3 Tips To Balance Your Body During Vata Season (+ A Bonus Recipe)

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Vata is the Ayurvedic dosha characterized by drier, colder, lighter, and shifting. It comes annually in the Fall, when the season of change is felt most abruptly.  You may notice the affect of Vata season on your own body: drier skin, colder hands and feet, or even a mental spaciness.

Here are three simple ways you can help balance your body during this shifting season.

Add fats to your foods

Fats help bring a heavier, moister quality to the foods we eat. There are a number of natural fats you can easily keep on hand that will help your digestion and hydration.

Try:

• Sesame seed oil
• Tahini (it’s delicious warmed up!)
• Ghee
• Avocado

Every time you sit down to eat, ask yourself if you’ve included a healthy fat in your meal. While many nuts have fats, nuts can also have a drying property for your body and digestion. Be particularly wary of convenience meals that may seem healthy – like smoothies, trail mix, or energy bars – and be sure to toss these nourishing fats into your meal.

Add spices to your foods

Spicing in general is a way to bring balance to your meals. During Vata season, avoid salty, sour, or overly sweet foods. The good news is that Vata balancing spices are already popular in the fall.

Stock your spice drawer with easy-to-find seasonings like:

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• Cumin
• Ginger
• Cardamom
• Cinnamon
• Cloves

These spices work their magic when they are incorporated into your foods while you’re cooking. But, if you’re in a pinch, add a pinch on top of any food you’re about to eat.

Cook everything

The easiest way to bring a grounding, warming element to your food is to enjoy it warm. Specifically, cook your food on the stove or in the oven. If you’re not much of a home cook, don’t overthink it. Roast vegetables in balancing spices and added fats. Stew fruit on the stove. Recipes don’t need to be complex to be nourishing and delicious.

Avoid food that arrives to you in plastic packaging, and skip out on frozen meals as much as possible. If you have to eat for convenience, aim to at least warm your food in the oven or stove and add some fresh fat and spices to enhance the nutritional impact of your meals.

Favor any meal you can eat with a spoon!

Simple Vata-balancing soup recipe

• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 lb. carrots, sliced
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 32 oz vegetable stock
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger (or sub powder)
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
• salt & pepper to taste

Steps

1. Melt ghee in a medium saucepan until just liquified, then add all spices and toast for 30 seconds.
2. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat or until lightly browned.
3. Add carrots, celery, sweet potato and stock to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and puree with a stick or immersion blender or in a blender or food processor. Return to pan and stir in coconut milk. Cook for a few minutes more just to heat through.
5. Top with pumpkin seeds, pink salt, and a dash of cinnamon.

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