Ayurvedic diet for monsoon

According to this 5000 year old science, the seasons or ritus have been divided into six namely, Sharad Ritu (Autumn), Varsha Ritu (Monsoon), Greeshma Ritu (Summer), Vasant Ritu (Spring), Hemant Ritu (Early Winter), and Shishir Ritu (Late Winter). Interestingly, the food regulations for each of the Ritus are different.

Every being, plant, animal, or human, according to the Panchabhootha Philosophy (five elements of philosophy) of Ayurveda, is constituted of Vata, Pitta, Kapha. The concentration of these elements vary in each individual and therefore the food requirement also needs to change. Ayurveda text gives high importance to maintaining diets as per the prevailing seasons. For example, during monsoon, vata is aggravated, pitta is accumulated, and kapha is pacified or controlled. Further earth vapour and humidity due to clouds leads to fermentation and resulting in conversion of ingested food into sour components, increasing acidity. Hence, the first necessity is to avoid fermented foods that would lead to further fermentation. Hence one should take light diet, so food can be digested easily.

To make an ayurvedic diet chart for the monsoon season, you will need to find out your body type. To find out which body type you are - vata, pitta, or kapha - you will have to consult with an Ayurvedic doctor.

Breakfast

Cow’s milk is a good ingredient for breakfast. Ingredients used for breakfast should be easily digestible, light, provide quick energy and not lead to lethargy. Barley and gram are such cereals. Avoid wheat and maida for breakfast, as they are difficult to digest.

Lunch

Lunch should consist of all the six rasas or tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Begin the lunch with something sweet – a fruit or sweet, followed by the main course that must contain salty, sour, and pungent foods. End the meal with bitter and astringent digestive items like saunf or ajwain as mouth fresheners.

Dinner

Dinner should be very light. Rice and milk should form the core of this meal. Heavy cereals like wheat are best avoided during night time; consider replacing it with jowar/jola (corn) rotis; corn is more digestive. Take dinner only if you feel light; if you’ve already had something heavy for an evening snack, skip the dinner and just have one or two bananas and a big glass of milk. Buffalo milk, in particular, is known to facilitate good sleep at night. Take care that dinner too includes all six types of rasas or tastes, although you must drastically cut down on the portions you take.

Tips
* Take one harduki, known in English as myrobalam, or five grams of Triphala powder daily in the morning with water. This will help maintain energy throughout the day and boost immunity levels.
*  Include small amount of dry fruits like almonds, pistachios, and walnuts in your daily diet. You may consume them as light snacks; just ensure you don’t consume the fried ones - eat them fresh and raw.
*  Wheat is the more nutritious of all cereals and moong dal is the most easily digestible of all the pulses. Toor dal causes acidity and flatulence; consume it only about once 2 weeks. Also during the monsoon, black gram (urad) should be eaten frequently as it is an antidote to excessive flatulence. You may season it generously with ginger, mustard, cumin seeds, and coriander.
*  Avoid green leafy vegetables during the rains since they are contaminated. Instead, go for yam, sweet potato, brinjal and pumpkin.
* Avoid dried (preserved) meat, sour curd, fermented products, pork, beef, fish, and excess of bitter and astringent things (since they aggravate vata).
*  If you are having curd, consume it with sugar, salt, or amla powder, as the last three help break down curds into easily digestible form. Buttermilk is preferable over curd, as it does not cause acidity and even clears obstructed channels.
*  Food, during monsoon, should always be rich in ghee content. Ensure that you take ghee made only from cow’s milk as this ghee does not increase cholesterol and pacifies pitta (acidity). It also helps digestion, boosts immunity, increases your stress fighting capacity, and improves memory.
* Do not sleep atleast until two hours after any meal. Else, you will increase indigestion and acidity.

[Note: The diet charted here is very generic. Consult an ayurvedic doctor before you start your monsoon ayurvedic diet]