Ayurvedic Recommendations for Summer Season

The astronomical start of summer is June 21st and ends September 22nd. During this time, the planet — and our bodies — are subject to multiple physical changes due to the increase in temperature and moisture. The hot weather and protagonist role of the fire element make summer the right time to indulge in the thrills that life has to offer and see what the seeds we planted in previous seasons have grown into. Since we should adjust our diet and lifestyle at the start of every season, I want to introduce you to effective Ayurvedic Tips for Summer to help you welcome this wonderful time of year.

The purpose of these Ayurvedic Tips for Summer is to help you stay cool, grounded, and relaxed so that keep in mind a key Ayurvedic principle for summer is to cool down.

Reduce the heat. Soak in a pool or the sea. Take cool baths and eat refreshing fruits like watermelon.

Make your life sweeter by spending time with people that bring out the best in you and by smelling balmy fragrances, such as jasmine or sandalwood. Listen to sweet music and make sure your perceptions are coming mostly from Mother Nature.

Practice moon bathing and avoid staying out under the sun for too long. If you must, wear white clothes and protective hats and sunglasses.

Lunar breathing. This is an excellent technique to keep Pitta dosha balanced. Take a few minutes at dawn to practice it for 5-10 minutes, or whenever you feel Pitta is getting out of control.

Invite coolness by wearing soft pastel colors that pacify antagonistic and hostile emotions and by avoiding overworking, overexercising, or overthinking. Instead, take frequent breaks at work or even a nap.

Practice Pranayama: chandra bhedana pranayama (left-nostril breathing) for a few minutes every day.

Moderate sexual activity, which creates heat in the body and depletes energy.

Exercise during the kapha time of morning (before 10 am) when the temperature is cooler. Or, if you’re a very early riser, take to your yoga mat or the gym during the vata time of day–before 6 am. Do pitta-balancing yogasana to cool the fire element in your body. If you want to know more about it or to practice with me, pls enroll for a daily practice during mornings for 30 minutes. 

This season reminds us to celebrate the nourishing light of the Sun, as well as the light that is within each of us, and to observe and connect with the earth. One of my favorite practices to do in summer is earthing: walking barefoot on the grass and the sand, touching nature and feeling it with all senses. This practice is known as earthing or grounding. I just love feeling the sand or grass under my bare feet for an intense mindful experience.

Signs of Excess Pitta

As heat stimulates the fire element (tejas) in all of us, if you ever find yourself feeling slightly more irritated or impatient in the hot weather, it may be because the sun’s energy has boosted your body’s internal thermostat. This is expressed physical through skin rash, acne, diarrhea, joint inflammation, cold sores, and gastric conditions such as heartburn or acid reflux. It can be expressed emotionally, mentally through jealousy, irritability, anger, competitiveness, impatience, fear, and criticism.

If you must bring balance into your system, ask for an ayurvedic consultation. Small changes in your day-by-day life, will produce big differences.

Follow a Pitta dosha diet to reduce the accumulation of fire in your system and prioritize food items that are fresh, organic, and locally sourced, making up much of your plate. Want to know more about what should be the best advice for your case? Then fix an appointment with me and let’s discuss together.

In general, the foods to favor:

Fruits

• Sweet and cooling fruits: Watermelon, cantaloupe, sweet grapes, ripe mangoes, pineapples, sweet apples, pears, melons, and plums.
• Astringent fruits: Pomegranates, cranberries, and blueberries.

Vegetables

• Cooling vegetables: Cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, and cauliflower.
• Root vegetables: Sweet potatoes, beets, and pumpkins.
• Gourds: Bottle gourd, ash gourd, and winter melon.

Grains

• Cooling grains: White basmati rice, quinoa, barley, and oats.
• Avoid heating grains: Brown rice, millet, and corn.

Legumes

• Easily digestible legumes: Split mung beans, yellow lentils (moong dal), and red lentils.
• Moderate intake of heavy beans: Soybeans, black beans, and pinto beans.

Oils

• Cooling oils: Coconut oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil.
• Use sparingly: Sesame oil, almond oil.

Spices

• Cooling spices: Coriander, fennel, cardamom, mint, and turmeric.
• Use sparingly: Cumin, mustard seeds.
• Avoid heating spices: Red chili, cayenne pepper, dried ginger, and black mustard seed.

By integrating these food choices into your summer diet, you can effectively balance your Pitta dosha, promoting optimal health and well-being during the hot season.

I am writing here a summer shopping list for you: 

• Apples, blueberries, dates, figs, grapes, limes, melons, pears, mangoes, watermelon, oranges (sweet), plums, raspberries
• Asparagus, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, kale, okra, peas, brussels sprouts, bitter melon, green beans, artichokes, dandelion greens, garlic, onion, kale, leeks
• Barley, basmati rice, couscous, millet, granola, oats, quinoa, wheat, popcorn, pasta, rice cakes, sprouted bread, aduki beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lima beans, mung dal, soybeans, tofu, split peas
• Coconut, pumpkin seeds, safflower seeds, sunflower seeds
• Freshwater fish, chicken, turkey
• Coconut oil, ghee, sunflower oil, almond oil
• Date sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup
• Cardamom, cilantro, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, mint 
• Saffron, turmeric, rose water, rose petals

Looking through an Ayurvedic lens, we can see how food affects our mental, physical, and emotional state. It influences how we react to events and approach everything we have to do in a day. Food is our energy, and we assimilate the properties of the food we eat into our very being. What we eat is very important because food either nourishes or depletes our body and consciousness. We naturally crave lighter, cooling foods during the summer season as agni disperses to keep us cool.

How we eat is crucial, too. Preparing meals with joy and gratitude imbues the food with a light energy. Ayurvedic nutrition also warns us against overeating and eating food that is very cold or very hot at any time of year, but in summer, this recommendation is most important.

Follow these simple tips for pacifying pitta dosha during summer:

Suggestion x your breakfast :  Soothing vanilla porridge

 A wonderful breakfast to welcome the summer solstice! Vanilla’s powerful aroma stimulates the brain and releases endorphins. As a result, you will feel a soothing relief and calmness.

Ingredients:

• Old-fashioned oats
• Plant-based milk
• Chia seeds
• Vanilla bean
• Cardamon powder

• STEP 1: Split and open the vanilla pod, and then scrape the seeds out.
• STEP 2: In a pan, cook the oats with the milk, the chia seeds, the vanilla seeds, and the cardamom for about 10–15 minutes. 
• STEP 3: Serve in your favorite bowl and enjoy slightly warm.