From the snowiest japan to brutal winter in norther America, some people like ME struggle to beat the winter blues. I know it sounded fascinating when we heard the "Winter Is Coming" motto of House Stark from Game of thrones. Trust me, not all of us are like the lord of the north, who is always prepared for the coming of winter. In the real world, cold months mean health issues like Sore throats, Asthma, skin dryness, joint pain, etc. Now Ayurveda has detailed and very beneficial tips for tackling such health issues caused by inevitable seasonal changes.
First and foremost is the diet that we choose in the cold months. As we all know, it is vital to keep our dosha(body elements) in balance. This can be achieved by applying the opposite of the increasing quality. So, to balance the cold, dry winter features vata dosha, we must engage in opposite qualities like warm, unctuous, healthy heavy food. Hold on, did we forget that it is not always dry in winter because snowfall means Kapha characters like heavy, moist, dense is more predominant. So, we must consider winter has vata, Kapha dominating season. Be smarty pants and decide your diet based on the weather.
General tips to avoid health issues in winter:
A comforting winter diet will be aimed at pacifying Kapha without aggravating vata or vice versa.
Our digestive fire is the strongest in winter and requires more fuel to keep up the body's warmth. So, do not fast or deprive yourself of food.
Drink room temperature, warm, or hot drinks and avoid iced or chilled beverages.
Eat warm, cooked, slightly oily, well-spiced foods. Heating vegetables like radishes, cooked spinach, onions, carrots, and other root vegetables are usually accepted.
Spices like garlic, ginger, black pepper, cayenne, and chili peppers are some of the herbs to prefer in mixing in your soup and other dishes.
It is best to lessen or avoid cold, damp foods, extremely sweet foods, overly fatty or oily foods, and frozen foods.
Legumes are a good pick for palliating Kapha dosha since legumes are astringent in taste. But make sure it's soaked overnight and cooked well with healthy spices.
Last but last least, stay warm, exercise regularly, listen to happy music to uplift your mood, and perhaps you could boogie off those extra calories of winter hibernation.