Vaidya Mishra's Shaka Vansya Ayurveda

This question was submitted by Martin Gluckman. Thanks Martin!

Why is Winter Squash Not Recommended for Health?

Vaidya Mishra very much understands the appeal of winter squash, and he likes to tell this story on himself.

As a vaidya's son, he grew up without exposure to winter squash because his father knew the problems associated with eating any kind of winter squash regularly.  However, when he finally left home after his many years of internship with his father, Vaidya found that he really liked pumpkin (a form of winter squash).

One of his patients in Ranchi had a big harvest of pumpkins one year and offered Vaidya a steady supply for his kitchen.  Vaidya happily had pumpkin almost every day. 

Then one day, his father came for a visit.  During the visit Vaidya mentioned that he had developed a very deep cyst on his chest that was quite painful.  His father told him that he should not be eating any winter squashes like pumpkin.

Amazed at his father's perception, he asked him how he knew that he had been eating pumpkin.  To which Vaidya's father replied that the pumpkins were stacked up outside the house!

Why is Winter Squash Hard on the Body?

Winter squash, which includes pumpkin, butternut squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash and many others, has the special quality (prabhava) of being stambhana.  Stambhana is a Sanskrit word used in Ayurveda to describe any material which blocks the physical channels (shrotas) after digestion. 

Winter squashes are tasty, and yes they do have a lot of nutritional value, but the ultimate effect on the shrotas (physical channels) is to plug them up.  This not only applies to the large channels of elimination, but also to the smaller channels, and even the micro-channels throughout the body.

According to the Nigantu Adarsha Ayurvedic text, stambhana foods and herbs are raukshmyat (drying) and kashayatvat (full of astringency) even after they have been digested.  This dryness causes the digested squash material to stick to the walls of the channels in the body and eventually cause a roadblock.

Vata Goes Up When The Channels Are Blocked

Vata likes to flow in the body.  When the channels become blocked, or partially blocked by stambhana foods like winter squash, vata cannot flow in the channels.  This causes discomfort at first, and pain if there is a strong blockage.

Also, when the circulation of nutrients is blocked, and likewise the removal of toxins from the tissues is also blocked, the stage is set for infection and disease.  That's why the pumpkin caused a cyst for Vaidya. 

Health in Ayurveda is sometimes gauged by how open your shrotas (channels) are in the body.  When they are fully open and free flowing, health is generally good.  Nutrients can reach each cell in the body, and toxins can be removed regularly.  When the channels are open, you feel blissful, clear and balanced.

Winter squashes oppose the nature of the body's channels to remain open, and therefore contribute to imbalance and health problems.

Substitutes for Winter Squashes

When we are accustomed to eating certain things, it is easy to think that there are no other options if we leave them out of our diet.  But there is a rich world of vegetables which not only satisfy our taste buds, but do not compromise our health.

Sweet potatoes or yams, for example, do not have the stambhana prabhava which winter squashes have, and can be used as a nice substitute for pumpkin (like in pumpkin pie).  Taro root is another root vegetable that is very healthy for the body. It binds toxins and tastes great when made into french fries.

Ratalu is an Indian vegetable which is available in many Indian grocery stores (Vaidya doesn't even mind the fresh frozen cubes of this vegetable if you can't find the fresh vegetable).  Suran is another Indian root vegetable highly recommended by Ayurveda.  Suran is Ayurveda's favorite vegetable to help with hemorrhoids.

The best way to move away from foods like winter squashes is to introduce new, delicious recipes into your diet.  Cook with plenty of taste-enhancing spices and branch out into foods you may have never tried before. With a little care, you can be satisfied without running the risk of clogging your channels.

Disclaimer

The information found herein is only for educational purposes. It has not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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