From about mid-September to the end of October we are in a transitional stage in nature (if you are living in and around Scandinavia), where the shift from warm and moist Pitta season changes to dry and cold Vata season, and where your body would love your support in order to go through the transition smoothly. In the moments of changes from one season to another excess mucous production happens, and if we do not help the body to dry up that mucous, it will act as an anchor for viruses that cause the “common cold” that many of us are suffering from in the fall. Luckily however we do not need to “invent the wheel” as nature itself provides us many of the fruits and vegetables seasonally just at the right time, which helps us with this shifting task.
- CARBS – It is OK to give in to your carbs craving now! It actually is a MUST to bring good carbs back to your plate again in greater quantities! Barley, oats, rice, sweet potato, spelt are waiting to be invited to your plate now.
- PROTEIN – a big yes! Nuts, seeds, legumes, spinach, artichokes – they all are serving you well now!
- WARM FOOD – If you were big on salad in summer, do your body a favour now and gradually switch this habit towards cooked vegetable stews! Ayurveda never suggests huge quantities of salad as it is slow to digest food, but especially now when your digestion is at its low point, salad is simply too much for the system to handle.
- WATER – warm water with a bit of lemon or lime is a good way to hydrate your system after the hot summer when the body has lost a lot of water. Herbal teas where cardamom, coriander, fennel are represented is a great drink also to go for now (check out the Indo-Scandi Tridoshic Soother blend).
- DAIRY – yoghurt, ice cream, sweet dairy products are not recommended this season as they further increase mucous production.
- FRUITS – sweet seasonal fruits like apples, pears, plums, figs, melons are all there to make the transition to the Vata period go smoothly.