, our eating habits need to be aligned to the change in the season. As the body is trying to move from the heavy winter into the lightness of spring, our diet needs to be light. Here are some ayurvedic tips to put a spring into our step:
- Avoid heavy, fatty, and fried foods.
- Reduce dairy products such as yoghurt, milk, and cheese.
- Avoid fruits and smoothies in the morning especially from 6am to 10am, which is the kapha time of the day (a time when the heavy qualities prevail).
- Eat light foods such as old grains - that would be aged basmati rice or other grains that are at least a year old. If you cannot find old grains, you can lightly toast the rice or grains before cooking, this will create a light quality.
- Eat more of millets which are lighter and rougher, and therefore more suitable for low digestive fire of springtime.
- Suitable lentils for spring are mung beans (moong dal), red lentils (masoor dal) and pigeon peas (toor dal); these have a light quality.
- Enjoy all seasonal vegetable – in the UK, the seasonal vegetables available in April and May include artichokes, beetroot, carrots, chicory, new potatoes, kale, parsnips, radishes, rhubarb, rocket, sorrel, spinach, spring greens, spring onions and watercress.
- This is a suitable time to enjoy some bitter tasting herbs or leaves; dandelions are ideal, as a fresh supply is available in every garden. Eat a few leaves every day during summer to bid farewell to a host of potential ailments. Bitter taste mitigates the heaviness that is trying to leave us in spring.
- The other two tastes that will bring on the spring detox are astringent and pungent. Gently spice your food for the pungent taste. Check out our spring recipes in the recipe section. The astringent taste can be found in herbal teas such as raspberry leaf tea, green tea, nettles, and roses. Try our turmeric and ginger pickle in our cafe for a good dose of these tastes.
- Honey is a wonderful and delicious tonic for this season. Just make sure that you do not add honey to hot water, as heating honey can make it harmful. Boiled cooled water, mixed with 1 tsp of honey taken every day in the spring is a good remedy for weight loss – alongside avoiding fatty and starchy foods, of course!
- Decrease the sweet taste. If you must have a dessert, keep it to an occasional treat in small portions!
- Herbal remedies that can stoke up the digestive fire include dried ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and cumin – see our recipe section for some digestive remedies.
- Yoghurt is a no, no in this season, but a diluted yoghurt drink called ‘lassi’ is recommended - see our recipe section for a masala lassi, which helps to increase the digestive power.
- Wake up early and avoid sleeping in the kapha time of 6 to 10am – you will feel much brighter and energetic during the day. The best thing would be to cut the sleep time to enjoy a walk, in nature!
- Why not try our Spring Thali meal at our cafe, which is especially put together to harmonise our bodies for the spring season?
We hope that you can use something from our tips to brighten your spring!
