Kapha dosha & remedies

[vlbedoc]

In the Northern Hemisphere, we are in the midst of what is known as Kapha season ,the period of late winter and spring, which brings the cold, wet weather that characterizes the Kapha dosha.

When our Kapha dosha is out of balance, it can manifest as colds, sinus congestion, weight gain, allergies, sluggishness, depression, and a lack of motivation.  These common conditions tend to be aggravated during Kapha season, so now is a good time to correct any imbalances in your mind-body health.

Here are some suggestions for balancing Kapha:

1.Make choices that are warm, light, energizing, and purifying.
2.Follow a regular daily routine; avoid taking naps during the day.
3.Favor lighter, drier foods with pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes .
4.Exercise every day: running, bicycling, swimming, aerobics.
5.Stick to warm and bright colors, such as yellow, orange, and red.

[vlbedoc]

Kapha governs the structure of the body. It is the principle that holds the cells together and forms the muscle, fat, bone, and sinew. The primary function of Kapha is protection.

Qualities of Kapha: Heavy, slow, steady, solid, cold, soft, oily.

Physical Characteristics: Kapha types have a strong build and excellent stamina. Large, soft eyes; smooth, radiant skin; and thick hair are also important Kapha characteristics. Those who are predominantly Kapha sleep soundly and have regular digestion. But when Kapha builds to excess, weight gain, fluid retention, and allergies manifest in the body. When they're out of balance, Kapha types may become overweight, sleep excessively, and suffer from asthma, diabetes, and depression.

Emotional Characteristics: Kaphas are naturally calm, thoughtful, and loving. They have an inherent ability to enjoy life and are comfortable with routine. When in balance, Kaphas are strong, loyal, patient, steady, and supportive. People with an excess of Kapha tend to hold on to things, jobs, and relationships long after they are no longer nourishing or necessary. Excess Kapha in the mind manifests as resistance to change and stubbornness. In the face of stress, the typical Kapha response is "I don't want to deal with it."

alancing Kapha:

Since Kapha is inherently cold, heavy, and dense, the key to balancing Kapha is stimulation. Kaphas tend to cling to the status quo and routine, so they need the stimulation of new sights, sounds, and experiences.
Follow a regular daily routine, ideally awakening before 6am each morning. Avoid taking naps during the day.
Stay warm and avoid dampness. Kaphas are particularly sensitive to cold, damp conditions and benefit from heat. Use dry heat if you are congested (a common Kapha complaint). Using a heating pad under your back or a sunlamp at your chest is often helpful. Avoid exposing your nose, throat, and lungs to cold winter air if you aren't feeling well.
Perform a daily garshan (dry massage) on your body to stimulate circulation. Click here for garshan massage instructions.
To prevent congestion, the ayurvedic neti pot is a powerful tool for nasal cleansing. Read on for instructions on how to use a neti pot here.
Clear your space. To avoid clutter from accumulating in your home, office, car, and other physical spaces, regularly clean out and give away things that you know you'll never use.
Get regular exercise . preferably every day. This is the best way to avoid stagnation and the accumulation of toxins in the body. Focus on building endurance. Favor running, bicycling, swimming, aerobics, and competitive sports. Dance to energizing rhythmic music.
Use warm, stimulating aromas including cloves, camphor, cinnamon, eucalyptus, juniper, and marjoram.
Favor colors that are warm and bright, including yellow, orange, and red.
Kapha-Balancing Nutritional Guidelines

According to ayurveda, it is important to eat foods that have a balancing effect upon the dominant dosha or that will pacify (stabilize) a dosha that has become excessive or aggravated. Because Kapha is heavy, oily and cold, favor foods that are light, dry, or warm. Foods with pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes are most beneficial for pacifying Kapha. Reduce foods with sweet, sour, and salty tastes.

Recommendations:

Try a liquid fast one day per week, ingesting only fresh vegetables and fruit juices, and pureed vegetable soup.
Reduce the intake of dairy, which tends to increase Kapha. You can use small amounts of ghee, low-fat milk, and low-fat yogurt.
Honey is a sweetener that is said to best pacify Kapha. Other sweeteners should be avoided because they increase the Kapha dosha, contributing to problems such as blocked sinuses, allergies, colds, and lethargy. Take a tablespoon or two (but no more) of raw honey every day helps release excess Kapha; please do not cook with honey.
Drinking hot ginger tea with meals helps stimulate slow digestion and sharpen dull taste buds. Drink 2 to 3 cups of ginger tea daily. Find our ginger tea recipe here.
All beans are good for Kapha types except for soybeans and soybean-based foods such as tofu, which should be eaten in moderation.
Favor lighter fruits such as apples, pears, pomegranates, cranberries, and apricots. Reduce heavier fruits like bananas, avocados, pineapples, oranges, peaches, coconuts, melons, dates, and figs.
In general, all vegetables are recommended but reduce consumption of sweet and juicy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchini.
All spices except salt are pacifying to Kapha. Use pungent spices like pepper, cayenne, mustard seed, and ginger freely in your diet.
Reduce intake of all nuts and seeds. Favor pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
For non-vegetarians, fresh, organic white meat chicken, turkey, eggs, and seafood are acceptable. Limit consumption of red meat.
A Kapha diet should be lively and full of energy to help spark the digestive and metabolic systems. Eat your largest meal at lunchtime and a smaller meal at dinnertime. Allow at least 3 hours to digest before bedtime.
Fats and oils: Use small amounts of extra virgin olive oil, ghee, almond oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, mustard oil, or safflower oil.
Grains: Favor barley, corn, millet, buckwheat, rye. Reduce intake of oats, rice, and wheat.

[Seetaram]

Hi, can you suggest any good permanent remedy for sinusitis, apart from what ayurveda suggests  : using neem oil into nostrils (i dont like it)

[vlbedoc]

actually.. the thing abt sinusitis is that it is like any regular fever / common cold.. which comes and goes.. you cant immunize yourself against it..

there are certain body types and immunity levels which makes a person more / less prone to such infections.. so to answer your question abt \'permanant remedy\' : there is none.

however.. there are some lifestyle modifications which helps a person develop his immunity to better tackle such infections and cause milder signs and symptoms limited to mild congestion rather than a full blown sinus attack with severe headaches and other complications.

My advise:

- dietary changes according to the recommendations help more than you can imagine. they have been advocated in several integrated medicine practices. so do try to follow some of them. esp, the things to avoid are stressed.

- regular aerobic exercise, yoga and pranayam has shown to help a lot. in my personal experience i have seen my grandparents, now well in their late 70s are living disease free.. so is my mother-- all of whom exercise regularly. my father, the only one who doesn\'t exercise in the family is also the only one who has to take pills everyday.

start with 20 mins brisk walking.. then gradually take it up to 1 hr. and keep it at 1 hr everyday for the rest of your life. thats all the amount of exercise you need and must do.
and yes, not on the treadmill at home or the gym. go out at a park or somewhere quiet early morning when the sun is just about to rise. when you see the sun rise - just face the sun, close your eyes, let the rays be absorbed in your body.. chant the gayatri mantra just 3-5 times- and resume walking.

these are not the methods any other doctor would suggest to you except me perhaps. but if you do it, do tell me if it helped.

reasons why i advocate early morning walk outside esp for your sinusitis:

when you sleep at night, your body\'s metabolism is low which causes downstream effects on the rest of the body\'s functioning and everything is sluggish. walking in the morning gives a physiological jump start to all the processes in the body, esp blood formation and circulation and glands which secrete body fluids and hormones.
increased circulation gives a boost to the bone marrow to create new blood cells. these new blood cells are very powerful in healing any inflammatory process going on in the body. when you start doing this regularly, you have relatively better functioning blood cells which fight infection rather than a person with sluggish metabolism and circulation.
it will be a gradual process, but i guarantee you, you will start noticing the difference in 2-3 months and after 120-180 days, a huge difference and relief.

respiratory system is one organ system that depends heavily on good blood circulation so trust me.. although an unconventional solution, it is bound to work.

- 1 tsp termeric + 1 tsp jaggery - make a paste in water and take every day. if you have stomach acidity or peptic ulcers, take only 3 times a week backed by milk. termeric has anti-inflammatory and anti-septic properties, when ingested, helps fight infections and prevents recurrence, esp upper respiratory tract.

hope it helps.

[Seetaram]

i have no problem in summer
but in rainy season or when i shower for longer time i catch cold sometimes

thanks for those tips, will try them and let you know result

[vlbedoc]

i thought you asked remedy for sinusitis..! sinusitis is much more severe and difficult to treat than normal \'catching cold\'..

if you catch cold after long shower, its because you take it for a \'long time\'.. water causes a mild reaction called \'atopy\' .. it resolves on its own.. use a milder soap if it is too severe..

plus in India, monsoon brings with it a cocktail of infections which we can\'t do much about.. prevention is better than cure.

[Seetaram]

i dont know if its sinus or not
but when i spend more time in and A/C room, or have cold water shower, i catch either cold or feel heavy in chest