Spring Food Sampling

by Jim Montrose, Living Wholeness Ayurveda, October/November 2022.

Spring Food for Natural Detox, Balance, and Health.

Spring food and spring came late this year, buds finally show on my peccannuts in October.

The Spring Dosha (Kapha Body Constitution)

The Kapha body tends to accumulate mucous and weight and has a heaviness or dormancy during winter. Spring starts the cycle of release where increasing heat and moisture thaws the accumulation of mucous and excess dosha beginning new growth and development (a renewal of juice).

This is hay fever season and release. As covered last month, this is the time to do a spring cleanse to reduce and eliminate these symptoms.  Eating in-season spring food is naturally detoxifying. Good time in life to clear out old and bring in the new also.

To live in harmony with this natural cycle we must modify our foods to spring food, the herbs we use, the type and amount of exercise, the clothes we wear and other aspects in order to maintain good health.

Spring food is naturally lighter and more cleansing. Following the seasonal foods we start to naturally eat less and lighter to accommodate the season. The foods become more bitter and astringent and pungent which also balance us and burn off the excess mucus and weight.

Each dosha, body type, can benefit by eating more of these foods especially Vata and Kapha. Pitta will have to be careful with the pungent and can tolerate some at this time of year.

Herbs like ginger and black pepper and a tea of equal portions of cumin, coriander and fennel are useful. Late spring takes on more of the characteristics of summer and we must prepare to change for the summer Ayurvedic routine and a more cooling diet.

In the transition to spring take a look at your winter journal if you made one and look over your thoughts, revelations, and intentions for the coming spring. Look to transform the unwanted including any weight you may have picked up this last winter and start spring with new aspirations and freedom. Create lists of purging, rejuvenation and actions you wish to make as you move firmly into spring (nature’s New Year) and your new goals.

Read on to learn how to embrace spring food, eat to support your body, and stay healthy with spring food and balance routines for your dosha.

To learn more about your own dosha take our constitution self-quiz  to get a rough idea of your dosha. For help with a health issue or to get a clearer picture of your innate constitution and the current state you are displaying, schedule a constitution pulse exam with Jim, call 071 959 0786 now.

Nature’s Spring Wisdom

In nature, spring is a season of cleansing and new growth. A great season to stay connected to your biological clocks and nature’s circadian rhythms a critical health connection to immunity and longevity.

A wonderful season to eat spring food as seasonal foods helps releasing excess weight with cleansing greens and later, November, add the nutritious and vitalizing fresh berries for essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidant polyphenols.

Spring days gradually become longer and more active. This is a good time to start your new exercise routine, utilize the early morning to exercise, energize and prepare for an active spring and summer.

Spring Routine for Balance.

General guidelines for balancing Kapha year round and the other doshas in spring:

1. Get Moving. Kapha types must counter their love to sit around and read or watch movies.
2. Practice Walking Meditation. To move and meditate this spring.
3. Perform Self-Massage. The Kapha is already oily and may enjoy using talcum powder, Pitta do well with coconut oil and sesame for Vata’s.
4. Eat more bitter, astringent and pungent foods to cleanse and clear out the mucus of winter. Seasonal spring food has this characteristic and helps you balance. So eat copiously of spring food – the greens of spring and berries in late spring.
5. Reduce Seasonal Allergies and Excess Mucus. Kapha especially must avoid heavy foods, dairy, breads, and too much oil. All dosha can benefit with lighter fare.
6. Consider for Pitta and Kapha: bitter and astringent foods like barley, beans, bitter greens, and lots of salads and vegetables this spring. Also include: include apples, berries, pears, soaked prunes if you find yourself constipated, raisins, basmati rice, rice cakes, seitan, tapioca, and ghee.
7. Vata does well staying warm at all times, keeping a regular sleep pattern, and enjoying earthy spices and foods and more oil or rich sauces.
8. Start the day with warm lemon water and the daily Lifestyle Routine (link).
9. Get outside and try to get sunlight for 15-30 minutes if possible as days get longer.
10. Meditate, the still, silent, solitude when we turn inward connects us to our essential nature. Healing happens when you expand your meditation  and tapping  is an ideal way to start your spring morning routine.

Spring Food Routines and Practices

In wet season, usually spring; take more drying foods, herbs and lifestyle like dry food, spicy herbs and saunas. Spring is when Kapha is most aggravated and we tend to balance it with Kapha balancing tastes of bitter, pungent and astringent.

No matter what dosha you are, you can eat more spring foods of the light, warming and non-oily variety that help calm the heavy, cold, and oily Kapha qualities that imbalances you during spring. In the spring most people naturally are drawn to eat light, fresh foods after a long winter of heavy carbohydrates and sweets.

Eat fresh, steamed veggies, greens (including broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage), broth, brown rice, and a variety of legumes, which are astringent and bitter. Eat fewer foods that are sweet, sour, salty, heavy, cold, and oily, including fried food and cold or frozen dairy, such as ice cream. Warm your food using pungent spices in the cooking such as ginger, black pepper, lemon and turmeric.

As spring unfolds we do well with added movement such as taking a walk outdoors, allowing the warmth of the sun to warm you, while at a deeper level the stimulus of sunlight activates rhythms via the pineal gland and hypothalamus in the brain and rebalances energy. Our metabolism changes to feed the additional needs of increased activities in our muscles. We move out of the dark season and into the lightness of spring.

Make “lightness” a priority for spring through meditation, play, laughter and joy is a great way to welcome the rebirth of nature. Spring brings renewal and freshness that we can mirror by buying fresh flowers, eating fresh and natural spring foods. Make yourself fresh and new by cleaning out the accumulation of toxins both physical and mental.

Spring Foods to make you happy

Eat more spring foods that are Pungent (Spicy), Bitter, Astringent. Prepare then in ways that are Light, Dry, Warm:  such as flavorful steamed veggies, light and watery soups, brown rice.

Fruits – Apples, berries, dried cherries, grapefruit, pears, pomegranate juice, prunes, raisins. The year round fruits should be eaten moderately: bananas, dates, grapefruit, mangoes, oranges, papaya, and pears.

Dairy- Lighten up on dairy, (Kapha governs the respiratory tract, and this season tends to produce more mucus).

Vegetables- artichokes fresh & marinated, arugula, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, daikon radish, endive, leeks and radicchio are good spring choices. Beets are a great aid in detoxing in the spring. Root veggies are still good for vata’s. Bitter greens are perfect in spring for cleansing, including dandelion greens, spinach, chard, arugula/rocket, etc.

Root vegetables – are heavier and should be dialed back for lighter meals.

Grains – can work in spring if they are dryer such as amaranth, barley, buckwheat, cornmeal (tortillas), millet and rye.

Nuts and Seeds – should be used sparingly, think lighter.

Beverages – Warm and room temperature beverages are good for spring.

Teas – Warming, cleansing, and calming teas are good (chamomile, cinnamon, ginger and black pepper, lemon, dandelion, burdock)

Pungent spices –  ginger, black pepper, lemon, and turmeric are good as dosha allows. A little cayenne for heat and basil work well. Also fenugreek, mustard seeds, red chilies, and star anise.

Sweets – be moderate or eliminate (Kapha)

Signs of imbalance

Occur when we eat too much of the same element food as the qualities of our doshas. The following foods may imbalance you in spring or any time of the year if you are Kapha.

Kapha– sweets, heavy grains, bananas or toasted wheat bread may make the qualities of earth and water too binding/ moisture heavy. This could result in tamas, sluggish, in body and in the mind as well. Kapha may need to add some rajasic activity to counter balance.

Vata– eating cruciferous veggies and sauerkraut might produce too much wind. There may be a rajasic, overactive, quality of the mind, but also a tamasic, sluggish, element as well. Follow a sattvic lifestyle of regular schedule, time for rest and introspection.

Pitta– eating hot sauce, spicy chilies, or tomatoes often may be a little too much fire. This will incite rajas, overactive, in the mind and can lead to over-active tendencies. Counter with rest and contemplation.

*Notice the qualities of the foods and see how you feel after eating them.

How to use the Ayurvedic Food lists and recommendations

The dosha food list is a good starting point for experimenting with foods. Don’t think it is a magic formula of what works and doesn’t; your particular food needs are unique. Use it to experiment and access your innate, natural food impulses to find what truly works for you. They are not a treatment plan that can be applied mechanically.

The art of Ayurveda (art/science of living) is refined through actual life experience and your understanding of your reaction to the various foods. The actual balance is a dynamic moment by moment optimum balancing of your dosha, daily, lunar, seasonal, and life cycle rhythms (what modern science has recently discovered are so important for optimum health – circadian rhythms – Nobel prize in medicine 2017).

The Vata, Pitta, & Kapha food lists are meant to be suggestive areas for explorations; start by picking your favorite foods on the list of your primary body type and try them out. How do they make you feel? Chances are many will feel great (maybe 1/3) and the remainder will have minimal affect positive or negative. Some foods on the list make not work for you at all (making you feel worse). That’s normal note and use this body led intelligence to choose your proper foods.

Seasonal Spring Food  in South Africa

(Sept, Oct, Nov southern Hemisphere; Mar, Apr, May northern Hemisphere)

Spring food tastes are pungent, bitter, and astringent; foods with all three tastes are superior spring foods; any two are OK.  Classified by dosha type (vata-v,pitta-p,kapha-k, sattvic tri-dosha-s),* use occasionally, ** rarely, +unrated – experiment and see what you get:

Fruit:

Apples (V (uncooked) P* K,S), Avocados (P), Bananas (V,P,S), Cape gooseberries (K), Coconuts (V), Dates(V*,P,S), Grapefruit (V*,P), Guavas       (V,P*,S), Naartjies or tangerines (V*), Lemons (V*,P,K), Nectarines (V*,P), Oranges (V*,P), Pawpaws or papaya (V*,P,K), Pears (V (ripe),P*,K), Pineapples (V,P*), Sweet melon (P,S), Strawberries (V,P*,K)

Fruit available all year: bananas(v, k), pineapples (v,p), dried mango (s),dried figs (s), dried peaches(s)

Fruits that ripen in November: Apricots (P,K*), Blackberries (P sweet, K), Cherries (v,p sweet, s),  Prunes (P, K), Raspberries (P*), Plums (V,P*), Sweet melon (P,S), Watermelon (P)

Vegetables:
Asparagus (p,k), artichokes (v,p,k), beetroot (v, k), broad (fava) beans (p,k)) , broccoli (v,p,k,s), brussel sprouts (v,p,k), cabbage (v*,p,k), carrots (v,p,k,s), cauliflower (v*,p,k,s), celeriac +, celery (p,k,s), cucumber (v,p), endive, fennel (v,p,k), garlic (v,p,k), horseradish (v**,p,k), Jerusalem artichokes (v,p,k), Kale (v,p,k), kohlrabi (v,p**,k), kelp (v,s), lettuce (p,k,s), mushrooms (v,p,k), parsnips (v,p,k**), peas (v cooked,p,k,s), peppers (v,p,k), potatoes (v,p,k,s), pumpkin (v,p,k), radishes (v cooked,p cooked,k), rhubarb (v,p,k), spinach (v cooked,p cooked ** p raw,k,s), spring onion +, squash (v,p,k,s), sweet potatoes (v,p,k,s), swiss chard (p,k) , turnips (v,p,k), waterblommetjies +, watercress (v,p*,k).

Vegetables available throughout the year: butternut (v,p), carrots (v*,p,k), cucumber (v,p), gem squash (v,p,k,s), lettuce (v*,p,k), onion (v raw, v cooked*,p,k), potato (v,p,k), pumpkin (v,p,k), radish (v cooked,p cooked,k), sweet potato (v,p,k,s)

Sattvic Legumes: mung, yellow lentils, kidney beans, lima beans

Sattvic Dairy: unpasteurized raw milk, homemade yogurt and cheese

South African Spring Seasonal Foods © Jim Montrose 2022, Living Wholeness Ayurveda, 071 959 0786

Excellent Spring food for each Dosha

Spring food can reset digestion, stimulate fat burning and build stable energy for the year ahead. Kapha body types or anyone holding extra weight can benefit by watching their diet in the spring when your body doesn’t want to eat as much and spring foods naturally lead to detoxifying and cleansing.

Leafy greens like arugula, spinach, and lettuces are the ultimate spring foods. Rich in vitamins like A, K, and folate, plus chlorophyll, fiber, and even water, these leafy greens will help reduce inflammation while also hydrating and detoxifying your body. Microgreens, baby leaves and sprout seeds, are richer in Vitamins and nutrients than larger leaves and are especially potent and useful for spring.

Arugula is great for Pitta and Kapha; it can be an antidote for Vata by lightly frying in ghee. Spinach good for Vata and Kapha, may provoke Pitta cooling with mint may help. Kale is a favorite green for high Pitta and Kapha, but aggravating for Vata. Unlike spinach, it is cooling for Pitta. Fiber and bitter taste stimulate peristalsis, encouraging regular elimination of the bowels. Bitter taste also improves the flow of bile, reducing gallbladder and liver congestion. Watercress is a good green for Kapha, but aggravates Pitta and Vata. It is alterative and restores the proper function of the body by cleansing the blood and balancing blood chemistry. Lettuces are generally good for Pitta and Kapha but aggravating for Vata, which can be antidoted by lightly cooking in ghee.

The first spring foods to be ready for harvest in the spring are the root veggies like ginger, turmeric, burdock, and dandelion. They are great transitional teas that boost immunity, and naturally scrub the intestinal tract from any accumulated mucus and toxins. They help insure the health of intestinal mucosa, important component of the body’s immunity, and encourage the robust diversity of the microbiology.

Spring is a gluten-free and grain-free season, as these foods are traditionally not harvested until fall, so reduce your portions of rice, grains, breads, and pastas. Corn is a very dry grain, originally ripening and harvested in spring, so it makes better sense for it to be eaten in the wet season of spring rather than the dry season of fall – nature had this all figured out until humans got involved and selected for later harvest.

Spring is also a dairy-free time of year. Reduce your intake of dairy, so it’s available for the calves that have just been born.

Artichoke and is very high in fiber. It’s is similar to beets with chologogue properties to flush toxins, together with its high fiber content make it ideal to flush toxins and support gut diversity. They are very good for Pitta’s.

Asparagus is a good tri-doshic option and with the fresh spring harvest of Asparagus the flavors are great and prices right. Containing saponins and potassium, Asparagus is known for drying and is good for Kapha and Pitta, can be too drying for Vata in late spring (antidote with oily sauce). Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) are good spring food vegetables for Kapha and other doshas. They are loaded with nutrients, but may be a little drying for Vata.

The extent to which the sinuses get dry in the winter is the extent to which you will make extra mucus in the spring. Lots of folks simply cannot, or do not, antidote the dryness of winter well enough to ward off the drippy sinuses of spring. Vitamin D, ashwagandha and turmeric can help keep immunity strong throughout the year.

The spring harvest: starts with bitter roots, to boost liver function, scrub the intestinal villi, strengthen immunity and create a healthy environment for microbe proliferation. Baby micro-greens in spring are loaded with more nutrients than mature leaves and boosted chlorophyll, feeding intestinal microbes. Berries come late spring, with antioxidants and lymph movers. Berries in late spring, cleanse the outside of the gut wall (gut associated lymph tissue). This cycle restore digestions, immunity, and microbes for the whole year.

Preparing Spring Food

Food is most welcomed during the spring time when it is light, dry, and warm. Stir fries, blanching, or light baking with a little olive oil (Vata), coconut oil (Pitta), and minimum or no oil (use Hippocrates soup for Kapha) work well.

Choose spring foods that are in season and local when possible, that you like, and are compatible with your dosha as much as possible. Good light salad dressings can be made with lemon, raw oil and blended vegetables. A little avocado can be used but don’t overdo (especially for Kapha).

Reduce and avoid heavier and oily foods. Use a little oil, consider a light blanching in water or some steaming, however extensive steaming is quite aggressive and cause chemical interactions that denature the food.

Foods Corresponding to the Six Tastes

This list provides for a variety of examples for each taste.

SWEET:  sugar, honey, fruit, saffron, ghee, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, and coriander.

SOUR: sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, cheese, sour fruits, fermented foods, pickles, wine, tamarind, lemon, tomato, grated lemon rind, dried pomegranate, yoghurt, tamarind

SALTY: salts, seaweed, celery, kelp, cumin, cayenne, paprika, black pepper, oregano, lemon peel, garlic and onion powder, and rubbed sage.

PUNGENT: onion, radish, chili peppers, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, asafoetida, wasabi, horseradish, radish, cardamom, cloves, ginger, hing, paprika, mustard

BITTER: bitter melon, coffee, neem, sandalwood, bitter greens such as dandelion, dark leafy greens, bitter herbs such as goldenseal & gentian, fenugreek, tonic water, caffeine, horseradish, parsley, coriander, mugwort, chamomile, mint, horehound, endive, Bay Leaves, Black Cumin Seed, Celery Seed, Fenugreek Seeds, Greek Oregano,  Lavender, Mace, Marjoram Leaf, Mediterranean Thyme, Mustard, Turmeric.

ASTRINGENT: turmeric, black tea, lettuce, apple, pomegranate, okra, unripe banana, chick peas, split yellow peas, alfalfa sprouts and other sprouts, lentils, leafy greens, pomegranate, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, spinach, Basil, bay leaf, caraway, coriander, dill, fennel, marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, parsley, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, turmeric, vanilla, triphala, amalaki, haritaki, arjuna, and manjistha.

“Take your time to relax and eat in beauty, peace, quiet and calm. Start with a prayer of appreciation it makes food more digestible.”  – Ayurvedic eating recommendations.

Churna’s an easy way to get the six tastes in all seasons

Use a churna to learn the tastes of your dosha and simplify cooking. It is an Ayurvedic spice mixes designed to balance one’s doshas. It helps to regulate and keep the body in balance and harmony physically and mentally. By providing family and friends the three doshas you can make simple sattvic food and give them their dosha’s churna so they can customize it for their body type.

A simple churna can be made by adding the pre-dominate spices for the dosha taste when you don’t have Jim’s churna or something similar. Add the other three tastes in the rest of the meal if possible.

Vata (sweet, sour and salty tastes careful with pungent, bitter and astringent) fennel for balance, ginger for digestion, turmeric to detoxify, cumin for digestion, fenugreek to flush toxins

Pitta (sweet, bitter, astringent, careful with sour, salty and pungent) Coriander is a cooling spice and digestion, fennel (a primary balancer of Pitta in combination with coriander and cumin)nourishing digestion and digestion, turmeric to detoxify liver, support digestion and immunity, cumin for digestion and flush toxins away.

Kapha (pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes careful with sweet, sour, and salty) Ginger to and aid digestion, Pepper for cleansing and antioxidant properties and stimulate the appetite, Turmeric to detoxify liver and reduce cholesterol, Cinnamon warming spice balance digestion and nourish.

Try Jim’s churna blends available at the office or from the website. Read more about churna’s here.

Making Salads Tasty with Spring Foods

• Add herbs for your dosha to balance and add taste. The doshic churna’s are a great taste to sprinkle on your salads.
• Add cooked, cooled spring beans, asparagus, and beets to your salad.
• Use very good quality raw oil in your salads like Flax oil.
• Use fresh lemon in your salad dressings for healing and freshness.
• Oil-free salad dressings can use vegetable juice, puréed tomato, celery, carrot and other vegetables with tasty herbs like ginger, coriander, fennel, garlic, chives, etc.

Example Doshic Salad Ingredients

Tri-Doshic (sattvic)

Very young radishes (less for pitta)                                 Asparagus

Kapha Balancing (lightly steam if desired)

Broccoli                                                        Brussels sprouts                               Cauliflower

Cabbage                                                      Amaranth                                            Barley

Buckwheat                                                 Millet                                                    Beans

Vata Balancing (lightly cook in ghee or olive oil)

Cucumber (lightly cooked)                   Cooked Beets                                    Carrots

Radishes                                                      Oats                                                       Basmati Rice

Wheat, wheat berries

Pitta Balancing (lightly cook if desired in ghee or coconut oil)

Broccoli                                                        Brussels sprouts                               Cauliflower

Cabbage                                                      Fennel bulbs                                      Basmati rice

Spring Food Detox Salads

Warm Green Detox Salad

Vata often has troubles with raw greens and salad. The Chinese and to some extent the Indian cultures have overcome this by lightly parboiling or frying their greens and making a warm salad. Give it a try if eating a salad is hard for you.

Ingredients:       Watercress or Kale 3-4 leaves or sprigs

Baby Spinach, hand full

Romaine (Cos) Lettuce, 5 leaves

Sliced fresh fennel, 2-3 pieces

Dressing:             Fenugrek, 1/2 tsp

Flax oil, 1-2 tsp

Lemon, light squeeze

Ginger, grated ½ tsp

Heat a pot of water to boiling, dip the romaine lettuce, kale or watercress, and fennel into the water and boil for 1 min. Remove and drain. Toss the baby spinach into the boiling water, stir 15 seconds, remove and drain. Layer your plate with romaine lettuce, spread kale on top, then baby spinach, optional grated carrots, and the sliced fennel. Mix the dressing and drizzle over the salad. Enjoy!

Make this a rejuvenating recipe by adding more variety of Vata vegetables (Sweet potatoes, Carrots, Beets, Yams, Butternut squash, Peas, Asparagus, Artichoke, lightly cooked cucumber (remove seeds), radishes, and caramelized onions). Try micro-greens the fresh young small leaves as the vegetables first appears after winter which are loaded with increased nutrients compared to the mature leaves.

Make it a thriving recipe by stir frying the ingredients in a little olive oil and then adding additional variety and a little fat (Avocado) and perhaps a thick creamy dressing. A simple soft cheese like cottage cheese, Paneer, or feta may be added but keep it light. Add a little black pepper or red chili flakes making your salad spicy, tasty, oily and richer yet still light.

Pitta Spring Food Salad

Pitta salads can be lovely and the abundant greens of spring make for tasty flavorful salads. Fresh greens like dandelion greens (make sure they are not sprayed if you wild harvest), kale, red and green lettuces, micro greens (increased nutrients), spinach, Swiss chard and fresh sprouts (another increased source of nutrients in spring food).

Ingredients:

a nice bed of fresh greens (red and green lettuce, romaine (cos), rocket (arugula),

watercress, etc.)

Fresh sprouts (alfalfa, chickpea, mung, radish) rejuvenating only, leave off for detox.

Celery sliced crosswise small

1 large cucumber, remove seeds and skin, and slice crosswise

Tomato, 1 med-large, diced

Optional 1 grated carrot

1 cup of lightly boiled, baked, or steamed butternut squash sprinkle Pitta churna on top

Optional sprinkle of tarragon or dill on salad

Dressing:             Fresh squeezed lemon juice 1-2 tbs

Flax Oil 1-2 tbs

Optional Crushed Garlic (1-2 cloves) for rejuvenating or thriving

Preparation:

Assemble the salad ingredients on a plate. Layer each additional ingredient on top of the lettuce bed to create an attractive and colorful display. Make the dressing ahead of time to allow the garlic to be absorbed into the oil. Sprinkle oil on the salad and optional herbs. Enjoy!

Feel free to experiment with additional veggies try raw and cooked and different herbs.

Veggie options (raw or lightly cooked): Kale, Dandelion greens, Lettuce, Spinach, Cucumber, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Artichoke, Celery, Alfalfa sprouts, Bean (mung, chickpea, etc.) sprouts, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Summer squash, Zucchini (baby marrow), Tomatoes*, Beets (cooked), Carrots*, Sweet potato*, Acorn squash*, Butternut squash*, Pumpkin*, Spaghetti squash* and Corn (fresh)*. (*in moderation)

Spice options: Coriander, Cumin, Fennel, Peppermint, Spearmint, Turmeric, Dill and Tarragon

Make it this rejuvenating recipe by adding a little more oil if desired and perhaps a little basmati rice (only once or twice a week). A little sprouted legume, mung, alfalfa, radish, lentil, chickpea, etc. can also be added but keep it light. Cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts) lightly steamed; parboiled or baked are wonderful additions.

Make it thriving using a little salt, cooking in coconut oil, frying spices and vegetables in a little oil to bring out more flavor. A little additional fat and protein like avocado is a welcome addition and a simple soft cheese like cottage cheese, paneer, or feta may be added but keep it light.

Kapha Spring Food Detox Salad

Ingredients:       a nice bed of greens (red and green lettuces, kale, spinach, Swiss chard)

sliced or diced red onion

turnips greens if desired

fresh peas or corn

sprouts (alfalfa, bean) if desired for rejuvenating

crushed garlic and ginger

optional black pepper, paprika or chili flakes for rejuvenating or thriving.

Dressing:Fresh squeezed lemon juice 1-2 tbs

Flax Oil 1-2 tbs

Optional Crushed Garlic (1-2 cloves) for rejuvenating or thriving

Preparation: Assemble your greens on the plate and then layer the other ingredients on top to make it a visual masterpiece. Add your dressing and enjoy!

Feel free to change up the vegetables and spices (remember not to use pungent spices for detox most of the options below) using the veggie and spice options below.

Veggie options: Radish, Onion, Garlic, Artichoke, Asparagus, Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Peas, Corn, Cabbage, Celery, Lettuce, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnips, Turnip greens, Sprouts

Spice options: Turmeric, Ginger, Dried chili pepper flakes, Clove, Paprika, Black pepper, Thyme, Mustard seeds, cayenne, garlic

Make it rejuvenating add in a bigger variety of vegetables, especially the cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts). Consider a hot salad like parboiled kale with cabbage. Cook up an artichoke or asparagus to add to the salad. Add thyme to your salad.

Make it thriving continue to add flavor options through the various vegetables and try some cooked as well as raw or cool. Add a little cooked and cooled buckwheat or amaranth to the salad. Make a richer salad dressing but keep it light to control and reduce the excess weight put on in the winter.

Spring Celebration Recipes

ASPARAGUS ON BABY SPINACH AND CAULIFLOWER

Ingredients:       Onion, ½ med. – thinly sliced (Vata, Kapha)

Fennel, 1 baby fennel – thinly sliced (Vata, Pitta)

Garlic, 1-2 cloves – crushed (Kapha)

Cauliflower, 1 small – cubed 2-5 cm (Pitta, Kapha)

Asparagus, 1 package – chop off the woody end (Vata, Pitta, Kapha)

Baby (English) Spinach Leaves, 5-10 per serving (Pitta, Kapha)

Peas, ¼ cup shelled (Vata, Pitta, Kapha)

½ tsp Rosemary (Vata, Kapha)

Hippocrates soup ½-1 cup as needed (detox) or use ghee (rejuvenative, thriving)

Preparation:

Place ½ cup of the Hippocrates Soup into a frying pan on medium heat and add the fennel, onion, garlic, and bring to simmer and let them soften.

Add in cauliflower; add additional soup if needed, and simmer over a medium heat – about 10 minutes until starts to soften. Once soft add the Asparagus, reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Then add the peas and baby spinach to finish off for a minute or two. Stir gently and serve. Enjoy this spring vegetable ensemble with great fresh spring asparagus, baby spinach, fennel, and cauliflower – all spring vegetables.

You can easily modify this for your dosha using the simple charts below. Replace any veggies that you don’t like with seasonal ones you do like and try replacing or mixing up the spices.

Examples: Vata try sweet potato, pea, and avocado; or pumpkin, onion, carrot. Pitta: try cauliflower and kale; or cabbage, beet and corn. Kapha: try turnips, kale and radish; or Brussels sprouts, peas, and garlic.

Dive deeper into Spring Foods with my upcoming cookbook and check more options. Find out more and get a pre-publication reserve price by clicking here.

Vata Veggies	Vata spices
Sweet potatoes Carrots Beets Yams Butternut squash Acorn Squash Spaghetti Squash Pumpkin Zucchini Yellow Squash Peas Asparagus Artichoke Avocado Caramelized onions Chilies (in small quantities) Mustard Greens	Turmeric Ginger Cumin Cinnamon Nutmeg Clove Vanilla Allspice Asafoetida Paprika Black pepper Pippali Rosemary Tarragon Oregano Thyme Marjoram Salt Saffron Mustard seeds Fennel Cardamom
Pitta Veggies	Pitta Spices
Kale Dandelion greens Lettuce Cucumber Asparagus Spinach Broccoli Cauliflower Artichoke Celery Alfalfa sprouts Bean sprouts Brussels sprouts Cabbage Summer squash Zucchini Tomatoes* Beets (cooked) Carrots* Sweet potato* Acorn squash* Butternut squash* Pumpkin* Spaghetti squash* Corn (fresh)* * in moderation	Coriander Cumin Fennel Cardamom Peppermint Spearmint Turmeric Dill Saffron Tarragon
Kapha Veggies	Kapha Spices
Radish Onion Garlic Artichoke Asparagus Kale Broccoli Cauliflower Brussels sprouts Peas Corn Cabbage Celery Lettuce Spinach Tomatoes Turnips Turnip greens Sprouts	Turmeric Ginger Cinnamon Dried chili pepper flakes Clove Asafoetida Paprika Black pepper Pippali Rosemary Tarragon Oregano Thyme Marjoram Mustard seeds Cayenne Saffron Peppermint Garlic Ajwan Bay leaf Caraway Coriander Cardamom

Spring Veggies and Spices © Jim Montrose 2022, Living Wholeness Ayurveda, 071 959 0786

Artichokes with Garlic/Rosemary

Ingredients:                       1 artichoke per serving, sliced in half

1-2 tsp Rosemary in boiling water

3 Tbs Olive oil (optional, leave out for detox) in boiling water

3 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar in boiling water

Sauce: 2 tbs olive oil or more; or ¼-1/2 cup Hippocrates soup

2 or more cloves crushed garlic

Preparation:

Bring ample water to cover the artichokes to a full boil, add the seasoning, oil, and vinegar and the artichokes. Cover, reduce heat to avoid boiling over, and cook at a light boil until soft (1/2 hour to hour depending on artichokes). Prick the stems with a fork or take an outer-leaf off and taste to determine if it’s soft and cooked.

Remove from the heat, drain and return to covered pan. Heat a little olive oil in a pan (thriving) or use ¼-1/2 cup of Hippocrates soup (detox) with the crushed garlic and additional rosemary if desired to make a dipping sauce.

Serve on a plate with a small cup of sauce to dip. Place a large refuse bowl on the table to toss the used leaves and stems.

Eat by first removing the leaves dipping the bottom part of the leaf in sauce and chew/pull the fleshy part into your mouth and enjoy. When you have removed all the leaves, you will have a cone shaped portion that has leaves and a hair like section that needs to be removed, leaving the artichoke heart that makes it all worthwhile. Use a spoon to scrape any of the hairy portion of the heart and dip the heart and eat it off the stem. Delicious!

Diving Deeper

Find out more about cooking for spring food and each season in my upcoming book “Happy Foods – Balanced in body type and season. Eat food for cleansing, rejuvenation and maintaining thriving!”   With recipes for 7 days of eating at the ranch in Spring, Summer and Fall/Winter. Each recipe has ideas for using it as a template to make meals that match your doshas, the season, creating cleansing meals, sattvic (tridoshic) meals, rejuvenating (maintenance) meals, and liberated (thriving) meals.

Read more https://mailchi.mp/0bf928be3b3d/happy-foods-simple-tasty-foods-for-body-type-season-with-cleansing-rejuvenation-thriving-meals and get an advance purchase discount now!

Eat for Spring Health!

Put this information to use immediately by choosing the spring foods that balance you t to make your spring routine. No matter what dosha you are – stay with fresh, local and in-season foods which naturally provide the nutrients your body needs for the season you are in.

If you are a Vata or Kapha follow the general guidelines and Pitta follow the guidelines avoiding too heating of food and spices. Continue to use light, dry and warming foods to strengthen your body for spring and watch weight gain (especially Kapha’s) with spring naturally lighter and cleansing natures.

This spring focus on cleansing, rejuvenating and energizing with healthy detoxifying spring food. Choose one or two new habits and pay attention to how your mind and body feel. By paying attention to your daily rhythms and staying grounded and in touch with nature, you can emerge rejuvenated and energized for summer!

Keep light, dry, and calm this spring,

Jim Montrose, Ayurvedic Specialist

Living Wholeness and Ayurveda, 071 959 0786

www.drzaidarivene.co.za/jimmontrose

PS Join us next month for pranayama, the connection for body and mind.

P.P.S. Make an appointment for your individualized Detox Plan Now or an overall assessment and Ayurvedic balancing, email or call Jim at 071 959 0786. Consider our On-Line Ayurvedic Balancing course to master your balance.

P.P.P,S. – For further help – Check out the free resources and articles on wellness based beliefs and purpose and other topics.

P.P.P.P.S. sign in and make a comment about this article and join the VIP Happy Food List for monthly food tips.

Copyright October/November  2022