The Ayurveda recognizes early winter from November to January and winter from January to March. The early winter is the best period for building health, strength, stamina and optimum wellbeing. The early winter sooths the hyper acidic nature naturally, increases appetite, and induces deep sleep in healthy persons. There may be variations in individuals depends on the status of health and disease one is suffering from.

1. Evolve and help others to evolve by Acharya Girish Jha , more details at www.girishjha.org
Early winter-the best season for regaining optimum wellbeing: what to do?
Early winter-the best season for regaining optimum wellbeing: what to do?
The Ayurveda recognizes early winter from November to January and winter from
January to March. The early winter is the best period for building health, strength,
stamina and optimum wellbeing. The early winter sooths the hyper acidic nature
naturally, increases appetite, and induces deep sleep in healthy persons. There
may be variations in individuals depends on the status of health and disease one
is suffering from.
The changes in eating, drinking habits with combination of herbs and spices not
only keep the body clean but also maintains optimum level of health. A spice is
not necessarily hot in taste as commonly understood. According to Ayurveda, the
spice, herbs, food items, drinks all contain one or more of 6 rasa (taste or
qualities). The spices and herbs are very potent and accelerate the process of
wellbeing when taken with food items and drinks.
Ayurveda classifies food on the basis of Rasa ( qualities or taste)- foods that
contains four rasa – salty, sour, sweaty and unctuous should be taken daily for
optimum level of well being, stamina, vitality and cleansing
The early winter is the season for taking more of four rasa (qualities) foods namely – salty, sweat, sour and unctuous
(ingratiating). The herbs and spices like ginger, onion, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander seeds, turmeric, cloves and
cumin seeds are the best to use individually or collectively or mixed into vegetables, lentils, wheat, rice and other foods that
one likes to eat.
Ginger meshed, boiled in water and mixed with honey is one the best early winter drinks that cleanses,
detoxifies and keep body warm. One can take warm turmeric water daily during winter. Mix little milk in turmeric
water and gargle daily to keep throat clean that prevents one from coughing. The food items that are good in
early winter are rice, whole wheat, milk, milk products, lentils, meat, meat soup, seasonal veg. and fruits. A
pinch of above spices and herbs may be mixed with all food items we eat during the day not only add fragrance
but hastens the process of digestion, assimilation and absorption. If one does not like the taste or fragrance of
any spice/s, mix it with food items one cooks as combination will dilute the smell but will keep its strength and
qualities. Ayurveda recommends massage either with warm sesame or olive oil daily in the morning that keeps
joints and muscles flexible. It is always good to keep clove seeds, cardamom, cinnamon sticks with oneself and
put anyone into mouth and swallow it juice as its keeps body warm and prevents one from could and cough.