Kapha Time : Balancing health and beauty to Winter's energy

When is Kapha Time?

There is a Kapha time of day which is 6:00am to 10am and again in the evening at 6:00pm to 10pm.

There is the Kapha time of our lives which is from birth to about 20 years old – for some it is 18 for others 25. As in everything Ayurveda or Asian; – it depends.

The weather can be Kapha anytime of the year but the season that is considered Kapha is winter to the beginning of spring. Now again this depends --- on geography.

In Toronto, Kapha Season is usually around end of December to about May. That is winter to early spring.

In San Francisco, due to the difference of temperature of the breezes of the ocean being forced together with the air of the land, Kapha season can seem continuous.


What is Kapha Time?

Kapha Time occurs when the energy of Kapha is dominant in the environment. In Toronto it is commonly cold and high humidity weather. Secondary characteristics are heavy, slow and unchanging.

In Toronto Kapha energy’s dominance is felt in winter when it is cold and with wet heavy snow.

In other locals like water front cities like, San Francisco and London, the fog is a very visible and constant Kapha feature.

How does Kapha Times affect us?

Well it depends. We all have dominant Doshas; Vata, Pitta, Kapha. For Dosha characteristics go to http://our-metamorphosis.blogspot.com/2009/04/ayurvedic-doshas.html

We can all have Dosha imbalances. This means that when a Dosha whether it is our dominant one or not can dominate causing symptoms reflecting the negative characteristics of the Dosha.

Then --- we have all different degrees of all the Doshas so while we have dominant Doshas and we can have imbalances, at anytime another Doshas can influence our behavior , attitude and health.

So to use the following effectively you need to know yourself and understand the relativity of the influence Kapha will have on you at any given situation and time in this season.

Generally it is the following.

Vata:

The high humidity environment will allow Vata’s to indulge in those dry foods which those of us who easily dehydrate avoid. These foods will have less impact.

The external moisture will give Vata skin a break. While circulation can be slowed by the cold, skin is less dry than in the previous months.

Kapha energy can slow Vata’s down and Vata may sleep more. All good things for this very frenetic and busy person.

Pitta:

The cold temperature can allow Pittas to indulge in the spicy foods that tend to give them heat, redness, inflammation and irritability.

The cold may reduce inflammation of the skin. But for Pitta Kaphas or Kpaha Pittas this may be a time that is ripe for blemishes and flare ups from accumulation.

Kapha’s patient energy can lower Pitta’s stress level by lessening competitiveness and the desire to overachieve.

Kapha;

Kaphas need to balance the environmental influences with diet and activity.

Kaphas need to eat stimulating foods so adding spices like ginger, cinnamon and peppers is helpful. They need to avoid heavy, sweet and fatty foods like dairy, grains, nuts and red meat.

To keep their complexions beautiful they need to stimulate blood flow with exfoliants and light serums and moisturizers.

To prevent depression, lethargy, over dependency, over possessiveness and feeling stuff with energetic exercise like aerobics, martial arts and running.

Food for Kaphas

Foods for Balancing Kaphas





Please excuse my Vata habit of wandering off into new projects and neglecting my blog duties. I have been cooking for Kristen’s book party and now I am in Munich researching natural products and ingredient to help me formulate anti-aging solutions to new research I had just learned in Chicago two weeks ago.

I will be sharing those concepts and solutions in future blogs but in this one I would like to continue the food and Ayurveda connection to beauty.

At the book party, many people asked for the recipes of the food served so I will share them using this opportunity to also give information about eating your way to a balanced state of mind body and spirit.

Let’s start with Kaphas.

These loveable savers have a slower metabolism which gives them a sensual, abundant beauty, physical stamina and youthful longevity. Picture the statue mother nurturing her child in Picasso’s “Mother and Child” 1922

But in imbalance, they have the tendency to be overweight and have diabetes, hormonal problems, depression and cancer.

If you are not a Kapha but exhibit any of the above symptoms, you can be suffering from What Ayurveda calls “Kapha vikrati”, a Kapha imbalance and can return to balance by following the same advice.

Things that can tip the scales to manifest these negative tendencies can be triggered by Kapha Weather – cold, damp – eating Kapha Foods – dairy, fat, sweet, cold, salty – or hanging out with Imbalanced Kaphas – depressive, possessive, over weight, dependent, greedy.

The general rule is to eat light and warm, favouring flavours that are bitter, spicy and astringent and eschewing those that are sweet, salty and sour.

The big no-no’s are dairy, red meat, oils, most sweeteners, simple carbohydrates and cold foods.

And the balancing foods can include white fishes, white meat of fowl, all vegetables lightly steamed, honey, legumes and whole grains.

A sample daily menu can be;

Breakfast

Many Kaphas do not at breakfast as they may not feel hunger due to a sluggish metabolism and still be metabolizing yesterday’s dinner. While Ayurveda suggests Kaphas can skip breakfast, I would suggest a light breakfast to sustain the demanding, stressful days of an urban professional.

1. Cooked whole grains with roasted sunflower seeds and fresh or dried cranberries
2. Black coffee or Yerba Mate tea with honey.

Lunch

This will be your main meal for the day

1. White fish with vegetables and brown rice
2. Chicken breast with vegetables and sweet potato
3. Whole wheat pasta with legumes and vegetable
4. Dessert is fresh fruit as per Snack suggestions

Snack

It is best to just stick to the three meals

1. Fresh tart apples like granny smith
2. Fresh berries
3. Absolutely no pastries
4. No sweet fruits like melons, papaya, mangos

Dinner

Try not to eat late or you will not want to eat breakfast which will throw off your digestion schedule. Eat light. To prevent prolonged digest I recommend vegetarian meals.

1. Vegetables with whole grain pasta without cheese or cream sauce
2. White fish with vegetables and brown rice
3. Legume and vegetable stews
4. Veggie burger with steamed vegetables or salad ( depends on season) – No fries

Kapha Hors d’oeuvres ( from the Book Party)

The criteria for these dishes are;
1. The food ingredients follow the Ayurvedic diet for Kaphas
2. Use whole organic food ingredients
3. Minimal waste – edible containers
4. The dishes chosen are of a vegan diet is very suitable for Kaphas
5. Attempt has been made to be economical with time and number of ingredients by repeating ingredients in two or more receipes
6. The ingredients in the recipes are easily substituted
7. Do ingredients to modify recipes suit your taste


Artichoke (the container) with Tofu Dip (light high protein sauce)

Artichokes ---- Clean and cook 4 artichokes
i. Cut the stems
ii. Remove the outer leaves of the artichoke bud as they are fibrous and have no meat
iii. Put in steamer or simmering water for 10-15 minutes
iv. Remove the artichokes and rinse with cold water
v. Remove outer leaves from the heart
vi. And arrange the leaves on a serving platter
vii. Save the hearts and the inner leaves to snack on later

Roast Sesame Seeds
i. Heat a iron frying pan
ii. Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of oil
iii. Then add 500mg or raw sesame seeds
iv. Roast seeds with constant stirring for 1 minute
v. Put roasted seeds into a small bowl

Sauce ----Cook ahead - the Cauliflower as per below
i. Clean and cook half a cauliflower in 1/2 inch of boiling water (with a pinch of Himalayan salt) in a pot. Turn heat to low to simmer the cauliflower
ii. When Cauliflower is tender –
ii. Mix 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour in a ½ cup of cold water . When tapioca is completely dissolved in the water; add it to pot and stir into mixture.
iii. Blend the cooked cauliflower mixture
iv. Let the mixture cool to room temperature
v. Divide mixture into 2 bowls. One for this sauce and save other one for the Tofu+Dark Greens Sauce
vi. In one bowl of belnded cauliflower--- blend in ½ raw onion
vii. Crush saffron (amount = a small box), then add it to the mixture

viii. Mix in the following ingredient into blender--- ½ Silken tofu, ½ avocado, 2 tablespoons tahini, ¼ teaspoon ginger, 1 tablespoon basil, ½ tablespoon rosemary, ¼ teaspoon coriander
ix. Put a teaspoon of mixture onto each artichoke leaf
x. Sprinkle with the roasted sesame


Dark Greens with Tofu
i. Drain firm organic tofu and put it in a strainer to release excess moisture from the block

ii. Cook any dark green or mixture of dark greens from Rapini (Italian Broccoli) to Guylan (Chinese Broccoli) to regular broccoli, Kale or collards.
iii. Drain and let cool

iv. Take the bowl of blended Cauliflower ---
1. Refer to ---- cooked Cauliflower from recipe for Artichoke with Tofu Dip
v. In the bowl with cooked blended cauliflower blend in the following---
1. 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil,
2. pinch of Black Pepper to taste,
3. 2 teaspoons Soya Sauce
vi. Blend in any of the following ingredients you prefer---
1. ½ avocado,
2. ½ Raw Onion,
3. 2-3 Scallions,
4. a Clove or two of Raw Garlic,
5. Tahini, any Spices you favour
vii. Cut the block of tofu into small cubes
viii. Cut the greens to small pieces
ix. Mix the greens with the tofu
x. Mix in the sauce until the tofu and greens are lightly coated.
xi. Put mixture aside for flavours to blend

The Shell

i. Defrost Phyllo Pastry
ii. Put a cut to size piece of Phyllo Pastry to a cupcake tin that is the size you want for the finished hors d’oeuvres
iii. Pop into oven for 5 minutes to brown and crisp up
iv. Let shells cool
v. Remove the shell from the tin
vi. Fill shells with the Tofu Greens mixture



Mini Apple Cranberry Strudel

Prepare filling ahead
i. Put the following items into separate small bowls
1. Cranberries - ¼ cup for 2 apples
2. Maple Sugar if you prefer a sweeter strudel
3. Sunflower Seeds ¼ cup per apple (you can roast them for more flavour- follow instructions for roasting sesame seeds in the recipe for Artichoke and tofu dip above
4. if you have a favourite ingredient you would like in your apple strudel – put that into another bowl

ii. Prepare Apples (granny smith or any tarte apple) for filling
1. Peel ½ an apple for each mini roll
2. Cut apple slices
3. In a bowl mix raw apple slices with 1/8 teaspoon of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger and ½ lemon Juice for each apple

The Shell

i. Defrost Phyllo Pastry
ii. Remove 1 sheet of pastry and put it on a clean surface
iii. Brush Olive Oil onto the pastry evenly
iv. Apply another sheet of pastry onto the oiled sheet
v. Again brush Olive Oil onto the pastry evenly

Start Rolling
i. On the prepare 2 layers of Phyllo Pastry apply the following items:
1. A row of Apples slices mixture across one end of the pastry
2. Sprinkle the cranberries across
3. Then a light sprinkle of the seeds
4. Lastly sprinkle --Maple sugar and or preferred item
ii. Tightly roll the strudel
iii. Put the mini roll onto a oiled cookie sheet
iv. Brush the top of the roll with butter or olive oil
v. Sprinkle seeds or maple sugar if you like
vi. Repeat the process until all your rolls are done