A gentle chill wraps around everything as winter approaches, indicating the world to slow down and take a breather. A soft blanket of snow may cover the ground, and life seems to ease into a calm, cozy pause. It's nature's way of saying, "Take a breath. Rest for a while."
In winter, you turn all your outward energy inward and settle into a state of reflection, rest, and hibernation. The cold season helps you recover the energy spent over the year and prepare for the next one. To stay healthy during winter, it’s important to understand how Ayurveda views the seasons and how we can adjust our lifestyle accordingly.
Ayurveda and the Seasons
To live a healthy and balanced life, it’s important to stay in harmony with nature. Changing your diet and lifestyle according to the seasons is a great way to stay in rhythm with nature’s cycles. Once you understand your natural nature and how it shifts with each season, it becomes easier to make healthy lifestyle and diet choices to optimize your immune system, digestion, and energy.
According to Ayurveda, tuning into nature also helps you be more mindful of your own constitution, called prakruti, which consists of three energies or doshas:
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Vata: Energy of movement
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Pitta: Energy of digestion
- Kapha: Energy of stability
These energies come from five natural elements found in both your body and mind: Earth, Fire, Water, Air, and Ether. Each element has specific qualities.
Ayurveda’s system of seasonal living is called Ritucharya, where Ritu means season, and Charya means regimen. Following these seasonal routines ensures your body and mind adjust smoothly to seasonal changes, keeping your body’s balance stable.
The year is divided into two parts called Ayanas based on the sun’s movement:
- Uttarayana (Northern solstice): includes Winter (Shishira), Spring (Vasanta), and Summer (Grishma)
- Dakshinayana (Southern solstice): includes Monsoon (Varsha), Autumn (Sharata), and Late Autumn (Hemanta)
Each season has different elements and energies. When these energies get imbalanced, diseases and illnesses can occur.
Winter Season in Ayurveda
Winter is cold and moist, with a natural feeling of lethargy as animals and humans often enter a resting or hibernating mode. These qualities are similar to the Kapha dosha, so winter is considered a Kapha season. Balanced Kapha provides strength and stability to your body and mind.
However, winter can also have dry and cold spells, which bring in Vata dosha qualities. It’s important to balance Vata during winter to avoid feelings of isolation and depression.
How to Improve Immunity in Winter?
Many people dislike winter because they associate it with cold, flu, and other illnesses. They believe winter weakens immunity. But Ayurveda says the opposite - winter is a season to strengthen immunity.
In Ayurveda, Bala means immunity, which includes physical, psychological, and spiritual strength. Bala helps the body and mind endure and fight problems.
There are three levels of immunity:
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Hereditary (Sahaj): The immunity you are born with
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Seasonal (Kalaj): Immunity changes with seasons and planetary shifts
- Established (Yuktikrit): Immunity maintained by a consistent Ayurvedic lifestyle
Ayurveda focuses on strengthening seasonal immunity, which fluctuates with nature. Winter is a great time to build immunity because digestion is stronger in the cold. This makes you hungrier and improves nourishment.
Many think winter digestion is weak, but actually, a stronger appetite can lead to overeating junk food, which harms immunity. Choosing the right Ayurvedic winter foods and lifestyle helps boost immunity and nourish your body and mind.
Simple Health Tips for Winters
Here are some simple tips to stay healthy during winter:
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Rest: Long nights and shorter days mean you should give your body enough rest. Going to bed early and waking up early helps balance your energy.
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Reduce Stress: Winter’s slower pace naturally reduces stress. A planned, organized routine prevents anxiety and confusion.
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Exercise: Winter can cause lethargy, so regular physical activity is important. Choose exercises that suit your energy and time.
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Practice Yoga: Yoga warms your body and calms your mind. Focus on movements that create heat and balance Vata and Kapha.
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Choose Warm Foods and Drinks: Avoid cold and chilled foods and beverages, which can weaken immunity. Cooked foods and warm drinks balance the doshas well.
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Favor Sweet, Sour, and Salty Tastes: These tastes are best for winter; avoid bitter, astringent, and pungent tastes.
- Use Ayurvedic Herbs: For symptoms like cold or cough, Ayurvedic medicines increase body heat and balance.
Ayurvedic Food Tips for Winter
People wanting to boost their immunity often wonder what to eat in winter. The best winter foods are fresh, organic, easy to digest, and wholesome. Some examples are fresh milk, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and ghee.
What to Avoid
Avoid processed, chemically treated, canned, frozen, or packaged foods as they disrupt digestion and immunity.
How to Eat
Winter foods should be warm, lightly cooked, low in oil and spices. Ayurveda recognizes six tastes: Sweet (Madhura), Salty (Lavana), Pungent (Katu), Sour (Amla), Bitter (Tikta), and Astringent (Kashaya). In winter, focus on sweet, sour, and salty more than bitter, pungent, and astringent.
Cooking Tips
Home-cooked foods with light oils like ghee or olive oil are ideal. Avoid cold food and drinks to keep your digestive fire strong.
Good Winter Choices
The cold weather can often slow down digestion and reduce the body's natural heat, so it's important to include foods that generate warmth and support immunity. Here are some great choices for winter that will help keep you healthy and comfortable:
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Vegetables that generate heat, like radish, onions, carrots, and spinach.
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Spices such as garlic, ginger, black pepper, and chili.
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Cooked grains like oatmeal, barley, tapioca, and cornmeal.
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Legumes (like mung dal) paired with ghee to balance the body.
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Eggs and meats such as chicken, venison, and turkey are also good.
- Dairy is best limited, but a warm glass of milk with turmeric and nutmeg helps with sleep.
If you want a winter cleanse, try water—or juice-based fasting, especially if you have Kapha imbalances like coughs or colds.
Complete Ayurvedic Food List for Winter
If you’re still confused about what to eat in the winter season, here’s a complete list of the Ayurvedic foods that you can easily add to your diet this winter:
1. Winter Vegetables
Artichokes, avocados, beets, brussel sprouts, carrots, chillies, corn, cooked eggplant, ginger, garlic, onions, mashed potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, turnips.
2. Winter Fruits
Cooked apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, watermelon, cherries, coconut, dates, figs, grapes, guava, lemon, mangoes, oranges, papayas, peaches, pineapple, pears, plums, strawberries.
3. Winter Grains
Millets (moderate), oats, quinoa, rice, rye (moderate), wheat.
4. Winter Dairy
Butter, buttermilk, cheese, cottage cheese, ghee, milk (warm), soy milk.
5. Winter Oils
Almond, avocado, coconut, mustard, olive, peanut, safflower, sesame.
6. Winter Spices
Anise, asafoetida, basil, bay leaf, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne, chamomile, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, poppy seeds, saffron, sage, thyme, turmeric.
7. Winter Legumes
Mung dal, tofu, tempeh, miso, toor dal, urad dal, brown lentils.
8. Winter Nuts & Seeds
Cashews, lotus seeds, macadamia, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, sunflower, and walnuts.
9. Winter Fish & Meat
Beef, chicken, crab, duck, eggs, lamb, lobster, pork, shrimp, turkey.
10.Winter Sweeteners
Raw honey, maple syrup, molasses, rice syrup.
11. Winter Beverages
Alcohol (moderate), black tea, herbal teas (chamomile, ginger), coffee (moderate), warm water.
How to Reduce Vata Dosha with Food in Winter?
Balancing Vata is key to good immunity in winter. Warm and cooked foods like soups, stews, hot cereals, and herbal teas keep your body warm and your immune system strong.
Focus on sweet, sour, and salty tastes. Avoid bitter, pungent, and astringent flavors.
Eat heavy breakfast and lunch, lighter dinner, and avoid skipping meals. Have dinner at least three hours before sleep.
Snack on nuts and raisins soaked in water to satisfy hunger between meals.
Winter Routine Tips from Ayurveda
Though winter invites rest and slowing down, avoid feelings of purposelessness or sadness. Try to engage in meaningful relationships, socialize moderately, and make time for quiet reflection. Stick to a predictable routine to balance Vata and boost Kapha.
For example:
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Start your day with yoga
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Spend afternoons outside wearing bright, warm clothes
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Enjoy uplifting evening activities
- Go to bed early
Avoid staying up late, eating irregular meals, or creating stress and fatigue — these harm your immune system.
Winter naturally demands more sleep due to longer nights. Use this time for rest and nourishment.
Yoga for the Cold Season
Winter's heaviness can feel sluggish and stagnant. To counter this, stimulate your body with yoga.
Yoga Tips for Winter:
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Practice morning (6 AM – 10 AM) and evening (6 PM – 10 PM) when energy is higher.
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Focus on heat-building movements like Surya Namaskar and Vinyasa flow.
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Wear bright colors (reds, oranges, purples, yellows) to lift your mood.
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Do leg-strengthening poses like squats, lunges, and warrior for stability and emotional balance.
- Play uplifting music during practice for motivation.
Conclusion
Winter is a time to slow down, nourish your body, and support your immunity with mindful food choices. Following Ayurvedic principles helps balance your energy and digestion through the colder months. By eating warm, wholesome foods and avoiding processed items, you can stay healthy, energized, and ready to welcome the new season with strength and vitality.
Stay balanced and energized this winter with Kerala Ayurveda’s natural solutions. Our products are designed to support your health during the colder months, helping you feel your best.
FAQs
1. Which oil is best for winter in Ayurveda?
Eladi oil and Kumkumadi oil are great for winter. Applying a few drops on your face or body is a natural moisturizer that helps relieve skin and lip dryness.
2. How can I keep my body warm according to Ayurveda?
To keep warm, Ayurveda suggests keeping your home warm with a fire, wearing heavy and warm clothing, drinking warm beverages, and spending time in sunlight to naturally warm your body.
3. What should I avoid doing during winter according to Ayurveda?
Avoid fasting in winter, as it can weaken your body. Also, steer clear of foods and drinks that are light and likely to increase Vata imbalance, since winter already tends to raise Vata energy.
