Why You should not Diet in Winter

If your new year’s resolution involved dieting, you might want to wait. The Winter season is NOT the best time to diet according to Ayurveda. Which means: if you do start a diet, the likelihood of losing weight is slim; and/or of discontinuing your diet and giving up on your new year’s resolutions is also higher. But why? Why is it not good to diet in the wintertime, especially after the holidays?

Ayurveda says that Winter is the season for rejuvenation, which means, it is actually the best time to adopt a diet and a daily routine that support more nourishment, strengthening the immunity, to rejuvenate the whole body. Winter time is Rasayana time. Rasayana, in ayurvedic terms, comprises of edible items that nourish and strengthen in order to rejuvenate at the deep cellular level. The Sanskrit verse says:

This is from the Charak Samhita Chikitsa, chapter 1, verse 7. This verse talks about the benefits of rasayanas, or rejuvenative formulations. This is the meaning word by word.

Dirghamayuh: long life

smrtim: memory

medham: enhances the functioning of the mind

arogyam: disease-free

tarunam: forever young

vayah: makes (reverseal of chronological aging)

prabha: gives glow

varna: enhances complexion

svaraudaryam: strong voice

dehendriyambalam: gives physical and sensual stamina

param: [this is a rasayana]

But why is the wintertime the best time for rejuvenation?

In SVA terms, in the wintertime, there is more Soma in the environment. Even though the Sun is closest to us in January, Winter presides in the Northern hemisphere due to the Earth’s tilted position – the axis of the Earth in the Northern hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Cool cold temperatures mean less Agni, more Soma in the environment. And this is reflected in our own bodies as well. When there is less Agni in the environment, there is also less Agni in our bodies. Due to these cooler temperatures the micro and macro channels of our body shrink, slowing down circulation. But in contrast, something interesting happens: you feel hungrier than ever, and crave heavier meals and more sweets. This is due not only to the fact that your body burns up more calories because it has to work harder to maintain warmth in cold temperatures; but because, as we understand through SVA, slower circulation traps your metabolic fire instead of allowing it to disperse, and your digestion and protein metabolism goes high. This means that in the wintertime, rather than at any other time of the year, your body is able to better digest and metabolize rich nourishing foods, and faster too. It also means you will have a bigger appetite for heavier meals, and also crave sweets.

You can help support the health of your channels with specific herbal and spice formulas. I made the Shroto Shuddhi tea and spice mix for this purpose. Read about them here on my blog: “Shroto Shudhi Tea & other warming teas” (October 11, 2013).

Dieting at this time of the year goes against the grain of your body’s natural tendencies. It will be harder for you to maintain the diet and to see results as well.

You see, diet is a kind of daily detox: you stop eating things that are harming you, you add things that can support your metabolism and health. But wintertime is the worst time for full-on detox. The only and best detox you should do in the wintertime is daily gentle detox through daily bowel movements, urination, and sweating. If you make sure that your body’s toxic load is being offloaded through these three primary detox channels on a regular and efficient basis, then you are great to go.

You may encounter some hurdles to even these daily activities. Constipation is a common occurence. Either too heavy meals; not enough hours of sleep per night; too much mental activity; too many sedentary hours in a day; all these can result in constipation. In addition to adjusting and correcting life-style and behavior, and diet, you can add some ayurvedic formulas and/or herbs to help ease constipation.

I have formulation a wide range of herbal synergies to address constipation based on body type, or need. High Pitta Triphala is a very popular one for the western High Pitta physiology. SVA Lax is another effective formula for those who experience more chronic constipation. Otherwise, the classic Triphala made of 3 fruits is ideal for daily usage. Prakrit is another wonderful formula for all body types and regular use that will not create dependence, and support the colon and rejuvenate it with long term use as well.

Otherwise, you have to make sure you are also not retaining water, that you are urinating enough and fully. Water retention is a sure way of weight gain. Not to mention toxins. Here is a safe and effective herbal tea recipe we use in the SVA tradition to address water retention:

To 8oz of water add:

1-2 tablespoons of coriander seeds

4-6 black peppercorns – crushed

Bring to a boil. Filter. Drink twice a day for optimal results – morning and evening. Make sure you don’t drink before getting into your car for a long drive because you may need to stop on the way to use the restroom!

Otherwise, for detox through urination, add (more) daikon radish to your daily meals. The slim ones are the healthy ones. Do not buy the big heavy radishes.

Finally, to get your daily dose of detox through sweat, make sure to have at least 15-20 minutes of daily exercise, or yoga, or brisk walking.

You also want to do some gentle self-massage. You can choose the massage oil that best suits your body type or preference. Vata Massage oil with Vit D and Magnesium to support detox through the skin is particularly beneficial in the wintertime – this oil is not only pacifying to vata dosha but highly nourishing and soothing. It helps reset the intelligence of the detox channels even as it rejuvenates. Read more about self-massage for daily detox here: “Massage for Detox” (April 15, 2016).

Taking hot baths in the winter time, especially with the Amla bath pouches is a sure way of helping your body detox through the skin, and nourish it at the same time. Bathing in winter, and at seasonal junctures is a great health strategy. Read more about it here: “Bathe at Seasonal junctures” (September 23, 2016).

Otherwise, during the wintertime, consuming Amla is the best thing you can do. Not only does it carry 60x the regular content of Vit C than any other citrus family fruit, but it is a superfood through and through. Read about it here on my blog: “Amla is the Only Superfood” (July 15, 2016).

The classical chyawanprash formula whose primary ingredient is the amla berry, along with 52 other herbs, in base with ghee, raw sugar and honey, is a no1 formula for the wintertime. It is, far and large, what you should be consuming on a regular basis. Read more about its amazing health benefits here: “Chyawanprash & Wild Amla” (from December 9, 2016).