8 Ayurvedic tips for seasonal stuffiness

8 Ayurvedic Tips for Seasonal Stuffiness

1. Change Your Diet Seasonally

As the seasons change so should your diet. In the spring, foods that are primarily bitter, astringent and pungent should be eaten to support a healthy respiratory response to the spring pollens.

Eating out-of-season foods can lead to allergies, digestive issues, and a compromised immune response to the pollen and nectar surges of spring.

2. Stay Hydrated to Combat Lymph Congestion

For healthy lymphatic function it is suggested to drink 6-12 (6-8 Vata-8-10 Pitta-10-12 Kapha) glasses of water each day.

For Lymphatic Herbal Support: The spring and fall harvested red root called Manjista (Rubia cordifolia) is Ayurveda’s primary herb for the lymphatic system.

3. Sip Hot Water Each Kapha (Spring) Season

One of the best ways to hydrate and support a healthy lymphatic immune response during a seasonal change every spring and fall is to sip hot water.

Sipping hot water every 15-20 minutes throughout the day for 2 weeks is a classic Ayurvedic spring cleanse for removing excess kapha from the respiratory and intestinal tracts.

4. Eat Plenty of Vitamin C-Rich Foods

Vitamin C blocks the release of histamine from inflammatory cells. Take a daily dose of this supplement.

You can also find lots of vitamin C in the following foods:

• Citrus fruits
• Amalaki – in Chyavanprash or take as supplement
• Papayas
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Bell peppers
• Kale

5. Bitter Roots

Every spring, the dandelions grace our lawns, fields, and gardens.

Dandelion, like many spring-harvested roots (also for example spinach, chards, rocket), is a natural diuretic that helps reduce kapha (earth and water) in the spring. You can also drink Dandelion root tea. In Ayurveda, there are many bitter and pungent roots that balance kapha each spring. Turmeric and ginger are two favorites.

6. Detox When the Seasons Change

At the end of each season, the qualities of that season build-up. Ayurveda suggests that if these seasonal changes are not properly managed, it is during the change of season we are most vulnerable to succumbing to a health concern. Ayurveda has long suggested cleansing and rebooting the digestive strength to successfully navigate a seasonal change. Detox with the mungbean soup mono diet, from 4 days (fat burning and reset digestion) up to 2 weeks (a much more comprehensive digestive reset, liver & gallbladder flush, intestinal skin restoration, lymph cleanse, fat-burning reset, as well as a detox for toxic material like pesticides and heavy metals stored in fat cells).

7. Eat a Medium Breakfast, a Big Lunch, and a Light Supper

Our biological clocks for digestion are turned on at breakfast and lunch. By supper time, the ability to digest is much less. There are significantly health benefits when the food is consumed earlier in the day.

8. Ayurvedic Intermittent Fasting

According to Ayurveda, this is a time to eat light and consume less food. Eat an early and light supper. When this is successful skip supper and drink water or herbal tea in the evening to combat the hunger pangs. Do this for two weeks every spring or fall or whenever the seasonal pollens become a bother.

Source: www.lifespa.com John Douillard