Heat Waves and Ayurveda

According to Ayurveda, hot weather upsets the balance of Pitta dosha (fire). Pitta is responsible for the balance of mind and body, regulates digestion, hormones and all metabolic processes in the body. During the hot season, it is important to maintain a balance of warmth and cold in the body in order to enjoy a healthy and joyful summer.

According to the principles of Ayurveda, the whole point is not in the temperature of the consumed product, but in its properties! Each type of food is classified according to its ability to provide some form of energy, heating or cooling. Sour, salty, or spicy foods warm up, while sweet, bitter, or astringent foods cool the body.

See also: How Food Affects the Mind.

In order for your internal thermostat to function properly you need to choose the right foods, essential oils, body care products and adjust your daily routine.

Here are some tips for the summer season.

Summer diet:

1. Avoid chilled foods.

At first glance, this may seem counterintuitive, but the consumption of chilled food and ice cold drinks can be unhealthy because, according to Ayurveda, it suppresses the digestive fire and impairs the absorption of nutrients. Fortunately, there are plenty of equally tasty but healthier alternatives to your regular frozen or ice-cold foods and drinks.

See also: What and how much should I drink?

 

2. Try a diet that calms Pitta dosha and helps cleanse and hydrate your body. Start by consuming at least one juicy fruit a day. Ripe summer fruits such as peaches, nectarines, plums and pears are exactly what you need most during the hot season. They regulate Pitta dosha and help cleanse the body. Summer juicy fruits ripened on the tree almost immediately turn into ojas or the subtlest life force that feeds the body. You can select specific fruits that are suitable for your predominant dosha.

See also:

Food list for the Kapa ​person.

Food list for the Vata person.

Food list for the Pitta person.

 

3. Cuisines from hot weather countries around the world have a ton of recipes based on the right proportions of cooling and heating ingredients, perfect for hot summer days. Warming of the body can be reduced by adding refreshing herbs such as cilantro and mint. And, of course, for stable digestion, it is better to eat foods that are easy to digest throughout the day, rather than a hearty meal three times a day.

4. If you don’t want to cook a lot on a hot summer evening, you can make a light salad or slightly stew vegetables. Collard greens, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, celery, cucumbers are classified as cooling foods in Ayurveda and high in water foods according to modern science. All of these properties help to cope with heat.

5. Refreshing fruits include dates, figs, pomegranates, grapes, and plums.

6. The next time you want lemonade, make it not with lemons, but with lime, as the cooling properties of lime are much stronger.

Summer drinks

1. Don’t drink cold water. It does not quench thirst, but rather stops digestion. Drink tea or unsweetened fermented drinks like kombucha. Soda is also not a drink that will help you withstand the heat.

2. All caffeinated drinks only quench your thirst in TV commercials, but the fact remains that caffeine actually robs the body and skin of moisture. Dehydration from alcoholic beverages is even more harmful to your health.

3. Drinks containing caffeine and alcohol are toxic to the liver. When the liver is overloaded with toxic substances, it ceases to cope with its task: to filter the nutrient fluid from toxins. At this point, digestive toxins begin to circulate in the blood and enter the tissues and organs of the body. One of the first signs of liver poisoning is dry, flabby, lifeless skin.

4. Instead, try room temperature herbal teas or fresh juices like apple juice with sweet ripe fruits as a snack. Lassi is also considered to be cooling. To make lassi, take one part fresh yogurt and mix with three parts water. Drinking this allows you to regulate Pitta dosha, quench your thirst and cleanse your skin.

See also: Lassi – Yogurt that Is healthy.

More tips to stay cool:

1. If you go outside in the heat, do not make fast movements, behave with dignity. Walk smoothly and always follow the shady side of the street. Always.

2. Wash your feet and ankles with cool water after each walk. There are a lot of biologically active points there, and such a bath is pleasant and useful.

3. Have a siesta at the hottest time.

4. Use anti-scarf or Japanese conditioner. In Japanese paintings or films, people can often be seen wearing white neckerchiefs. This is it. Just try it. Take a clean white handkerchief, dampen it with water and tie around your neck. When the neckerchief is dry, wet it again. The effect comes in just a couple of minutes.

Take care of yourself and be healthy! Be smart and summer will be a great time for you.

TODAY’S TIP: Refreshing summer drink

Boil two liters of water and continue boiling for two minutes. Remove water from heat and add ¼ tablespoon of fennel seeds, 2 rosebuds, and one clove. Enjoy.