• Garlic Chili Soba Noodle Recipe
    • Vata Recipes
    • November 02, 2017
    Garlic Chili Soba Noodle Recipe

    These garlic soba noodles are perfect for the seasonal transition, bridging the time between the heat of summer and the crisp days of autumn. The recipe's energetics can bring warmth for vata, but not too much for pitta. 

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  • This Is Why We Call It Vata Season
    • Fall Recipes and Health
    • October 25, 2017
    This Is Why We Call It Vata Season

    A cool and dry fall wind sneaks into the days, stripping leaves from the trees. Vata inspired air seems to move in all directions. Irregular and unpredictable, just like the vata dosha.

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  • Goodbye Summer! Welcome Fall with this Ritual
    • Fall Recipes and Health
    • September 25, 2017
    Goodbye Summer! Welcome Fall with this Ritual

    As we shift into the autumn season and vata’s hurried tendency starts to creep in, it’s time to intentionally slow things down. By reflecting on the last few months and honoring yourself with some self-care, you will set a positive trajectory for moving into the next season.

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  • You Need This: A 3-Day Gut Reset, Just in Time for Fall
    • Fall Recipes and Health
    • September 20, 2017
    You Need This: A 3-Day Gut Reset, Just in Time for Fall

    Because the liver is essential in digesting the fattier, heavier foods typical of a winter diet, a fall reset should focus on clearing out the liver and promoting bile production. Before the cold winds of fall arrive, consider a 3-day reset to keep you balanced all winter long. 

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  • Simple Split Mung Dal
    • Vata Recipes
    • December 28, 2016
    Simple Split Mung Dal

    This split mung dal recipe is super simple and easy to make. When made in a pressure cooker it takes about twenty minutes, tops (and that includes the prep!). When cooking in a pot, it takes about 30–40 minutes.

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  • 10 Ways to Avoid Vata Fails this Fall
    • Fall Recipes and Health
    • November 10, 2016
    10 Ways to Avoid Vata Fails this Fall

    With fall, the dry, cold, and mobile qualities associated with vata come stumbling forward. Ayurveda is a system that is both preventative as well as curative. By utilizing ancient Ayurvedic principles, we can prepare for an all around healthier season. 

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  • How to Make Food Your Ally During Vata Season
    • Fall Recipes and Health
    • September 28, 2016
    How to Make Food Your Ally During Vata Season

    The qualities of vata dosha—cold, dry, rough, clear, and mobile—are characteristic in the disorders associated with this time of year. Many people experience restless nights with racing thoughts, increased anxiety, dry skin and lips, constipation, indigestion, bloating, and gas. In Ayurveda, we can create balance during this season by cultivating the opposite qualities of vata dosha. 

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  • Transition Through the Seasons with Love
    • Fall Recipes and Health
    • September 21, 2016
    Transition Through the Seasons with Love

    The moments right before and after a change in season can be very intense, and proper nourishment can help keep us balanced during this shift. The transition from summer into fall is one of many marked contrasts, so it’s important to add even more nourishment during this particular period.

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  • Falling Into Balance: A Joint Effort
    • Fall Recipes and Health
    • September 13, 2016
    Falling Into Balance: A Joint Effort

    Before vata season health problems arrive unexpectedly, make a joint effort via your diet and lifestyle practices to get into healthy, healing routines.  

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  • Vata-Pacifying Recipe: Easy & Fast Butternut Squash Soup
    • Ayurvedic Recipes
    • December 05, 2015
    Vata-Pacifying Recipe: Easy & Fast Butternut Squash Soup

    Soups is a great meal for the winter months. Super simple and grounding, it is perfect for this time of year! Enjoy this delicious soup any time of day as you savor the cooler temperatures and favor the warmer foods! 

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  • Ayurvedic Herbs for Autumn
    • Ayurvedic Herbalism
    • October 27, 2015
    Ayurvedic Herbs for Autumn

    Herbs for autumn offer nourishing support to keep you healthy during the dry, cold, windy days of the fall and winter seasons. Each herb has special qualities that give it a unique role in the Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia. The beneficial herbs listed below are available in bulk powders (spice jar, ½ lb and 1 lb sizes).

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  • 7 Ayurvedic Ways to Ease Your Fall Blues
    • Fall Recipes and Health
    • October 19, 2015
    7 Ayurvedic Ways to Ease Your Fall Blues

    As the daylight hours start to shorten and the temperature begin to drop, you may experience a subtle (or sometimes not so subtle) shift in your mood and emotions. The fall and winter seasons naturally bring a slower pace as nature goes into hibernation. But for many, this slowing also brings a sense of having the blues or feeling gloomy.

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  • The Natural Way to Go Back to School
    • Fall Recipes and Health
    • September 30, 2015
    The Natural Way to Go Back to School

    As the new school year is upon us, and for our own well-being, it is critical to utilize our energy in the most effective and efficient ways.  Our children naturally fall into Ayurvedic rhythms. Understanding natural biological rhythms has provided keen insights on how to best function throughout the day.

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  • The Healthiest Way to Transition from Summer to Fall
    • Fall Recipes and Health
    • September 16, 2015
    The Healthiest Way to Transition from Summer to Fall

    September is a month of transition, hanging as it does between summer and fall. Here are a few quick Ayurvedic tips to make a healthy transition between seasons.

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  • Hot Spiced Chai Recipe
    • Ayurvedic Recipes
    • December 12, 2012
    Hot Spiced Chai Recipe

    Drinking a hot, spicy mug of chai tea is the perfect way to slow down, savor the moment, and support healthy digestion while you're at it.

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Fall Recipes and Health

Fall is that beautiful time of year when nature is transitioning, shedding, and preparing for the darker, colder winter months ahead. There is something so distinct about the vibrant colors, gusty winds, and the fresh, invigorating touch of crisp autumn air against your skin.

Ayurveda recognizes the fall as vata season, when the external environment begins to take on the same qualities and characteristics of vata dosha—cold, dry, mobile, light, rough, and so on. We can see these qualities all around us in the mobile nature of the wind, the rough, dry texture of fallen leaves, and the cold bite in the air.

It’s also a time when we can experience more vata internally, which may manifest as dry skin, cold hands and feet, difficulty sleeping, and feelings of restlessness or anxiousness. Ayurveda recommends balancing vata with foods and activities that are warm, nourishing, grounding, and hydrating.

It’s the perfect time of year for fall comfort foods of all kinds! Think tasty autumn meals like fall soup, stews, broths, squash, and other fall veggies. Fall is traditionally the time of bringing in the harvest, feasting on the abundance of the season, and preparing foods to store for winter.

Vata needs plenty of nourishment, and the seasonal foods of fall are perfect for providing this sustenance. So, if this season has you planning hearty feasts, craving desserts with pumpkin, and getting excited for things like fall food festivals and baking fall bread, you are right on track.

It’s also the season of abundant fall fruits—like apples, pears, and persimmons. So put on your baking apron and pull out your favorite fall spices. Now is the time to enjoy your favorite fall harvest food in desserts like apple pie, pumpkin pie, pear crisp, and spiced persimmon cookies.

Speaking of spices, it’s important to keep your agni, or digestive fire, strong and healthy throughout the fall season. One of the best ways to do so is by adding warming spices and herbs to your meals. Think things like cinnamon, cardamom, garam masala, cumin, mustard seeds, oregano, and sage.

It’s also helpful to avoid dry and cooling foods during this time, since these qualities can increase vata and lead us out of balance. In general, fall is not the best time for iced drinks, raw salads, or crunchy snacks like crackers and popcorn.

Fall is the perfect time to curl up with cozy, warm creamy drinks. Ayurveda recommends drinking plenty of warm herbal teas, warm water with lemon, and spiced drink mixes. Our CCF tea blends and Turmeric Milk Mix are excellent ways to warm your body and support healthy digestion throughout the day.

For more Ayurvedic guidelines and recipes for the season, we invite you to dive in and spend some time with these articles. Grab a mug of tea, curl up in your favorite chair, and enjoy!