Day 4: The Seasons Have Their Reasons

"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air; drink the drink; taste the fruit; and resign yourself to the influence of each." --Henry David Thoreau

Reflections:

Spring: Earth, water, rich, fertile, lubrication, solid, moist, growth, grounded.

Summer: Hot, charged, dry, sharp, burning, radiant.

Fall (and early Winter): Wind, ether, Dry, cold, rough, light, moving.

Food for Thought:

Spring's harvest is predominantly dry and is the antidote to the mucus-producing rains & moisture; it also prepares the body for Summer. Examples are sprouts, leafy greens, mushrooms, grapefruits, citrus, some roots & berries. The harvest is naturally low fat and much of it has fat burning properties.

Summer's harvest is abundant in green vegetables & fruits which cools accumulating heat. Accumulated heat will dry out the body if not tended to by clearing it out with summer sweet & cool foods like apple, pomegranates & melons.

Fall's harvest is abundant in lubricating nuts, grains & meats; high protein & fat packed options to keep us warm during those cold, dark months. Fall/early Winter is when the body most effectively stores proteins fats, minerals & vitamins. A diet rich in these nutrients builds in the body as reserve for the rest of the year.

Ayurvedic Constitutions:

Individuals, like food, are Spring, Summer & Winter types also. In Ayurveda they are called Kapha, Pitta & Vata constitutions, respectively. It is unusual to find a person who is strictly predominant in one of these constitutions types. Most of us are a combination of these, usually with a primary and secondary type. Today, let us look at what the textbook kapha, pitta, vata individual is like...

Do you know someone who has a sturdy frame, muscular, has a great memory, has thick, strong hair and nails, cool & moist skin, gives great hugs, is warm, calm and easy-going? This is a balanced Spring type or Kapha individual

Do you know someone has a warm body temperature, sweats easily, can eat anything (and digests it), has a sharp intellect, is a natural leader, is competitive, driven & strong willed? This is a balanced Summer type or Pitta individual.

Do you know someone who has a slender frame, tends to have cold hands & feet, articulate speech, has a quick mind, a creative resource, has good coordination, is mentally alert and prefers to keep busy? This is a Fall type or Vata individual.

Mungnificent, those sprouted beans

have multiplied in volume!

Quinoa & Sprouted Mung Salad

best for Pitta & Kapha

What you need:

Quinoa, red & white

Mung Sprouts

Arugula

Spring onion

Black pepper

Dressing:

Toasted Sesame oil

Ume plum vinegar

Brown rice vinegar

Bragg's

Sriracha hot sauce

Ginger

1 Lemon

Cook the quinoa. About 1 anguli of grain to 2 part water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & cook for about 10 minutes; then cover & simmer low heat until fluffy.

Make the dressing. 4-6 counts of oil (more for the vata, less for kapha), Two splashes of ume plum vinegar. 2 counts of brown rice vinegar. 1 count of bragg's. 1 dash or squirt of sriracha. 1-2 angulis of ginger (see terms key), grated. 1/2 lemon.

Place ingredients in a blender or food processor. Zap. Black pepper and little salt to taste.

This dressing is modified from a recipe handed down by a friend, Cata, via my friend, Brittany;) I have substituted the sriracha with other hot sauces and the ume with balsamic vinegar. The

ume plum vinegar is a divine flavor worth checking out. The sesame, ginger & bragg's is what really binds this dressing together. Bragg's is now making a very similar dressing which is available in organic. This is great for saving time!

Chop Arugula and in a bowl mix all ingredients including 2 angulis of mung bean sprouts. This is a great salad! Cool & cleansing.

A Forager's Cabbage

best for Pitta & Kapha

What you need:

1 head of cabbage (today I am using a beautiful Savoy Cabbage)

1 large Chanterelle mushroom

Corn or sunflower oil

Black mustard seeds

Cumin seeds

Turmeric

Asafoetida

Sea salt

Coriander powder

Lemon juice

Honey

Chop cabbage & mushrooms into shreds. Heat oil in large pan or caste iron skillet and add the mustard seeds, cumin, asafoetida & mushrooms. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add turmeric, cabbage, salt, coriander powder & lemon juice. Cook about 10 minutes on medium heat. Take cabbage off heat and add the honey.

This dish is quite delectable. I can't get enough of it when I make it.

Cabbage, high in minerals like calcium, vitamin C & A, is not the best balancing vegetable for someone with a Fall/early Winter constitution or imbalance; however, the mustard seeds, cumin and asafoetida help make it digestible for those individuals on special occasions.

Mushrooms are usually harvested in the wet & moist season when the earth is saturated in water, but can also be found in the Summer. They are astringent, sweet and pungent. They are also cool, dry and light making them great for Spring & Summer (kapha & pitta seasons), but, are generally unsuitable in the Fall/early Winter or for those type individuals (vata). They move excess fluid out of the body & significantly support immunity with B vitamins & germanium. Ayurveda says that mushrooms are tamasic in excess, meaning they will dull the mind and senses. So it is best to limit your mushroom intake to seasonal and fresh.

"Diets may work at first but they will later fail. Eating seasonally is our best diet. There are no absolute restrictions because there are no bad foods; there are just foods which are better for you when they are in season." Perfect Health for Kids ~Dr. John Doulliard

Keep posted: Capping off the week with a 101 on Ayurveda's signature one pot meal-Kichidi

Also,

when things go awry:

Constitutional imbalance