Why should onion be avoided during winter Navratras?

Do you know that foods like onion/ coriander/ garlic, widen (dilate) our blood vessels thereby reducing resistance and dropping our blood pressure? They do so by reducing the flow of electricity (called as Pitta in Ayurveda) in our body which in turn reduces heat thereby keeping our blood towards the core and lower body (as coldness helps to settle our bodily fluids/nutrition towards the core and the lower body).

That is why onion/coriander and other cold spices are wonderful foods to beat summers when heat is very high in weather and in our body too which pushes blood away from the core and towards peripherals thereby weakening our core. Such foods keep our core healthy by retaining enough blood towards it.

This is the reason that such foods should ideally be avoided after the onset of winters as winters as such keep our bodily fluids (including blood) cold and thus towards the core and such foods will further reduce blood from the upper body and peripherals thereby keeping excess blood towards the core and thickening it.

This is the logic of removing onion/coriander and other cold spices/foods from our diet during winters which should not be confined only during winter Navratras. Same goes with cold drinks like beer/sharbats etc. Garlic also has similar properties however garlic is also very hot in nature hence its heat balances it electricity/pitta reducing nature and therefore it can be consumed in moderation during winters.

*** Please remember that these are thumb rules created basis the weather conditions and minor deviations may be needed basis individual constitution for example a person with excess blood in upper body and peripherals, may need such foods even during winters.

*** From Ayurveda viewpoint, such foods that reduce pitta are Tamasic and are essential when Rajas (stimulation) is high in weather i.e. in summers. On the other hand, spicy and hot foods are rajasic and should be consumed only when weather is high on tamas (weather) to balance dullness of cold weather. It goes without saying that these foods should be increased or tapered off gradually as per changing weather.

*** When one exercises under the influence of such foods/drinks that dilate blood vessels, then it creates several diseases. This is because, exercise pushes blood with more force and due to influence of such foods, the resistance between blood and blood vessels reduces and thus blood starts moving too much in outward direction thereby providing strength to the peripheral muscles. However in the bargain, it weakens our core due to reduced blood thereby weakening our heart, stomach, brain and denting our health in the long run which in turn invites diseases like multiple sclerosis, heart failure, insomnia, confusions, excessive dreaming, brain stroke, fibromyalgia, acidity and many other chronic diseases.