March is when your layer of winter fat begins to melt on your body due to the increasing temperatures outside. That can often result in congestion, which opens the door for Kapha imbalance: loss of appetite, congestion, cold, cough, respiratory imbalance. Ayurveda's March practices are about avoiding the buildup of damp heat that comes from trapped winter fat and phlegm, and getting the body moving with bitter greens, pungent spices, raw spring foods, and pranayama.
Why March is the season for the spring cleanse
The body trapped heat during winter because it needed it to keep you warm. If you do not eat the seasonal diet and do the seasonal practices to remove that trapped heat, the excess congestion and water imbalance the respiratory system.
The signs that the trapped heat is becoming a problem: feeling heavy, boggy, loss of appetite. The answer is bitter greens, diuretics, and pungent spices that break up the congestion and drain the excess water retention.
Which bitter greens to eat in March
The bitter greens that drain congestion:
- Chicory
- Endive
- Radicchio
Sharp bitters like radishes work too. These foods help break up congestion and drain excess water retention.
Diuretics that move the lymph: celery, parsley.
Celery is the standout in March. It is a mineral-rich diuretic. Eat it in your food and soups. A raw stick of celery with hummus is the classic spring snack.
Homemade hummus is much easier to digest than store-bought. This is the season for it, and it is the easiest spring food to make.
Beans. This is the season for them.
Cumin is good for the drying-diuretic effect and the warming quality.
Baby greens like watercress and arugula are coming in. Eat them.
Mustard greens. Peppery and sharp, with a spicy heat and bitter taste, plus the chlorophyll your body needs to start the spring cleansing process. Cook them. Steam them with a squeeze of lemon and apple cider vinegar. Put them in soup, and you have a Kapha-balancing meal. They must be cooked.
How to source your March food (CSA and farmers markets)
This is the season to join a CSA (community-supported agriculture). You sign up and get seasonal foods coming off the farm every week or every other week. CSAs are a great way to support local, organic farming and an economical way to get the food of the season and support your farmers. A win-win.
Farmers markets are starting to open back up. Do not forget to frequent your local farmers market in March.
Which spring practices balance the body
The March practices Susan teaches:
- Dry heat or infrared sauna. Sweat out the dampness without adding more humidity.
- Hot stone massage. Heat the deep tissue where winter dampness collected.
- Exercise. It is time to move. The body has been holding still all winter.
- Pranayama (breath work). A great season for it; the respiratory system is the one most affected by the spring transition.
- Garshana (dry brushing). Vatas and Pittas use a soft silk glove. Kaphas use a soft natural bristle brush.
What sour and bitter tastes do in March
Focus on sour and bitter taste, not ferments. Sour and bitter foods aid in cleansing the excess heat out of the liver. Baked turnips, raw radishes, bitter roots, leafy greens, sprouts.
The Ayurvedic liver project starts now. Look for the spring recipes.
Which spring vegetables are the liver tonics
The March liver tonics:
- Artichoke hearts. They are in the thistle family and have a protective quality for the liver. A jar of marinated artichokes is quite nice.
- Burdock. A classic liver tonic. Try a burdock kinpira recipe.
- Black pepper, cinnamon, ginger. Important in soups, teas, and porridges.
What to eat (and not eat) in March
Cooked spinach. Yes. Eat it in March.
Raw spinach. No. Raw spinach leaches minerals.
Parsley. Really good this time of year. It is heating and drying, good for draining excess Kapha. Curly or Italian; make sure it is organic. Add it raw, chopped on top of cooked food as a condiment.
Microgreens. Called wild spring ephemerals. Chickweed and shepherd's purse are good as microgreens on salad.
Nettles. Mineral-rich, diuretic, bone builder. See the handout in the Sarasvati materials.
Potassium vegetable broth. Susan has a handout for this too.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the winter fat melting cause spring congestion?
The body trapped heat during winter as fat and phlegm because it needed it to keep you warm. When temperatures rise, that insulating layer melts, but the trapped heat has nowhere to go. It congests the respiratory system. The seasonal diet and practices are about giving the trapped heat a clean exit.
What are the best bitter greens for March?
Chicory, endive, radicchio. Plus baby greens (watercress, arugula) and cooked mustard greens. Radishes for the sharp bitter quality. Celery for the mineral-rich diuretic effect.
What practices balance the body in March?
Dry heat or infrared sauna (not steam, you do not want more dampness). Hot stone massage. Exercise. Pranayama (breath work). Garshana (dry brushing) with a silk glove for Vata and Pitta or a soft bristle brush for Kapha.
Should I eat raw spinach in March?
No. Susan teaches that raw spinach leaches minerals. Eat cooked spinach in March instead. Parsley you can eat raw, chopped on top of cooked food as a condiment.
Where can I get seasonal March food locally?
Join a CSA (community-supported agriculture) for weekly or biweekly farm deliveries. Visit the farmers markets that are reopening for the season. Both are how Susan recommends sourcing the food of the season and supporting your local farmers.