Flavors of Fall

Why do we naturally gravitate towards the warmer spices and flavors during the cold fall months? From an Ayurvedic perspective, there is a natural phenomenon that is pulling us towards the spices and heavier foods as the body's natural way of harmonizing and balancing ourselves out based on what is happening outside. Vata is on the rise, and it's time to bring it into balance. 

My teacher Dr. Lad always says--whatever is outside, is inside--and we don't necessarily take this with a grain of salt. Whether its the weather patterns, the sun, the change of the season, the general energy of what is happening--all of these in some way manifest within us as well on a physical, mental, and emotional level. Everything in existence is made up of the 5 elements--ether, air, fire, water, and earth. And because of that everything has some combination and permutation of vata, pitta, and kapha. So, with this same logic, everything that happens out in our surroundings and environments is essentially a play of vata, pitta, and kapha. 

In the Autumn months as the temperatures begin to drop and the wind picks up, we begin to see predominantly the qualities of ether and air begin to rise--cold, rough, dry, mobile. It is officially vata-season. This is why we experience things like dry hair or our digestion becomes a little irregular, or when we say "I feel the cold in my bones"--well ether and air qualities are going to impact the spaces and holes within us. So it makes sense that we feel these things. 

Because of all of this, our bodies are trying to naturally find ways to balance and harmonize with what's happening. Our sudden urge to wear flannel and bundle up in scarves isn't just a fall trend. It's a gravitational pull towards warming qualities that will balance the cold. Our love for pumpkin spice isn't based on a fad. Our bodies want heavy qualities in our food--pumpkin being one of these things--to hold us back down onto the earth. It's normal to crave things like spices because they help to bring warmth to the body by supporting healthy circulation and getting things flowing within. 

Mother Nature has provided us a bounty of things to support our well-being with. It's not random or coincidental that the Fall is time for squashes and pumpkins. It's not random that the summer is peak fruit time. These are the natural tools we have to help keep our body in rhythm with the ebbs and flows of life. Eating seasonally isn't just an influencer trend, it's based in Ayurveda. It's based in the notion that we are meant to live in harmony with nature, not go against her natural cycles. 

So, with all of that being said, these are the flavors that you want to increase in the colder months to make sure you are staying in a sense of balance. ​

Sweet. Sweet foods have an element of grounding. They bring heaviness to us which in the Fall we can feel a little flighty--making our way out into the ethers. And this doesn't mean just have all of the dessert. Vary your foods with grains, gourds, squashes, and sweeteners like molasses, jaggery, or maple syrup. 

Salty. Salt brings heat to the body. It supports healthy digestion. It makes sure that we are holding on to the right amount of water--balancing out the dry quality of the season. Many paths may say no to salt completely, but we know that salt has added benefit to our digestion, so don't be afraid of it. Use all kinds of salt in your cooking and for topping--mineral, himalayan, celtic, french, etc. 

Sour. Digestion is one of the biggest aspects of our health that we have to take care of in vata season. It can become vary irregular. Sour foods ensure that there is enough gastric juices to digest our food fully. It's no surprise that citrus foods begin to come in season to help us with this! 

Pungent. Not spicy, but warming. This is where all of our spices fall into place. Take a moment to wander down the spice aisle at your grocery store. These little magical foods not only make our food taste good, but they begin the digestive process while cooking! Spices make it easier to digest our food all while keeping things moving in the direction they need to be. 

What I love about Ayurveda is that everything starts with what we put into our body. We can have fun and enjoy the foods we eat, if we just bring a little understanding to the why and modifying it to make sure that it's in line with what's going on on the outside. 

So, go ahead and enjoy that pumpkin spice latte..