Many people don’t like winter since they consider it to be a season of cold, flu, and other contagious diseases. So it’s often believed that winter decreases your immunity to a great extent. However, Ayurveda feels otherwise and believes winter to be one where you can strengthen your immunity. The age-old science shows how to improve your immunity and how to stay healthy in winter.
In Ayurveda, Bala means immunity which includes not just physical immunity but psychological and spiritual immunity as well. Bala helps in providing the body and mind with endurance to fight off any problems that affect the different areas of immunity. Various factors affect your immunity such as diet, lifestyle, season, and age. You can maintain a consistent level of immunity throughout any ups and downs in your life.
There are three levels of immunity:
- Hereditary (Sahaj) – the inherent immunity level you’re born with.
- Seasonal (Kalaj) – the changing immunity levels due to planetary and seasonal shifts.
- Established (Yuktikrit) – the consistent level of immunity that can be maintained by leading an Ayurvedic lifestyle.
Ayurveda focuses on strengthening the second level of immunity which fluctuates with changes in seasons and planetary cycles. Winter is a good time to build your immunity since digestion is stronger in the cold weather. As a result, people feel more hungry and digest more which nourishes their bodies.
Many people have the misconception that winter is bad for immunity because it’s difficult to digest. However, that’s not the case. This is because as appetite increases, people tend to eat more junk food which affects their immunity. Having more Ayurvedic winter food can help in boosting immunity instead of weakening it. Choosing these immunity-boosting foods by Ayurveda will help nourish both your body and mind. Lifestyle too plays an important role in helping you maintain good immunity throughout the season.
Here are some simple health tips for winter to keep you going throughout the season:
- Rest – Winter is characterized by long nights and smaller days so you should give your body and mind an ample amount of rest. Going to bed early and rising early can help you to create the perfect balance.
- Reduce stress – Winter helps you slow down which helps you to reduce stress to a great extent. Having a planned and organized routine for your daily activities can help you avoid clutter and confusion and reduce anxiety.
- Exercise – Since the winter season induces lethargy, you need to provide stimulation to your body. Exercise is a great way to achieve this. Depending on your energy levels and the time of the day, you can choose your exercise regimes.
- Practice yoga – Yoga is a great way to calm your mind and stay healthy. There are different movements that help produce heat in the body for the cold season and are ideal for balancing Vata and Kapha.
- Choose hot, warm beverages and cooked food – In winter, it’s best to avoid chilled beverages and cold food since it may have an adverse effect on the immune system. Opting for cooked food and warm beverages can help balance the Vata and Kapha perfectly for the season.
- Choose sweet, sour and salty foods – In Ayurveda, there are various tastes that match the rhythms of each season. In winter, it’s best to choose sweet, sour, and salty foods instead of bitter, astringent, and pungent tastes.
- Use Ayurvedic herbal medicines – If you discover symptoms such as cold, cough, and fever, you can go for Ayurvedic medicines for increasing body heat that will create a healthy balance in the season.