Winter is almost here and with it comes cold. And cold brings diseases. While we all love the cold season, it’s not particularly the best time for our health. Winter has an extremely bad reputation of being the flu season and the season when contagious diseases spread like wildfire. The drop in the temperature and humidity can be a perfect catalyst to get a cold or flu easily. But not to worry, Ayurveda has the perfect solutions to keep you healthy this winter. At times like this, you can always rely on Ayurveda to help naturally strengthen and restore your health to the best.
To understand how to improve your health this winter season first you need to comprehend the concept of immunity in Ayurveda. In Ayurveda ‘Bala’ and ‘Vyaadhiksamatva’ represent immunity. Vyaadhiksamatva literally means resistance (ksamatva) against disease (vyaadhi). And ‘Bala’ means strength. In Ayurveda there are three types of immunity :
- Sahaj (hereditary), the immunity that you are born with
- Kalaj (seasonal), the immunity that changes with the change in seasons/age/time
- Yuktikrit (established), the immunity you can develop with a regular and balanced diet and by the practice of yoga
In order to stay healthy during the winter, it is the third type of immunity we need to reinforce to avoid any diseases or any imbalances in the body. According to Ayurveda, immunity is connected with digestion. The better your digestion, the better your health will be. It’s that simple. Your immunity is great when you have strong digestion and a good appetite. So one needs to strengthen their digestion process in order to improve immunity and stay healthy. Here’s our guide to staying strong and healthy this winter season.
Keep the flame alive
According to Ayurveda the strength of one’s immunity relies on his digestion process. In Ayurveda digestive strength is represented with “fire” (known as ‘agni’ in Sanskrit) in the stomach. We tend to become fairly lethargic during winters and this agni may lose some of its potency. That’s why it’s important to include generous amounts of natural oils, desi ghee, and butter in your diet to keep this flame alive.
Eat boiled food
Boiled food is always a good idea and is best in winter. Having warm food can not only keep the body warm and also improve the body’s immunity. The food you eat during the cold season should be warm and healthy that means avoid pre-cooked or packaged meals. Add freshly cooked food to your diets preferably hot soups, stews, and broths. Carrots, beef, green leafy vegetables, and other root-based vegetables are also good and can be had steamed or otherwise.
Eat lots of nuts
Dry-fruits are a must for the winters. Cashews, Pista, dates, almonds, walnuts have them all. Eat all the dry-fruits you can get your hands on. Not only do they help generate heat within the body, but they also give you the energy needed to fight winter laziness.
Stay healthy this winter by adding these changes to your diet and by following a healthy lifestyle. Try to eat healthy food that is good for your body and applying yoga to you daily life. You can always count on Ayurveda and yoga to help you live a healthy and balanced life.
