On March 21, the centre of the Sun was directly above the equator, dividing the earth into two almost equal planes of light and dark: the equinox. In plainspeak, we’ve officially entered spring. But what does that mean for your body?
“Whatever changes happen outside, your body reacts to it, to keep the three doshas in balance, and in sync with nature,” says Dr Prasan Shankar, I-AIM Healthcare Center, Bengaluru, referring to the three doshas (biological energies) that constitute the body, according to Ayurvedic texts: vata , pitta , and kapha .
“In the winter months of hemant and shishir , there is an increase of kapha in your body. Which means you have greater appetite, you sleep better, have more stamina to exercise. But as you approach vasant ritu or spring, you are more prone to kapha disorders such as cold, cough, and respiratory tract infections,” he says.
Allopathic doctors too, attest to this increase in infectious diseases around this time. “We see a lot of cases of viral infections around this time; you are also more likely to be exposed to gastroenteritis and diarrhoea. Diseases spread more easily in hot and crowded places,” says Dr Ezhilan Naganathan, Consultant General Medicine, Kauvery Hospital, Chennai.
It’s the kind of season when after hours of freezing in air-conditioned offices, you long for warmth, but when you step outside, it’s too hot. “Most corporate offices use central air-conditioning. Patients who come to me complaining about respiratory tract infections tell me that they have been sitting directly under the AC vents. The question is how regularly are these vents cleaned, because the filters carry all types of respiratory bugs,” he says.
That said, the transition weather is not all bad; in fact, it is celebrated across cultures as the bringing of a new year, with a fresh harvest. The key to staying healthy, as always, lies in getting the right nutrients. “In winter, the requirement of the body is different.
Our body is trying to conserve energy, and is looking for healthy fat. But with spring, it is time to give up on those, and look for lighter foods that can be easily digested,” says Manjari Chandra, a Delhi-based dietician.
Spring is the season of harvest festivals, where traditionally people cook from sesame, jaggery, barley, peanuts, she says. “Over the years, living in urban areas, we have begun eating the same thing, whether it is summer or winter. We are losing the concept of local, seasonal food.
Vegetables such as drumstick, pumpkin, leeks, and cauliflower, and herbs such as mint, are good for you in this season, along with fresh produce such as jaggery, and peanuts, which “have micronutrients such as biotin, selenium, zinc and magnesium.” Sherbets made from sugarcane, stone fruit, and phalse — a dark purple berry commonly found in Maharashtra and Bihar — are ideal to cool you down and keep you hydrated.
