About Summers: Ayurveda Summer Wellness

Stay cool with Ayurveda This Summer:  the season of light, pic-nicks, vacations, fun, abundance of fruits and vegetables and much more!

The summer solstice on June 20, 2024, marks the beginning of the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day of the year: the exact moment of the solstice is at 20:51 UTC (3:51 pm CDT). If happened to you to be at the place of ancient monuments like Stonehenge in England, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, and Mayan observatories in Guatemala do not miss to witness the amazing alignment with the sun’s position during such a magic summer period. Feel free to participate in ceremonial rituals.

The word for “summer” in Sanskrit is “grīṣma” (ग्रीष्म:):  the summer season holds significant importance in Ayurveda, and it is considered a pitta season, governed by the fire and water elements. Excess pitta can mainly manifest as inflammation, acne, digestive issues, irritability, hypertension, sunburn.

As summer’s heat intensifies, Ayurveda offers valuable wisdom to help you stay balanced, refreshed, and at ease. To pacify pitta and beat the heat, follow these Ayurvedic tips explained below.

Hydrating Foods and Drinks

Stay hydrated by sipping cooling beverages like coconut water, watermelon juice, mint lemonade, or rose milk. Favor sweet, bitter, and astringent foods like melons, cucumbers, leafy greens, cilantro, fennel, and pomegranates. Avoid excessive salt, sour, pungent, and fried foods which can aggravate pitta. Include cooling vegetables like cucumber, celery, asparagus, broccoli, beets, and greens. Eat hydrating fruits like coconut, berries, avocado, lime, prunes, plums, and pomegranate. Drink infused waters made with grapes, aromatic herbs, popped rice, white rock sugar candy, or pomegranate. Enjoy fresh fruit juices like orange, lemon, watermelon, mango, passion fruit, or grape juice.

Meal Planning

Opt for lighter, easier-to-digest meals focused on fresh, seasonal produce. Eat your largest meal at lunch when digestion is strongest.

Cooking Methods

Use cooling oils like coconut, sunflower, or olive oil for cooking. Quick cooking methods like steaming, sautéing, or grilling are preferable to baking or frying. Garnish dishes with fresh herbs, lemon, or lime juice to enhance flavors.

Cooling Herbs and Spices

Incorporate pitta-pacifying herbs like amla (Indian gooseberry), guduchi, neem, brahmi, and tulsi (holy basil) into your diet. Sip chilled herbal teas made with these herbs. Use cooling spices like coriander, mint, dill, and fennel in your cooking. Sip chilled herbal teas like hibiscus-mint or licorice root.

Lifestyle Practices

Wear lightweight, breathable fabrics in light colours to deflect heat. Practice gentle yoga like moon salutations, forward bends, and restorative poses. Favour early morning or evening exercise when temperatures are cooler. Massage with coconut or sunflower oil, and use cooling aromatherapy like sandalwood, rose, or jasmine. Stay indoors during peak afternoon heat. Do cooling pranayamas like sheetali, sheetkari, and nadi shodhana.

Sun Exposure

While some gentle morning sunlight can boost mood and vitamin D, protect yourself from excess sun exposure with hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen. If sunburned, apply cooling pastes of aloe vera, sandalwood, or neem.

Ayurvedic breakfast ideas that are cooling and nutritious

• Cooling Porridges and Cereals: oatmeal, quinoa, basmati rice, or millet porridge topped with ghee (clarified butter) and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey OR Buckwheat porridge with stewed apples or pears cooked in ghee
  
• Fruit-Based Options: fresh fruit like melons, berries, pomegranate, coconut, avocado, limes, and plums OR Cooked apples, which are said to enhance ojas (vitality and immunity) OR Dried figs and raisins soaked overnight or simmered for 30 minutes
  
• Dairy and Smoothies: yogurt with seeds, dates, or dried fruit. Room temperature smoothies made with avocado, coconut, berries, and greens.
  
• Beverages:  fresh fruit or vegetable juices like carrot-cilantro-zucchini or sweet grape/apple juice (avoid acidic juices like orange on an empty stomach. Use cooling spices like cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, and fresh ginger in moderation. 

Sample Summer Menu

• Breakfast: Overnight oats with berries, seeds, and rose water
• Lunch: Quinoa salad with cucumber, mint, avocado; mango lassi
• Snack: Fresh fruit or trail mix with nuts and dried fruit
• Dinner: Grilled vegetables over zucchini noodles; watermelon juice

By favouring hydrating, cooling, easy-to-digest foods while minimising heating ingredients, you can create balanced Ayurvedic summer menus to pacify your pitta.