Understanding Ritucharya

India is a land of six seasons or the Ritu. Each Ritu (season) has different climatic conditions that may have different effects on the body as well as the surroundings. Ayurveda describes various modifications, rules and regimens (Charya) for diet (ahara), physical activity (vihar) and behavior to adjust to these seasonal changes without compromising the stability of human body. Modifying your diet and practices in response to external climatic changes is an important step towards prevention of diseases, as per Ayurvedic system of medicine. Lifestyle disorders can also be attributed to a lack of following seasonal regimens. due to lack of concentration in seasonal characteristics. Hence in Ayurveda, Ritucharya includes following suitable diet and lifestyle regimen for every season to prevent lifestyle disorders. There are six seasons in the environment and two states of the sun, as tabulated below:¹ 

Each season affects the Doshas of our body. There are three states of these doshas in our body- sanchay (accumulation), prakop (aggravation) and prashaman (pacification). In different seasons these doshas remain in different stages, as mentioned in the table below:¹

Purification therapy of Doshas should be done in the season when they aggravate to reduce their seasonal complications.¹

Regimen of different seasons^1,2

EARLY WINTER AND WINTER

Diet (Unctuous, sweet, sour, and salty foods):

• Cereal: Rice, Wheat, Jwar
• Pulses: Urada (black gram), Kulitha (horse gram), Watana (pea)
• Oils: Til, Groundnuts, Animal fats, Coconut, dried fruits
• Milk Products: Milk, Curds, Buttermilk, Butter, Ghee, Cheese
• Vegetables: Potato, Sweet Potato, Onion, Cabbage, Flower, lauki (bottle gourd), Tondali (ivy gourd), Drum Sticks etc.
• Fruits: All sweet fruits, Mango, Banana, Grapes, Figs etc.
• Drinks: Hot water, wine (sura made from cereals), sugarcane juice, fruit juice and its preparations

Lifestyle:

• Massage with oil/powder/paste
• Games, yogasana and gymnastics can be part of exercise
• Bath with lukewarm water
• Expose yourself to sunlight, Sudation therapies
• Cloths made up of warm wool and animal leather should be worn

SPRING

Diet (Easily digestible foods):

• Cereals: Yava, Vari, Old Wheat, Jawar
• Pulses: Masura (lentils), Chana (chickpeas), Moong, Matki (dew beans)
• Oils: Mustard, Karadi oil, Til oil
• Milk Products: Only Buttermilk
• Vegetables: Karela (bitter melon), Brinjal, Raddish, Pumpkin, Drum Stick and dry vegetables, Suran etc.
• Non-vegetarian: Roasted Mutton of goat, Chicken
• Fruits: Lemon, Betel nut, Pomegranate, Jambul
• Drinks: Oil, wine and Hot drinks
• Miscellaneous: Plenty of honey and Kashaya rasas (pungent, bitter, astringent) should be accepted freely

Lifestyle:

• Use warm water for bathing purpose
• Do physical exercise
• Day-sleep must be avoided
• Massage your body with dry powders of Chandan (sandalwood), Kesara etc.
• To control the Kapha dosha, Vamana (vomiting) is advised under supervision of specialist
• Nasya (nasal therapy) and herbal smoking also help for melting the Kapha
• Staying in a place which does not allow direct entry of wind and is warm Avoid Day time sleeping

SUMMER

Diet (Light to digest, sweet, unctuous, cold, liquid foods):

• Cereals: Wheat, Jawar, Rice
• Pulses: Masura (lentils), Moong (mung beans), Matara (pea)
• Milk Products: Curd, Ghee, Buttermilk and milk
• Vegetables: Karela (bitter melon), Cucumber, Chuka (green sorrel), Methi (fenugreek), white onion, Tondali (ivy gourd) etc.
• Non-vegetarian: Meat of Goat
• Fruits: Watermelon (unripe), Kharbuja (sweet melon), Jambhul, Grapes, Bananas, Amalaki, Pomegranate, Lemon
• Drinks: Cold fruit juices with sugar, lemon juice, Sugarcane juice, Cold water stored in earthen pots
• Miscellaneous: Honey, Cow's urine (Gomutra), Fruits and Juices, grapes etc. 4. Fruits having high water content and Coconut water.

Lifestyle:

• Stay in cool places
• Apply sandal wood over the body
• Wear light colored dresses
• Excessive exercise is to be avoided
• Alcoholic preparations are prohibited
• Avoid sun exposure, Hot food and drinks and wines.

RAINY

Diet (Light, sour, salty and unctuous foods):

• Cereals: Old Wheat and rice, Jawar, Yava
• Pulses: Masura, Moong, avoid leafy vegetables
• Oils: Coconut oil or Groundnut oil
• Milk Products: Fresh Buttermilk, Butter Ghee and milk
• Vegetables: Karela (bitter melon), White onion, Methi (fenugreek), Parwal (pointed gourd), Ghevada (broad beans), Sweet Potato, Cucumber etc.
• Non-vegetarian: Meat of goat
• Fruits: Mango, Pomegranate, Amalaki, Grapes, Sugarcane
• Drinks: Boiled water, Lemon juice and soups made from meat
• Miscellaneous: Honey

Lifestyle:

• Excessive exercise is to be avoided
• Bath with warm water
• Dry clothes must be worn
• Stay in dry place
• Day-sleep must be avoided
• Vamana (vomiting), Virechana (purgation) and Basti (enema) is advised under supervision of specialist

AUTUMN

Diet (Light, cold, sweet and bitter foods):

• Cereals: Rice, Wheat, Jawar
• Pulses: Moong, Tur (yellow pigeon peas), Chana (chickpeas), Masura (lentils), Beans
• Meat: Meat of Goat, Chicken
• Fishes: From stream
• Oils: Ghee medicated with bitter medicines
• Milk Products: Buttermilk, Plain milk. Avoid curd
• Fruits: Grapes, Amalaki, Kismis, Kushmanda (white gourd melon), Banana, Apple, Chiku
• Vegetables: Methi (fenugreek), red radish/Chakavata (goosefoot), Lauki, Dudhi (bottle gourd), Sweet Potato, Karela (bitter melon), Cucumber, Cabbage, Tandulja
• Drinks: Sugarcane juice, Cold drinks
• Miscellaneous: Honey

Lifestyle:

• Mild exercise advised
• Rakta mokshana (blood letting), Virechana (purgation) is advised under supervision of specialist
• Apply paste of Chandana on the body
• Day-sleep, excessive eating, excessive exposure to sunlight, etc., are to be avoided
• Virechana may be beneficial

References: 

1. Charak Samhita of Agnivesha. Vidhyotini Hindi Vyakhya- Sastry K & Chaturvedi G – Editors. Chaukhambha Bharati Academy, Varanasi 221001. Reprint 2011.

2. Bakal Nilesh Ganeshrao et al, Ritu (Season), Ritucharya And Prakriti- A Conceptual Study, Int. J. Ayur. Pharma Research, 2014; 2(2): 101-110.
3. Jayesh Thakkar et al, Ritucharya: Answer to the lifestyle disorders, Ayu. 2011 Oct-Dec; 32(4): 466–471.