Suffering from allergies is common when we have excess ama (a build up of toxins) in our bodies.

This can aggravate kapha (one of the ayurvedic doshas, which makes up our bodily constitution) leading to imbalance and causing allergies and excess mucus. You can balance allergies with Ayurveda using some of the tips below.

How do you know if you need to balance kapha?

Do you feel lethargic?
Do you prefer to sit rather than be active?
Do you have a lot of mucus or congestion?
Do you feel that you have sluggish digestion?
Do you gain weight easily?
Do you find it hard to cope with change?
Is your skin oily?
Do you wake up tired, or like to sleep a lot?
Do you feel that it’s hard to get yourself motivated?
If you have answered yes to the majority of these questions, then your kapha is most likely high and it would be beneficial for you to look into a kapha pacifying/balancing diet.

A general tip: try and keep the foods in your diet dry, light and warm and enjoy foods that have spicy, bitter or astringent qualities. Avoid foods that are heavy, oily or cold – this includes dairy and fried foods.

Tips for pacifying kapha:

1. Avoid salt (but please do indulge in other spices, especially cardamom, basil, black pepper, anise, fennel, dill, coriander, ginger, mint, mustard seeds, turmeric, poppy seeds, paprika, parsley and garlic)
2. Avoid sugars, syrups and fructose. Do enjoy honey!
3. Avoid many sauces & oils (ketchup, mayonnaise, soy & vinegar) but do enjoy sprouts, ghee, chutney, mustard (without vinegar), seaweed and cilantro (coriander).
4. Favour cottage cheese and low-fat yogurt if you have a dairy craving, but avoid most other dairy including cheeses.
5. Avoid bread, oats, rice and wheat – instead try millet, polenta, and quinoa.
6. Enjoy pears, papayas, apples, blueberries, dried fruit, grapefruit, lemons, limes, pomegranates, raspberries and strawberries.
7. Enjoy these vegetables in abundance: chard, spinach, kale, sprouts, onions, corn, baked potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, collard greens, cabbage, lettuce and beets.

Ginger Relief Tea Recipe

Try this ginger tea recipe for allergy relief, and to help you cleanse your internal organs. For relief from allergies, drink this throughout the day, 3–4 times as needed.

Ingredients

• 250 ml boiling water (approx 1 cup)
• 1⁄8 tsp grated ginger (fresh)
• Juice of 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon
• 1 tbsp organic honey

Instructions

1) Boil water and add ginger and lemon
2) Stir well
3) Pour into a mug and add honey, stir and enjoy!

To learn more about ayurveda, or to do a complete cleanse, join us for our upcoming Ayurveda, Yoga & Detox retreat with Dr Nayana Rao.