Vatas and pittas love the renewal of spring, but for kapha, it might be allergy season. Spring is kapha aggravating as the snow melts and the air becomes more moist and the energy is slow and heavy.
To help alleviate allergy symptoms, strictly avoid fried or oily foods. They are too heavy and will further aggravate kapha. Also avoid dairy for the time being, especially in the mornings when it is kapha time. You could do a juice fast for a couple days of pomegranate, berry or apple juices. Spices will help move the sticky kapha through and loosen it up, so drink ginger or cinnamon tea with honey. And! Most of all, exercise! Kapha is heavy, sticky, and static, so get it moving. Even if it’s a brisk walk, make sure you break some kind of sweat.
One of the most important things to flush out allergies is the neti pot! Do it. Just use it and you will thank me forever.
If you try these tips and they work, let me know. If they don’t work, let me know. If you want to know more, let me know!
4 responses so far ↓
1 tiko // Mar 24, 2009 at 8:09 am
I’m a Vata-Pitta. I usually only get stress related allergies. I’m currently having an episode of post nasal drip. It’s not really bad…but was just wondering, do these tips work for that as well? Is there anything else you recommend? I’m gonna go get a netti pot to do a salt rinse. And, I’m drinking plenty of warm water or tea.
Thanks!
-Tiko
2 Monica // Mar 24, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Thanks for your questions! Is there a specific time your post nasal drip worsens? I think you will find the best results from the neti pot. 1 tsp salt and warm tap water in the pot, then in one nostril and out the other! Warm water is great and tea should be pungent. Ginger tea with honey (honey is actually warming and drying) is good – so that it warms and dries the liquid in your sinuses. If you want to make your own, you can use 1/2 lime, dry ginger 1/4 tsp or 1/8 tsp fresh ginger, and 1 tblsp honey. Let me know if you get results! It’s all a process and I am happy to help.
3 tiko // Mar 25, 2009 at 9:12 am
No, there’s no particular time of day that it’s worse. Right now, it’s not dripping anymore. The neti pot really helped. I just have a slight runny nose and my throat is a bit agitated from yesterday (still drinking my tea which helps). I’m breathing clearly though (yoga this morning really helped to open me up). I just feel kinda out of it, like I just wanna lay down.
I just have one question…so, am I not supposed to follow a vata diet at this time? Am I only to eat drying foods? Thanks!
4 Monica // Mar 25, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Yay on the neti pot! I love it! You can still follow vata diet to some degree. I would not do the very heavy foods, but you can still do warm, light, liquid, spicy foods – like soups. You are right in thinking that foods too drying will aggravate vata. Focus more on warming foods, spices and light foods. Hopefully a combo of that and neti pot will bring you back to center.
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