Aahar Vihar In Varsha Ritu As Per Ayurveda!

Diet in Varsha ritu (rainy season) -

Water available in the reservoirs during monsoon is comparatively heavy to digest and the metabolism is sluggish during this period. Keeping this in mind one needs to make the following changes in his diet:

• Consume light and fresh foods prepared from barley, rice and wheat
• Include cow’s ghee, lean meat, lentils, green gram, rice and wheat in daily diet.
• Consume small piece of ginger with rock salt before every meal.
• Take sour and salted soups of vegetables. Onion, lean meat and vegetables may also be used in soups.
• If the days are cooler due to heavy rains, take a diet that is sour, salty and oily.
• Drink boiled and cooled water mixed with little honey
• Add ginger and green gram in your daily diet
• Eat warm food and avoid eating uncooked foods and salads
• Avoid drinking an excess of cold fluids at this further slows down the metabolism.
• Avoid consuming stale food.
• Avoid leafy vegetables during monsoon.
• Avoid curds, red meat and any foodstuff, which takes longer time to digest. One may have buttermilk instead of curds.
• Bhavaprakash states that consuming ‘haritaki (Terminalia chebula) with rock salt in the monsoon season is beneficial to health.

Lifestyle varsha ritu (rainy season):

Only taking a healthy diet may not provide desired benefits unless supported by a healthy lifestyle. The important changes that one should make in one’s lifestyle in the rainy season are:

• Avoid sleeping in the daytime as it hampers digestion and slows down the metabolism
• Avoid overexertion and overexposure to the sun. Avoid moving out in afternoon sun.
• Always keep the surrounding dry and clean. Do not allow water to get accumulated around.
• Keep body warm as viruses attack immediately when body temperature goes down.
• Do not enter the air-conditioned room with wet hair and damp clothes.
• Avoid walking in dirty water during the rainy season. Keep your feet dry.
• Avoid getting wet in the rains. If you happen to get wet, change into dry clothes as soon as possible to avoid getting infections as immunity is low during this season.
• Drying clothes with fumes of loban and dry neem leaves is also recommended in ayurvedic texts.
• Panchkarma can be done.
• Use of perfumes is advocated in this season.

Ayurveda states that when seasons are changing and an individual changes his/her lifestyle and diet to suit that particular season, the change must be gradual over a period of 15 days. Slowly try to give up the initial lifestyle and adopt the new one. It the changes are brought about drastically the body may not be able to cope with them and this could lead to problems.