November-February
Why Eat Seasonally?
When we adjust our diet and lifestyle to match the season, health promoting digestive microbes dramatically change. Winter microbes support balanced immunity, digestion, mood, energy, blood sugar, weight, sleep – and much more. Winter is associated with the qualities of ‘Vata,’ which are cold, air, dry and light. To stay balanced, focus on food and activities that are warm, moist, heavy and oily.
Our Ayurvedic seasonal lists classify foods from around the world, as well as locally, according to the qualities needed to balance the extremes of that season. Some of the foods on the Ayurvedic lists represent their original harvest times in their indigenous regions. Foods harvested today do not always represent the season that they were originally harvested.
Even if a food on the list is not harvested in one’s region during that season – or never grow in one’s region – their qualities are still balancing. One can take it to the next level by eating locally, but this is not necessary to stay balanced. Many people appreciate the variety that the lists offer as eating locally in many climates would be too limiting for most modern palates.
To Support Optimal Health
- Start your day with 1-2 capsules of Ashwagandha and Turmeric Plus. Children over 4 take 1 of each. Watch the video: lifespa.com/herbs.
- Follow a regular rhythm of sleep, exercise, mealtimes and rest.
- Take 3-5000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily. Use our home test kit to test levels before use.
- 80% of the body’s immunity is in the digestion. Take our Digestive Health Quiz to boost immunity: lifespa.com/digestivequiz.
- Sleep with a humidifier to keep your sinuses clear.
Daily Routines (Dinacharya)
- Self-massage with warm Tri-Doshic Massage Oil or Lymphatic Massage Oil. >>>Learn how to do daily self-massage to balance your nervous system and detox your lymphatic system.
- Practice my One Minute Meditation up to ten times per day to help cope with stress, anxiety and depression.
- Lubricate and protect dry sinuses by performing Neti (gentle saline irrigation), followed by Nasya (oil): lifespa.com/neti
- Massage ears with Lymphatic Massage Oil.
- At the end of winter, follow one of our at-home cleanses to ensure a healthy spring: lifespa.com/cleansing.
Signs of Excess Vata During Winter
- Sleep or mood imbalances, occasional constipation, mild achiness.
- If you experience some of these signs, schedule an Ayurvedic consult and follow the above tips for a balanced winter!
- Are you a Vata? Take the quiz at lifespa.com/bodytypequiz.
Winter Grocery List
Winter-Grocery-List
Join Dr. John Douillard and thousands of others for The 3-Season Diet Challenge. It’s free!
This challenge takes you through a year of eating seasonally with month-to-month support and guidance. Nature provides the ideal harvest for each season to keep you strong, healthy, energized and focused. New research suggests that our gut microbes are meant to change seasonally by the foods we eat. Seasonal microbes optimize digestion, mood and immunity – the way nature intended!
Learn more about the 3-Season Diet Challenge and sign up for FREE today!
Don’t know your body type? Take the dosha quiz!
Michael Gordon says
Dear Dr. John,
I’m vata man, 41 years, living 20 years in cold and wet climate of The Netherlands (originally from cold and dry one). In this wet climate I started to suffer from psoriatic arthritis and the last year with severe symptoms of IBS and fibromyalgia (pains all over my body and diarrhea every day). I like your book The 3-Season Diet very much! However, I’m confused. For the last 6 years (after I visited India with Panchakarma treatment) I was a vegetarian but health was bad, I suspect now indeed due to stress, unbalanced lifestyle and food.
2 weeks ago I experimented with red meat-only diet (“carnivore diet”) for 5 days, excluded all carbs. I thrived to say the least! My stool was awesome! My mood was awesome and stable, like years ago, brain fig was gone, ADD symptoms were gone… Then 4 days ago I incorporated a bit of root veggies, then grains following your winter grocery list. Diarrhea appeared again together with the depressive mood and more pains… Is it carbs intolerance? What could I change to recover my digestion to the same level as I had at least just 4 days ago on a meat diet?
What would you recommend?
Thank you so much in advance!
Michael Gordon says
Or is it insulin resistance?
In the last 1 year I made a gazillion of blood analyses at the hospital, the latest one 4 months ago. They said sugar is fine, D is fine, mostly blood it fine, except for exceptionally high anemia and inflammation markers which I was prone to for most of my life…
And my issue also is that I am underweight (78kg) while being 6.5 ft tall, having other autoimmune issues.
I would appreciate your recommendation to see how I could help myself.
Thank you very much in advance!!
LifeSpa Staff says
Hi Michael,
It sounds like you were protein and perhaps iron deficient as anemia is in your history.
Sounds like for awhile meat will be OK and then slowly reduce it over time to give your carb digesting bugs a break before weaning back onto a balanced diet.
You might want to follow my 4 step reset your microbiome as well with some upper digestive support.
https://lifespa.com/from-prebiotic-to-probiotic-4-steps-healthy-microbiome/
https://store.lifespa.com/product/create-your-own-4-step-probiotic-kit/
Hope that helps.
Be well,
John
Michael Gordon says
Dear Dr. John,
Thank you very much for your reply with recommendations!
Very helpful.
Best wishes,
Michael
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Risa says
I’m concerned about canola oil being marked as a super food. Could you shed some light there? To my knowledge, canola oil is pretty much poison in your digestion due to it being over processed and that it comes from gmo corn.
Newbold says
Canola oil comes from canola plant. Used to be called rapeseed but they changed it to CANadian Oil – Canola. Yeah, stick with pasture-fed butter and animal fats. Butter has K2 which takes calcium out of the blood, where it is toxic, and puts it into the bones and teeth, where it belongs.
Cathy says
I’ve been eating the starch diet and losing weight without hunger. How do I make this transition?
JahSun says
Thank you SO much!
Amy says
Can you please recommend breakfast ideas for Vata in Winter? Thank you.
Linda Milkes says
Hi, just to clarify, is this a winter diet for people who are primarily Vata, or a diet to balance Vata in a person if they have the problems mentioned? Also, in 1 quiz, I’m equally Vata and Pitta and in another I’m clearly Vata. Thanks!
Jen says
We live in South Africa so our timing would be the reverse of the Northern Hemispher, would we be able to receive this information to suit our seasons?
John Douillard says
Hi Jen, great question. We are currently working on this option! Stay tuned.
Cynthia says
I’m confused about fruits. You say to eat fruits separate from other food but not to have snacks. Can you explain how to eat fruit separate from other food in a proper manner? Thank you.
John Douillard says
Hi Cynthia. A large plate of fruit for breakfast can feel wonderful in the spring and summer, cooked apples in the winter. Fruit can also be had as a lite dinner though is not best for balancing vata. Be well.
Milena says
Hi Dr
Is there a limit on taking Ashwagandha and Turmeric (i.e number of months)? Can I take them the whole winter?
If I take raw turmeric in the morning, will this suffice and if so, how much do you recommend?
Lastly, where I am located this winter it is hard to find Nasya oil. Would you recomend and substitutes?
Thank you and warm regards!!
Milena
Milena says
PS: just to clarify, by raw turmeric, I mean powder, as the root is not available. Also for Nasya I made a typo, I meant ”any” substitutes. For instance, I found prandhara. Will this oil be ok and should I use it same as Nasya? Thank you very much!
John Douillard says
Hi Milena. Thank you for reaching out. In general, it is okay to take these herbs all throughout the winter. However, I see many patients with whom I prescribe specific doses etc. I encourage you to learn about the consultations we offer: https://lifespa.com/about-lifespa/ayurvedic-clinic/ We also ship internationally if you’re in need of any products. Be well.
Jane says
My apologies to all. I did find corn on the Winter, Spring and Summer lists, but as a vegetable. I was looking for corn in the GRAIN section of the lists.
Jane says
Dr John,
I enjoyed my 3 Season Challenge! My digestion, energy and weight improved after re-thinking what I was eating.
However, I’m confused about corn – my favorite food. I don’t see it on the Summer or Winter list. Please explain!!!
charles says
he said above that its considered a spring food
John Douillard says
Hi Jane, yes corn is best during the springtime.
Marina says
Hi. How does seasonal diet works for people who live in warm climate year around, like in Florida?
If I’m a diabetic on med. that keeps my numbers under control.
Should I still follow the Vata (I’m a Vata dominant) warm, moist, heavy and oily diet which I love and prefer.
And one more question: Is Nasya oil for nose and ears the same?
John Douillard says
Hi Marina, thanks for commenting. It is best to abide by the environment you are actually in, regardless of season. Attending farmers markets is always useful in helping to buy what is in season in your area. This will help build a healthy microbiome for your current environment. Nasya can be used for ears as well.
Marla gray says
I’m a vata type and I live in Las Vegas, Nevada. I need to know how to reduce my fat in my stomach. Since turning 50 I’ve noticed my stomach has started to get bigger. Help me. Thanks.
John Douillard says
The 3 Season diet is a great eating guide to follow. You may also find this free Weight Balancing eBook helpful… https://lifespa.com/ayurvedic-weight-loss-ebook/
Gabriela says
I am very surprised by the fruit list on the winter grocery list… how does the fruit list go in hand with seasonality let’s say in Colorado/northern hemisphere? I find a lot of the fruit on the list very cold like bananas, mangos, cantaloupe, pinnapples…Sweet fruit is very cold in my books that’s why it grows and is served in the tropics. Also citrus fruit is cold and mucus forming…unless you eat the white pith – I wouldn’t think it would be suitable in a cold and flu season. The same is true about dairy… kefir is so cold and mucus forming! I can see scalded milk with spices and ashwaganda. I am little confused… could you shed some more light into this. I would really like to understand energetics of food but seems that every source has a different list of foods :))
I just found your site and ordered your book Eat Wheat in the library! I say eat wheat with proper fermentation.
Sophie says
That’s my question too. If bananas are heavy, sweet, damp and cold, wouldn’t that increase the tendency to excess Kapha that some people struggle with in winter? Tropical fruit does not grow in Canada, where I live, so if I’m eating seasonal and local, I’m certainly not eating bananas, papayas, citrus, etc. I do make a few exceptions for myself for medicinal purposes like avocado to combat dryness and for the saturated fat which helps me out with a 90% vegan diet, but it’s a garnish in an otherwise in season meal.
Anny says
I am a vata, I don’t see beans on the winter food list, are these allowed?
John Douillard says
Due to the dryness of beans they are seen as more of a spring food. To make beans more vata pacifying be sure to add good healthy fats to them and enjoy them in moderation for Winter.
Thanks for reading!
Margaret says
Hi Dr John, now I heard you say on the video if you are a vegetarion you need beans in the winter??
LifeSpa Staff says
Hi Margaret,
Beans are a great source of protein for vegetarians in the winter. Just be sure to include warming spices and cooked vegetables to make it a Vata winter diet.
Be Well.
Jordan Siegel says
Ayurvedic eating has transformed my energy levels, my organ functions and my look!
It states that corn is a vegetable on this list. There has been research from “new age” type dietitians and nutritionists, that state corn is not a vegetable but a grain.
I was seeking your thoughts and experience?
Thanks!
Dyan says
Im a Pitta body type can u send me a winter for foods I should be eating for winter time
thank you kindly
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