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 22nd October to 21st December (Kartik and Margashirsha months of the Hindu calendar), while in South India it lasts from 22nd November to 21st 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 22nd December to 21st 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.