Modification of diet in Early winter, Late winter, Different seasons and diet in India

           Ayurveda for a healthy life ! – 15/2023

10.  Early winter season (Hemant rutu)

In North India, the Hemant rutu lasts from 22^nd October to 21^st December (Kartik and Margashirsha months of the Hindu calendar), while in South India it lasts from 22^nd November to 21^st January (Margashirsha and Pousha months of the Hindu calendar).

The initial period of the winter season is the Hemant rutu. The sky is clear but there is fog. Hence, the sun is not seen regularly. The climate is cold, dry and foggy. The ground is cold. The water is clean and sweet in taste. The potency of medicinal herbs is strong. The climate, earth and water are dominated by the sweet taste. The body strength, secretion of digestive juices and digestive power are excellent. There is subduing of Pitta (Pittaprasham) in this season. As the climate is cold, exposure to the sun is helpful. One should avoid strolling at night in starlight
as the breeze is cold. One should also avoid going for walks
during the early morning and late evening.

Diet in early winter : One should consume a heavy diet, which includes all the six types of taste. One should avoid very cold and dry food items and eat food items dominant in oil and ghee.

Beneficial and harmful diet in early winter

		Beneficial diet	Harmful diet
1. Cereals		New cereals (only in this season), e.g., rice, wheat, jowar and bajra	Ragi, yava (barley) and vari
2. Pulses		Tur (red gram), chavli (cow peas), mung (green gram), chana (gram), udid (black gram), til (sesame seeds) and matki (moth beans)	Kulith (horse gram), val, peas and masur (lentil)
3. Vegetables		Snakegourd, kushmanda (ash gourd), navalkol, carrot, cabbage, brinjal, radish, shirale (ridge gourd), onion, drumstick, sweet potato, lady finger, tondali, ambat chuka, methi (fenugreek), palak (spinach), cauliflower, suran (yam), potato, beetroot, pumpkin and dudhi (bottle gourd)	Karela (bitter gourd), takla (Cassia tora), alu (colocasia), kamalakanda (lotus stem), shepu, shingada (water chestnut) and kardal
4. Fruits		Custard apple, banana, chiku, apple, jackfruit, coconut, guava, pomegranate, orange and pineapple	Toddy fruit, jamun, papaya and kamarak
5. Nuts and dry fruits		Jardalu (apricot), almond, pista, walnut, cashew nut and dates	–
6. Oil		Oil, ghee and animal fat	–
7. Milk products		Milk, curd, butter, paneer (cottage cheese), cheese, ghee, buttermilk and kharvas	–
8. Meat		Meat of a sheep, deer, buffalo, fox, snake, mongoose, pigeon, sparrow, lava, peacock and chatak, mutton, pork, well water fish and prawns	Crab, tortoise, shellfish, dry fish and roasted fish
9. Sugar based products		Sugarcane, sugar and sugarcane products	–
10. Spices		All kinds of spices	–
11. Drinking water and beverages		Water boiled till 1/4th of its volume remains or wine prepared from mahua (Madhuca longifolia) fruit	Cold water

11.  Late winter season (Shishir rutu)

In North India, the Shishir rutu lasts from 22^nd December to 21^st February, that is, Pousha and Magha months of the Hindu lunar calendar, whereas this season is not seen in South India as the cold climate there is not severe.

The sky is clean and clear. But due to fog there is less sunshine. The breeze is cold and dry. Overall the climate is very cold and dry. Sometimes there is cyclonic wind and rain.

The ground is cold. The water is cold, clear and sweet. The potency of medicinal herbs is strong. The climate, earth and water are dominated by the bitter taste. The body strength, secretion of digestive juices and digestive power are excellent.

Diet in late winter

One should consume a heavy diet with sweet, sour and salty taste. One should avoid food items with pungent, bitter and astringent tastes and alkaline salts (Ksharas). One can consume oil and ghee.

Beneficial and harmful diet in late winter

		Beneficial diet	Harmful diet
1. Cereals		New rice, wheat, jowar and bajra (less than a year old) [only in this season]	–
2. Pulses		Black peas, udid (black gram), til (sesame seeds), green peas and mung (green gram)	Matki (moth beans), chana (gram), masur (lentil) and kulith (horse gram)
3. Vegetables		Snakegourd, cabbage, navalkol, kushmanda (Ash gourd), brinjal, radish, carrot, shirale (Ridge gourd), onion, drumstick, sweet potato, tondali, lady finger, methi (fenugreek), palak (spinach), ambat chuka, cauliflower, suran (yam), potato, beetroot, pumpkin and dudhi (bottle gourd)	Karela (bitter gourd), kardal, shepu, alu (colocasia), takla (Fetid cassia), kamalakanda (lotus stem) and shingada (water chestnut)
4. Fruits		Custard apple, banana, chiku, apple, guava, coconut, oranges, pomegranate and pineapple	Kamarak, toddy fruit, papaya and jamun
5. Nuts and dry fruits		Walnut, dates, kharik, jardalu (apricot), pista, almond and dry black grapes	–
6. Oil		Oil, ghee and animal fat	–
7. Milk products		Milk, curd, butter, ghee, paneer (cottage cheese), cheese, buttermilk, khava and kharvas	–
8. Meat		Meat of a sheep, deer, buffalo, snake, mongoose, fox, pigeon, sparrow, lava, peacock, chatak, mutton, pork and lake water fish	Crab, tortoise, shellfish, dry fish and roasted fish
9. Sugar based products		Sugar, sugarcane and sugarcane products	–
10. Spices		All types of spices	–
11. Drinking water and beverages		Water boiled till it reduces to half the initial volume and wine prepared from mahua fruit	–

12.  Different seasons and diet

12A.     Diet and activity in different seasons

1.     One should always eat hot and fresh food. In summer and the rainy season, the digestive power is weak. Hence, one should take a light diet. Food should have all the six types of taste but
any strong taste should be avoided. In winter, the digestive
power is good. Hence, one can take a tasty diet and eat to one’s heart’s content.

2.     In Sharad rutu, that is, in October, there is excessive accumulation of Pitta (Pittaprakopa). Hence, one should eat food items with pungent, sour and salty taste in a less quantity.

   3.     In Vasant rutu, i.e., in March and April, there is increase in the Kapha dosha. Hence, one should eat food items with sweet, sour and salty taste in a less quantity.

4.     As the climate is cold in the rainy and winter seasons,
one should eat hot food items, whereas in autumn and summer seasons, one should consume cold food items and cold drinks.

  5.     As the climate is dry in summer, one should consume oily food items and drink a lot of water.

6.     In spring and the rainy season, the climate is moist. Hence, one should consume dry food items and drink less water.

13.  Panchakarma treatment

In spring, i.e., in March and April, there is increase in the Kapha dosha. Hence, vomiting (Vaman) should be induced. In autumn, i.e., in October, there is increase in Pitta dosha. Hence, one should take a purgative.

In the rainy season, there is increase in Vata. Hence, one should take an oil enema.

In autumn, in order to prevent vitiation of blood due to increase in the Pitta dosha, one should take an oil massage.

In summer, one sweats a lot and hence, oil massage should be avoided.

14.  Exercise

In summer and autumn (October), one should do minimum exercise. In the rainy season, one can do moderate exercise, while in winter one can exercise to one’s satisfaction.

15.  Afternoon nap

In summer, one should sleep in the afternoon. In other seasons, one should not sleep during the day.

16.  Healthy individual

An individual who always thinks and consumes a beneficial diet, carries out appropriate activity and exercise, does not indulge in sensual pleasures, behaves with everyone in a friendly manner, speaks the truth, gives offerings, forgives others and helps others, always leads a healthy and happy life.

For more details on diet in different seasons, refer to the Text ‘Daily and Seasonal Regimen’ by the same author.