Leaving Kapha Season Behind
The late winter/early spring Kapha Season seems to have swallowed me up and made me lazy so I haven't written much. My apologies!
Before the hot summer Pitta season comes upon us (I like to say that Pitta season arrives with garden rose buds), let's have one last fling to move the stagnation of Kapha season out of our bones.
Kapha is characterized both in the season and in our body by qualities of denseness, cold, wetness, heaviness and slowness (think of dormant plants gingerly pushing their way up through the cold, wet earth). We can feel overweight (maybe even just from water retention) and slow, ready to adopt a couch potato persona.
It is so important, therefore, in order to counteract this heavy, slow nature and be able to lose the excess weight and lethargy, that we MOVE the body (yes get up off the couch) and to eat the types of foods that will tighten and lighten up our cells, and increase our metabolism. Ayurveda chooses the right foods
according to their taste, so to reduce Kapha qualities we need to eat foods that are astringent, bitter and pungent.
Examples of astringent foods that tighten up the cells are legumes (beans and lentils), black and green tea, cranberry, unripe (slightly green) banana, pomegranate, brussels sprouts, cabbages, broccoli, bok choy, turnip, artichoke, sprouts and raw baby greens, and the spices coriander seed and
fennel.
The bitter taste contains air and space to counteract Kapha heaviness. It is found in dark leafy greens such as spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, mustard greens, kale, dandelion greens (these should all be cooked, not raw), eggplant, fresh green herbs especially parsley and cilantro, cacao
(forego fatty chocolate during Kapha season and use cacao or cocoa powder), turmeric, and coffee (in moderation), burdock root and dandelion root.
The pungent taste is stimulating and can ramp up our energy and metabolism so we have a better chance of getting up off the couch and losing weight. It can include hot spices such as chilis and hot peppers, horseradish and wasabi, garlic, black pepper, and all types of onions, plus mustard seed and cumin. Choose
the ones you tolerate best. Pungent taste can also include sweet spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, allspice, mace, ginger (think Indian Chai or Apple Pie).
The boring cabbage is a typical astringent food that many people avoid. But here's a recipe that is sure to delight. You can watch the video then download the recipe below. Let me know how you like it.
