Spring Is Coming But What Does That Mean For Your Body?

Longer days filled with sunlight, warmer temperatures outside and being able to see grass are just a few of the things that spring brings.  Yet, this transition time as we wait for spring to come can feel difficult.  The weather change seems to being more colds, difficult respiratory issues and some fatigue.

In Ayurveda, the transition to new seasons means we step up our health care regiment.  The changing weather from cold to hot is hard on our bodies.  Further, our bodies have gained some winter weight, which needs to break down.  Gaining weight in winter and eating richer foods pacifies the body as it goes through the winter vata season which is cold and dry.  These foods help the body stay warm and balanced during the harsh weather.

However, when spring comes and the weather is warmer and the vegetation needs to grow, we need to lose the extra fat we accumulated.  Just like in the spring when the ice and snow melt, our fat has to melt and dissolve.  Ayurveda has long recognized that different things are happening inside of us during each season. Ayurveda honors that change and recognizes and supports that the body wants to do something different as the seasons come and go.  Ayurveda follows nature and teaches that given the opportunity, the body will detox naturally because it was built to do that.  Sometimes the body's detox can feel harsh with many colds, spring time allergies and fatigue, so we need to help it along.  Having a healthy routine means the body is stronger to start with and has less toxins to discharge.

Everyone will detox but there are a few thing we can do from an Ayurvedic standpoint to help the body warm quicker, liquefy the excess fat and avoid respiratory issues like colds and allergies.  Here are a few tips that can help the process.  An Ayurvedic health practitioner can guide you more specifically and tailor a program for your unique body type, but some of these things are a great start:

• Enjoy aerobic exercise on a regular basis, outdoors would be best.
• Favor foods that are warm, light and easy to digest, meaning lower in fat. Try to incorporate the taste of bitter with greens and lots of vegetables.
• Avoid hard to digest foods like  red meat, refined and canned foods, salt, dairy products and alcohol becasue they will build more toxins.
• Try to cook food with immune supporting spices like cumin, fennel, coriander, turmeric, ginger and black pepper because they are filled with anti oxidants and they help the body with digestion and detox. 
• Drink warm tea throughout the day to help flush and dissolve toxins.

Spring is just around the corner and I can't wait!

Stay healthy & well,

Lisa