Kapha-Balancing Foods for a Healthy Spring Season + Cheat Sheet for Download
Every season has its own dosha. According to Ayurveda, late winter and early spring mark the domination of Kapha dosha. When you think about it more deeply, it makes perfect sense. Kapha is a combination of water and earth. This dosha is heavy, wet, and often sluggish. Right now, we can notice the exact same qualities in nature around us and inside our bodies.
Earth tends to be wet, the temperature outside is still pretty low, and it may rain a lot. Your body could feel heavy, perhaps with some extra fat layer that kept you warm in the winter. Your digestion may be slow and you may be done eating warm and mushy food. You may start craving fresh and raw vegetables. Your mind may feel cloudy, but you can already notice signs of new motivation and an energy boost.
Nature is coming back to life and so are you. But remember - it’s a process. It starts slowly and at first, may feel heavy and unpleasant. With time it speeds up and becomes more visible, both outside and inside. But before it happens, the beginning of spring may feel like a very difficult time filled with unpleasant sensations typical for excess Kapha. And that’s when Ayurvedic wisdom can come to the rescue.
One of the best ways to balance doshas is by turning towards food as medicine. What (and how!) we eat makes an enormous difference and when a dosha is out of balance - like Kapha now - adjusting your eating habits may be one of the best ways to feel good. Following a Kapha-balancing diet can help you lose excess weight, gain energy and prepare your body for the upcoming Pitta season.
Common Symptoms of Excess Kapha During the Spring Season
During late winter and early spring, an imbalance in the Kapha dosha can lead to several symptoms. The most common ones include:
low energy levels
mental fogginess
sluggishness
weight gain
water retention
sinus congestion
excess mucus
slow digestion
increased susceptibility to colds and flu
Tastes and Kapha dosha
Tastes that increase Kapha dosha include sweet, sour and salty, therefore those are the tastes we should reduce in our diet. Tastes that help to balance Kapha are bitter, astringent and pungent.
Tastes to balance Kapha:
Bitter: has drying, light and cooling qualities; helps to detoxify the body and purifies the blood
Examples: leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, green tea, thyme, dill
Astringent: has drying, heavy and cooling qualities; shrinks overly open channels and pores, removes mucus, helps to reduce inflammation
Examples: green apples, lentils and beans, cranberries, acai berries, lemon, okra
Pungent: has drying, light and hot qualities; improves digestion, removes blockages in the channels of the body, moves stagnation, helps with weight loss
Examples: spicy peppers and chillies, ginger, garlic, onion, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, mustard, horseradish, basil, oregano, rosemary, radishes
Tastes that aggravate Kapha:
Sweet: has heavy, moist and cooling qualities; very nourishing, helps to build tissues, soothing, comforting, healing
Examples: grains, bread, honey, meat, milk, most oils, nuts
Sour: has heavy, warm, hot and oily qualities; increases appetite, boosts metabolism, encourages sweating, sharpens the mind
Examples: sour apples, raspberries, fermented foods, citrus fruits
Salty: has heavy, hot and moist qualities; softens organs, decreases tightness, improves circulation, works as a mild sedative and laxative
Examples: salt, seaweed, seafood
Balancing Kapha in Spring: Foods to Eat and Limit
To balance Kapha during spring, it's essential to incorporate bitter, astringent, and pungent tastes in your meals. While it's important to consume all tastes, the amount of certain tastes should be adjusted based on the current imbalances and the season. Additionally, spring meals should be light, dry, and stimulating. Adding warming spices like ginger, garlic, cinnamon, or thyme to your favourite dishes is an excellent way to achieve this.
Remember to pay close attention to your body's signals and listen to your own sense of health. There is no one-size-fits-all list of recommended foods, and you are the expert when it comes to your own health.
Vegetables
Vegetables should be the basis of the Kapha-balancing diet. Your digestion may be weak, so eat mostly cooked, steamed or roasted vegetables.
Best: asparagus, green beans, brussels sprouts, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, chicory, garlic, onions, green onion, kohlrabi, leek, hot peppers, parsley root, parsnip, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, turnips, lamb's lettuce, topinambur, leafy greens (raw if digestion is good)
Fruits
Avoid too sweet and heavy fruits. Choose light and astringent fruits.
Best: dried fruits, green apples, cranberries, grapefruit, pomegranate, acai berries, lemon
Limit: avocado, very ripe bananas, berries (raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, strawberry), coconut, dates, figs, grapes, mango, melons, pineapple, watermelon
Dairy
Consume in moderation. Avoid dairy altogether in the morning.
Best: goat’s milk, skim milk, soy milk
Limit: butter, buttermilk, cheese, cream, cottage cheese, ice cream, kefir, sour cream, yoghurt
Meats
Try to limit consumption of meat to 1-2 times per week.
Best: chicken, turkey, rabbit, freshwater fish
Limit: eggs, beef, duck, lamb, pork, seafood, shellfish, crab, lobster
Grains
Best: amaranth, barley, basmati rice, quinoa, buckwheat groats, toasted bread
Limit: oats, long- and short-grain rice (white or brown), wheat, whole wheat
Legumes
Best: red lentils, soybeans (tofu and soymilk), mung beans
Limit: aduki beans, black beans, black gram, fava beans, kidney beans, lima beans, black lentils, chickpeas
Oils
Consume in small amounts.
Best: canola, flaxseed, mustard, safflower, soy, sunflower
Limit: almond, avocado, castor, coconut, olive, peanut, sesame
Nuts & Seeds
Best: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
Limit: sesame seeds, almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, coconut, hazelnuts, lotus seeds, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, peanuts, walnut
Spices:
Best: basil, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne, chilli pepper, cinnamon, cloves, dill, garlic, ginger, horseradish, mustard, nigella seeds, oregano, parsley, rosemary, spearmint, thyme, tarragon
Limit: salt
Sweeteners
Best: (raw) honey
Limit: fructose, maple syrup, molasses, raw sugar, white and brown sugar
Beverages
Best: herbal teas (CCF tea, dandelion, tulsi, nettle teas), green tea, mate, cranberry juice, green vegetable juices, wheatgrass juice
Limit: carbonated mineral water, coffee, black tea, apple juice, carrot juice, orange juice, soft drinks
Condiments
Consume in small quantities.
Best: ketchup, vinegar
Limit: mayonnaise, salt
Feeling overwhelmed? Don't worry, it's completely understandable! To help you out, I've prepared a handy cheat sheet with all the recommended foods for spring. Simply print it out and hang it on your fridge. With this list, you'll know exactly what to eat to balance your Kapha in no time.
Click the button below to get your hands on the cheat sheet!
