Tips to Stay Balanced: A Healthy Winter with Ayurveda

In comparison to the European winter, Australia has milder temperatures but it does get cold and damp especially in the mornings and evenings.

Because of the Ayurvedic rule that ‘like attracts like’ this is why in the winter season our Kapha and Vata dosha are likely to aggravate and often result in weight gain, depression, cough and cold, sinusitis etc.

Tips to stay balanced:

Favour a warm, nourishing diet to pacify Vata without aggravating Kapha. We’re designed to eat a little bit more in winter. However, it must be the right types of foods to nurture whilst minimising congestion.
Rice, barley, rye, healthy oils (ghee, linseed, avocado, hemp, olive), and seasonal root vegetables in soups and stews are all recommended.
Avoid Vata aggravating non-seasonal food, such as salads and raw food in general.
Lukewarm water aids in digestion (avoid cold drinks)
Have a warm breakfast (porridge with a sprinkle of Kapha churna and honey is excellent),
6. Steamed vegetables, rice with a little ghee for lunch and at night time try some hot milk with warming spices such as ginger, cinnamon or cardamon.
Stay warm, always wear a hat and scarf outside as 60% of the body heat is lost through the head.
An Ayurvedic oil massage followed by a herbal steam bath is excellent to ward off the cold or ground yourself with a daily self-massage with a warm black seed sesame oil followed by a warm shower/ bath to prevent feelings of coldness, and stiff, aching joints.
Use aromatherapy oils that are warm, pungent and uplifting such as camphor, cinnamon, cloves, orange, cedar and frankincense.
Favour clothes which are bright, cheery colours, such yellow, oranges, purple and pinks.
Exercise: Be up by 6.30-7am at the latest and to do some vigorous exercise to get the lymph moving preventing congestion. Some Sun Salutations are ideal as they build up heat and work all the major muscles
Avoid day sleeping as this will diminish your digestive fire and will make you feel heavy and sluggish.

Ayurvedic herbal supplements and winter essentials

Ayurvedic jams
Chyavanprash and Amalaki Rasayana are ideal over the winter month and will help to strengthen the lungs and boost the body’s immune system – preventing cough and colds.
Sitopladi churna/ cough formulation
To help you get over a cough Sitopladi churna is a wonderful Ayurvedic formulation which is also liked and suited for children.
Ayurvedic spice mix
Kapha and Vata churna – a warming spice mix which can be added to your meals.
Ayurvedic oils
Vata taila, Kapha taila, black sesame oil – are wonderful oils to use for your daily self massage at home.

Try some Lemongrass Tea

Ingredients: 4 glasses of water, 6-10 leaves of lemongrass, 1/4 tsp grounded pepper or pippali powder, a pinch of grated ginger , 1 pinch of turmeric powder

Boil the lemongrass in 4 cups of water
add pepper powder and crushed ginger and turmeric
let it steep for 2-3 minutes
optional: add natural sweetener such as coconut sugar, jaggery, honey

Ayurvedic herb/teas

Amalaki/ Indian gooseberry is the best source of Vitamin C and most beneficial during this season
Try a stimulating Kapha tea in the morning and a calming Vata tea in the afternoon

For more information on winter health please contact info@lakshmiayurveda.com.au. Keep warm!

* 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘎𝘈. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘺𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯. 𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺, 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴.