With the changing weather, now is a good time to check in with your clients on beneficial foods for springtime. These foods tend to be Kapha pacifying, warming, drying and lighter than the foods we’ve been taking all winter. The greens are showing up in our yards, so it is time to have them show up on our plates.

It’s time to set aside the heavy, nutrient dense foods that we’ve enjoyed during the winter months. As we lighten up the diet, we stimulate the agni so that it will burn up any last vestiges of our “winter coat” and prepare us for the work of the spring and summer months.

Now is a good time to remind our clients about how to keep Kapha in check by following the General Springtime Guidelines for Conscious and Healthy Dining.

General Springtime Guidelines

Eat to your appetite

At this time of year, we remind our clients that one factor that indicates the state of our agni is appetite. All of us tend to eat what we’ve typically eaten in the amounts we’ve typically taken. This will result in a sluggish digestion and overproduction of dhatus unless we are increasing our activity levels accordingly. In the morning, especially, we want to be aware of the demands we have for energy and check in with the body. If not hungry, don’t eat. If hungry, eat to the appetite. Eat a little for a small appetite, more for a larger one.

Keep portion sizes small

If we have a good grasp of our appetite, we can take the volume of food that is appropriate for that appetite. If we are dining to ¾ full, we can do so with a fairly small serving of food. Watch for that burp! (You will release a small amount of air when you reach that ¾ mark.)

Use no oil/less oil in food preparation 

During this season oil consumption is reduced due to oils heavy, moist properties. By reducing the oil in food preparation and increasing the spicing, we make all of the foods easier to digest.

I am not a fan of using warming oils in cooking, such as corn oil, mustard oil or flax; and don’t even get me started on canola oil. I think that ghee and sesame oil are very good for sautéing. During Kapha season, simply use less of the oils you would use rather than choosing a drying oil. The same thing applies with olive oil; that works best as a light oil application to the food after cooking.

Use more spicing

For spicing, you have so many wonderful, warming options.

A short list of common kitchen spices for Kapha includes: ajwan/celery seeed, basil, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, hing, mustard seeds, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, pippali, thyme, and turmeric.

Check out the internet or an Ayurvedic cookbook for a full list of spices, but this should be enough to get any Kapha pacifying cook started. The only spice you want to cut back on, really, is salt. Salt can exacerbate water retention.

You’ll find a FREE downloadable pdf of my favorite Springtime Spice Blends by clicking the link.

Take only a small breakfast

Morning time is Kapha time and agni is typically lowest before 10am. A cup of spicy tea may be all that you want at this time if you are eating to the appetite. I met a Kapha woman one time who did best on one meal per day~ brunch. Waiting until 10 am to eat the first meal of the day and then taking food only during the eight-hour window between 10am and 6pm will stoke the agni. Taking food during Kapha time can suppress the digestive fire even further.

Take your main meal at midday

This is no surprise to the Ayurvedic practitioner. You have heard this; you have done this. You know that agni is strongest roughly between 10am and 2pm. It is especially important during the Kapha season to ride the energy of these times of day to support our digestive process.

Sip only warm water or spicy tea with meals

Your clients may go through their meal and need no additional fluids at all. If they do want to take something with their meals, it is a good time to begin the hot water habit. Sipping hot water with the meal can support digestion by increasing the moisture content of the foods we eat. If the foods are especially drying or cooling, consider making the mealtime drink a spicy tea. Avoid iced drinks and large volumes of water with meals and for an hour or more after.

Springtime Breakfast Suggestions

The big question that we are often faced with at this time of year is, “What should I eat for breakfast?” Maybe you are a staunch hot-cereal-for-breakfast type of person. I have found that for most of the year, from the end of summer through winter, that is a good way to go. When we’re dining seasonally, though, that breakfast becomes too heavy, dense, and moist for this heavy, dense, moist Kapha season. You can lighten it up with the recommendations shown here.  Click here to find a FREE downloadable pdf of these breakfast suggestions.

Greens and Grains for breakfast

1 cup of steamed or sautéed greens with up to ¼ cup of cooked Kapha pacifying grains will make a delicious and light start to the day. You can spice these to your taste using the Kapha pacifying spices.

Breakfast Beans

After soaking your beans overnight, you can cook them up with some onion, garlic and greens. You may want to add some Kapha spices to increase their digestibility. You will find many good recipes for beans in Ayurvedic cookbooks and online. Since agni is not at its stongest, though, you will want to keep the serving size under ½ cup. You could serve these with a side of greens or a piece of cornbread toast.

Eggs and Vegetables (or Grains and Vegetables)

This is, by far, my favorite breakfast in the springtime. Whether you want to go with eggs for more protein or grains for more fiber, this is a flavorful start to the day. Chop up 1-2 cups of a single vegetable or vegetable blend. Use a small amount of oil and lightly sauté the aromatics, such as onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir in any spices and heat through. Add in the other vegetables and a few tablespoons of water. Cover tightly and cook over low heat until cooked to your liking. I usually go about 5 minutes. Serve with cooked eggs, egg whites or cooked Kapha pacifying grains.

Some vegetable blends I like a lot include:

~ Onion, bell pepper, zucchini, cabbage

~ Leeks and cauliflower

~ Asparagus with garlic

~ Brussels sprouts with garlic (toss sprouts with oil and slow roast with garlic)

~ Onion, carrots, peas, and cabbage

Keeping it light

If you have no appetite or a low appetite, if you know that your day has minimal demands for caloric intake, you may want to take a light breakfast. This light breakfast may be a cup of spicy tea. This will set the stage for stronger agni at midday.

Some teas that I like during this season:

• Ginger & fennel
  • 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 Tbsp fennel seeds, 1 ½ cup water
  • Boil over low heat for 5 min. Remove from heat. Let sit 10-15 min.
• Cinnamon, Ginger, Cardamom, Clove
  • The ratio is dependent on your taste.
  • Add 1 Tbsp blended herbs to 2 cups water, boil for 10-15 min.
    Remove from heat and steep for 10-15 min.
• Clove tea
  • 1 tsp cloves in 1 ½ cup water.
  • Boil 5 min. Remove from heat and let sit 10-15 min.
• If you like, you can add some black tea or green tea to these blends.

Sliced fruit with spices

Taking some Kapha pacifying fruit such as apples or pears with pungent spices may be just what you want for breakfast on a light day.

Toast with ghee

Toast is drying and light. Corn and rye are warming grains. Taking these toasts with just a hint of ghee will awaken the agni and stimulate digestion.

It is often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Too often this is interpreted as saying that breakfast should be the largest meal of the day. As the most important meal, it is foundational to the flow of energy for the day. If the season is Kapha, you are Kapha dosha or you are sedentary, this should be a small meal. If it is Pitta season, you are Pitta dosha or you are very physically active, this meal would be a larger meal. If it is Vata season, you are Vata dosha or your activity level is sporadic, this meal should be tailored to the demands of the day. In this way you assure that you will have the appropriate nutrition for the day. In this way, breakfast is, indeed, the most important meal of the day.   Start the day with consciousness and you have a better opportunity to remain conscious all day.