When it gets really cold outside, it is important to dress warmly. This is because Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, always prevents and treats illness by balancing opposing qualities: colds require warm and heating therapies that strengthen the physical and mental immune system. This is because with increasing cold, wind and darkness, Vata and Kapha rise and increase susceptibility to colds (Pratishyaya), coughs (Kasa) and shortness of breath (Shvasa), as well as depressive moods, the so-called winter blues.
Depending on our constitution and lifestyle habits, we are now more prone to Vata-typical colds, which are accompanied by dry cold and roughness, or to Kapha accumulations, which manifest themselves in damp cold, mucus accumulations, heaviness and dullness.
So the first thing to do is to diagnose whether a Vata cold with a dry cough, rough mucous membranes, tension pain and immune deficiency or a Kapha cold with a thick nose and watery eyes, tiredness and aching limbs is predominant. As it progresses, Pitta symptoms such as inflammation or fever can turn the cold into a full-blown flu. The balancing dietary recommendations and herbal formulas should be adapted according to these different symptoms.
| Cold-related Vata symptoms | Pitta symptoms caused by a cold | Cold-related Kapha symptoms |
| Dry mucous membranes, thin secretions, sneezing, dry, intense cough, hoarseness, shortness of breath, pain, feeling cold, weakness, sudden onset and rapid course of illness | Reddening of the mucous membranes, yellowish-green secretions (pus formation), feeling hot or feverish, thirst, burning sensation | Thick, persistent secretions, moist productive cough, shortness of breath, feeling cold, tiredness and heaviness, slow onset of symptoms |
Regardless of the type-specific symptoms of the common cold, there is also an important common feature: whenever a cold or flu is on the way, the metabolism (Agni) is also weakened and tends to form Ama (undigested metabolic residue), which blocks the Prana-Vaha-Srotas (respiratory channels). This leads to an acceleration of the disease process and quickly turns a simple cold into an infectious cold.
To prevent this disease process, Ayurvedic medicine recommends an immediate 1-2 day detox program with light soups and broths to strengthen the immune system and agni. Traditionally, light dal dishes made from pulses with special spice mixtures are served here, such as channa dal (chickpeas) with hing, ajwain and ghee or a green mung dal soup with trikatu and mint. And for non-vegetarians or vegans, a good chicken soup - like the one our grandmother used to make - is also an effective healing food for the immune system from an Ayurvedic point of view.
3 Ayurveda nutrition tips against colds
