THE CHANGING SEASONS

With the advent of technology and globalization, we lost touch with a way of life which earlier revolved around seasons. We now work at erratic hours, to cater to different time zones, eat any exotic food we desire, sourced from far off lands, irrespective of seasonality, and can even skate on an ice rink in a desert with no snow.

In earlier generations, people were very deeply connected to different seasons. Their work lives, food consumption and behavioral habits adapted themselves to changing seasons.

We ate foods which suited the season and kept us healthy, juicy fruits and light vegetables during summer and foods that kept us warm during winter. We celebrated festivals to commemorate changing season and the impact they had on our work and lives. Work would start at the crack of dawn and stopped as the sun began its decent. Farmers would sow their seeds towards the end of summer and let the monsoons do their magic of providing water to aid their growth. Changing seasons also affected us psychologically. Summers made us active, monsoons brought us hope and winters a time to rest and celebrate.

The ancient ayurvedic practice of Rituacharya (Ritu – seasons and charya – regimen or discipline), teaches us to acclimatize our lifestyles to seasonal transitions that are experienced. As we are in the process of transitioning from summer to the monsoons, we must acclimatize our bodies to this change and build our immunity by changing our dietary and lifestyle habits accordingly.

Foods that keep us warm like soups are best suited for this season. Consumption of sour, salty and oily foods are best suited for this season. Now you know why we enjoy fried foods along with a cup of chai more during the monsoons.