(November-February)

 

Follow these tips for a nourishing, strengthening and healthy Winter season!

 

To Stay Warm, Relaxed and Healthy:

• Add ghee, avocado, sesame oil or olive oil to your grains and soups. 
• Start your day with warm lemon water to cleanse your lymph.
• To prevent colds and flu, each morning take 2 capsules each of Ashwagandha and Turmeric Plus.  Children can take 1 of each.  Watch the video at www.lifespa.com/herbs.
• Vitamin D3 is extremely important to improve energy, immunity, maintain healthy weight, prevent cancer and boost moods during the winter.  Get your levels checked with a blood test.  >>>Learn More.
• Follow a regular rhythm of sleep, exercise, mealtimes and rest.
• Sleep with a warm mist humidifier to keep your sinuses clear.
• To keep your ears lubricated and thus prevent infections, place a few drops of warm Lymphatic Massage Oil in each ear and leave a cotton ball in for 15 minutes.  Perform weekly, particularly for children.  For more information on applying oil in the ears click here.

Daily Routines (Dinacharya) for Winter:

Self-massage with warm Tri-Doshic Massage Oil or raw sesame oil. >>>Learn how to do daily self-massage to balance your nervous system and detox your lymphatic system.
• For 8 minutes each morning and evening, breathe slowly and quietly in and out through your nose to calm your mind.
• Exercise in the morning to increase circulation, mood and immunity.
• Perform Neti by irrigating your nasal passage with warm salt water.  Always follow with Nasya.
• Perform Nasya by applying a few drops of Nasya Oil into each nostril and inhaling deeply.
• This is Vata season and an ideal time to rejuvenate the nervous system with Winter Panchakarma.
• Signs of Excess Vata During Winter:
  Insomnia, stress, worry, constipation, colds and flus, joint pain.
  If you experience some of these signs, schedule a consult with Dr. Douillard and follow the above guidelines for a balanced winter! 

Winter Grocery List

·         Eat more foods that are Sweet, Sour, Salty / Heavy, Oily, Moist, Hot:  
such as soups, stews, steamed veggies, warm herbal teas.

·         Eat less foods that are Pungent (Spicy), Bitter, Astringent / Light, Cold, Dry: 
such as salads, smoothies, cold foods and beverages, chips and salsa.

 

The below foods are the most balancing for the winter season no matter where you live -

the tropics or a winter wonderland.  Focus on eating more of these foods.

 

Though these are not the only items you can eat, they are the most beneficial foods for this season.

*An asterisk means it is best to eat more of this food.

VEGETABLES	FRUIT	SPICES	LEGUMES	BEVERAGES
Artichokes, hearts	Apples, cooked	*Anise	Mung – split, yellow	Alcohol (moderation)
*Avocadoes	Apricots	*Asafetida	Tofu	Black Tea (moderation)
*Beets	*Bananas	*Basil		Coffee (moderation)
*Brussels Sprouts	Blueberries	Bay Leaf		Water (warm or hot)
*Carrots	Cantaloupe, w/lemon	*Black Pepper
*Chilies	Cherries	Caraway
Corn	Coconuts, ripe	*Cardamom	NUTS & SEEDS	HERB TEAS
Fennel	Cranberries, cooked	Cayenne	*Almonds	*Cardamom
Eggplant, cooked	*Dates	Chamomile	*Brazil Nuts	*Chamomile
*Garlic	*Figs	*Cinnamon	*Cashews	*Cinnamon
Ginger	*Grapefruit	Clove	Coconuts	*Cloves
Hot Peppers	*Grapes	Coriander	*Filberts	*Ginger
Leeks	Guava	*Cumin	*Flax	*Orange Peel
Okra	*Lemons	Dill	Lotus Seed
Onions	*Limes	*Fennel	*Macadamias
Parsley	*Mangoes	Fenugreek	*Peanuts, raw	SWEETENERS
Potatoes, mashed	Nectarines	Garlic	*Pecans	Honey - Raw
*Pumpkins	*Oranges	*Ginger	*Pinons	*Maple Syrup
Seaweed, cooked	*Papayas	Horseradish	*Pistachios	*Molasses
Squash, Acorn	Peaches	Marjoram	Sunflower	Raw Sugar
*Squash, Winter	Pears, ripe	Mustard	*Walnuts	*Rice Syrup
*Sweet Potatoes	*Persimmons	Nutmeg		Mint
*Tomatoes	Pineapples	Oregano
Turnips	Plums	Peppermint
	Strawberries	Poppy Seeds	MEAT & FISH	GRAINS
	*Tangerines	Rosemary	*Beef	*Amaranth
OILS		*Saffron	*Chicken	Buckwheat (moderation)
*Almond		Sage	*Crabs	Millet (moderation)
*Avocado	DAIRY	Spearmint	*Duck	*Oats
*Canola	*Butter	Thyme	*Eggs	*Quinoa
*Coconut	*Buttermilk	*Turmeric	*Freshwater fish	Rice
Corn	*Cheese		*Lamb	*Rice, Brown
*Flax	*Cottage cheese		*Lobster	Rye (moderation)
*Mustard	*Cream	CONDIMENTS	*Ocean Fish	*Wheat
*Olive	*Ghee	Carob	*Oysters
*Peanut	*Kefir	Chocolate	*Pork	Learn more about the seasonal diet in “The 3-Season Diet” by Dr. John Douillard
*Safflower	Milk, not cold	Mayonnaise	*Shrimp
*Sesame	Rice/Soy Milk	Pickles	*Turkey
Soy	Sour Cream	*Salt	*Venison
Sunflower	Yogurt	Vinegar