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Characteristics of season:

  1. Earth moves away from sun closer to moon during this period.
  2. Environment is therefore cold and unctuous during this season and cold breeze flows.
  3. Cold and refreshing climate helps in increase of digestive fire. Therefore appetite is good and food heavy to digest should be consumed in this season. In absence of sufficient diet increased digestive fire may cause variety of health problems and reduce strength and vitality of body. Hence diet should be in increased quantity during winter season.
  4. Cooling effect of climate as also increased overall nourishment due to increased appetite leads to increased strength and vitality of body.
  5. Nights are long and day short during this period.
  6. Cold and unctuous environment lead to building up of excess phlegm in body.
  7. Usually in India, it is observed during months of November-December.

Diet to be taken:

  1. Food products which are fresh and sweet, sour and salty in taste should be consumed.
  2. Food products should be unctuous and hot in nature. Use of more oil and fats in food is recommended as digestive power is good during winter season.
  3. Newly grown-up cereals and grains like: Rice, wheat, black gram, pigeon pea, sesame, green gram, pea, sago etc should be consumed.
  4. Vegetables like potato, sweet potato, egg fruit, radish etc are useful.
  5. Use of dairy products like milk, cream of milk, curd, ghee, cheese, paneer etc should be used in increased quantity.
  6. Use of sugarcane products like brown sugar/jaggery, sugar etc should be used.
  7. Use of meat which is unctuous and heavy to digest containing more amounts of fats should be used like: Beef, pork, fish, crab, snake, frog or flesh of pig, buffalo, tiger, wolf, elephant, rhinoceros etc is useful. Use of eggs in increased quantity is advisable as digestive power is good. Also deeply fried flesh is useful.
  8. Regular use of hot water for drinking during winter season is important to control cold. Ginger water is also useful if advised.
  9. Use of alcohol, wine etc is beneficial during this season. Also use of honey is useful.
  10. Use of hot n spicy soup is very much useful. Use of radish, horse gram etc is useful for same.
  11. Use of sweet, sour fruits like apple, custard apple, hog plum, banana, dry fruits etc is beneficial.
  12. Heavy breakfast during morning is advisable as digestive power is high.

Diet to be avoided:

  1. Use of food dry in nature and light to digest like biscuits, bread or cereals like and grains like barley, gram, spiked dolichos etc should be avoided during winter.
  2. Use of diet in very low quantity or reduced frequency of diet is not at all advisable.
  3. Food which is not fresh and cold in nature like frozen food, overnight food should be strictly avoided.
  4. Use of cold refrigerated water, soft drinks etc to be strictly avoided. Use of cold fruit juices, milkshakes etc is also not advisable.

Non-dietary measures:

  1. Regular use of full body oil massage is very much helpful to keep away cold. Oil should be hot in nature or prepared from medicines that are hot in nature like sesame oil, mustard oil etc. Also more pressure and friction should be applied during massage.
  2. Herbal powders of pine tree. Acorus calamus etc could be applied over body after massage as these are hot in nature.
  3. Also use of sudation therapy like herbal steam bath etc is very much useful to reduce impact of cold.
  4. Use of hot water is must for bath.
  5. Environment at home and work should be warm and cozy with use of room heaters, chimney fire etc.
  6. Warm clothes preferably made of fur should be used.
  7. Use of warm bed sheets during sleeping is useful. Cotton plug in ears could be used to reduce Impact of cold.
  8. Use of proper footwear including use of sleepers, socks etc even at home to avoid contact of feet with cold.
  9. Exercise for longer durations could be carried out especially jogging and warm-up exercise. Use of ‘Praanaayaama-Yoga’ is beneficial to keep body warm and guard against cold and should be carried under expert guidance. Also sporting events like wrestling is useful.
  10. Due to cold and refreshing climate, frequency of sexual intercourse can be the maximum during this season.
  11. Avoid sleeping during afternoon.