There are dozens of synonyms for heat, and hundreds of ways to describe the blazing days of summer. With the spring behind us the dog days of summer are upon us. Staying healthy this summer requires us to balance scorching days with cooling foods, drinks, activities, and thought processes. According to Ayurveda, summer is classified as Pitta season. Unmanaged, Pitta season can easily lead to skin irritation, inflammation, hyper acidity, liver and gallbladder issues, sensitive eyes, anger, frustration, and impatience to name a few. We can mitigate uncomfortable circumstances by adjusting our food and lifestyle choices.
1. Eat Your Greens To Stay Cool
Eat your greens. Leafy greens such as spring mix, kale, and arugula are bitter. Bitter greens have a cooling effect on the body. Enjoy plenty of fresh green salads, juices, and stir-fry this summer. To make a yummy summer salad:
- Toss a handful of spring mix in olive oil, add a few slices of avocado and a handful of dried cranberries.
- The combination of bitter and sweet cool the heat in the body and add sweetness to the mind.
- Try to avoid flavors that are heating such as excess sour, salty, and spicy tastes.
- Limit your intake of tomatoes, garlic, onion, oranges, vinegar, radishes, eggplant, red meat, dairy, and seafood.
These foods rev up your thermostat.
2. Try These Beverages To Refresh
Drink your herbs. Aloe vera, cilantro, coriander, and chamomile are all cooling. You can add a inch of fresh aloe vera to a juice, a teaspoon of coriander seeds and a spring of cilantro to warm water to create an infusion tea, or a chamomile tea bag to hot water as a soothing way to refresh after a long day in the sun. Try to limit the consumption of heating beverages such as V8, OJ, alcohol, coffee, kombucha, and black tea. Coconut water is a great substitution.
3. Plan Activities To Keep Your Chill
Play in the water. Water brings balance to fire. Try paddle boarding, kayaking, swimming, surfing, water skiing, and snorkeling. Notice how very competitive sports rev up your spicy drive to push and win. Try to balance the heat the accompanies intense workouts with giving emphasis to a longer cool-down session at the bottom of your workout. See how you feel when you swap your hot yoga classes for vinyasa yoga practiced in the AC. Our emotional wellbeing is influenced by our body temperature, incessant heat tends to make us irritable and overly competitive. Be mindful to play nice and keep your cool.
Surround yourself with refreshing scents. Essential oils such as peppermint, sandalwood, vanilla, ylang ylang, lavender, and lemongrass are all good for us during Pitta season.
- Add a dap to your wrists and behind your ears as a balancing perfume.
- You could also add a few drops to a diffuser to infuse your home or office with a refreshing aroma.
My favorite way to use essential oils in the summer is to add 3-4 drops to a tablespoon of coconut oil and give myself a soothing foot massage at the end of a long day. The blend of cooling coconut and soothing botanicals will lower your body temperature and calm your nervous system. Take cooling breaths. Sheetali breath, or cooling breath is a yogic breathing technique that brings your temperature down.
- To practice Sheetali, bring your closed mouth into a smile so that your teeth make a gate.
- Inhale through the mouth so that you breathe through your teeth.
- Exhale through the nose.
- Repeat this 6-10 times and you’ll feel your temperature drop as your mind becomes more tranquil.
I hope you enjoy the long summer days and radiant summer sun. Just remember to keep your cool.
