Tag: Summer

Increased temper, dissatisfaction, joint inflammation, and skin rashes are indicators of summer-time pitta imbalance. Swap hot spices like peppers and jalapenos with cooling ones like coriander. Avoid booze except sweet wines and malted beer. Add rosewater or lemon in drinking water to improve taste and cooling properties. Avoid spats and relax with some rest, books, or just go out on a vacation.

Eating light and healthy has its benefits in summers! It's too hot to have heavy meals, anyway. If the heat is getting to you,...

“Easy breezy and protected” should be your mantra. Opt for semi-covered sandals that don't flap. Drape yourself in lightweight knee-length summer dresses. Shield yourself from the harsh sun with a good sunblock. Keep off junk food and eat healthy. Don't use perfumes, it isn't pleasant mixed with sweat. Apply silicone-based products and creamy foundations for makeup.

Boil 2 cups of water and 2 tbs of fresh or dried corn silk in a pot with lid on. As soon as it boils, simmer for 10 mins. Turn off the heat and let the silk soak in water for 30 mins. Strain the mix, drink at room temperature or re-heat it and consume. Corn silk is anti-inflammatory and soothes the inner lining of the uterus to prevent and treat UTI.

Massage with cooling oils like coconut and sesame. Take short naps for 30 min. Sleep under the night sky and reduce exercise. Soak 2 tbsp of semi-crushed coriander seed in 1 gal of water. Expose self to maximum moonlight. The cooling effects of the coriander and the moon will be imparted to the water. Sip it all day to cool your body in summer.

The excessive summer heat can have fatal consequences. Always wear sunscreen and sun reflective clothing while outdoors. Hydration is key. Drink 3-4 liters daily. Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout to keep up energy levels. Avoid protein. Ensure the safety of kids in cars. The inside of a car gets twice as hot and is unsafe for both young and old.

For Vata and Pitta skin types (dry, sensitive skin), use a raw silk gharshana glove for exfoliation. For Kapha skin type (thicker, oily skin), use a natural bristle brush. Practice abhyanga. Use rose water as a toner. Neem oil is cooler than tea tree oil, so use it as a spot treatment for pimples. Use coconut oil or ghee as a moisturizer. Use milk as a face wash.

For Breakfast have a fruit salad, egg white or oatmeal with milk, ghee, maple syrup. Lunch is the main meal of the day. Eat seasoned tofu and steamed collard greens over wild rice, or pasta. Chywanprash is an ideal snack to have at 4 p.m. Dinner should be lighter than lunch. Try veggie or turkey burgers with goat cheese, lettuce and avocado or Kitchari.

The sweet taste is cooling and heavy but also anti-inflammatory. Include sweet fruits, most grains and squashes. Bitter taste foods are cooling and drying which is beneficial for Pitta. Include kale, collard, and dandelion greens. Astringent taste is heavy, cold, and dry. Include herbs like basil, dill, and parsley. Avoid pungent, salty and sour tasting foods.

Raw foods are naturally cooling. Most grains, milk, root vegetables, seeds and cooling oils such as coconut and sunflower oil are great. Drying or astringent foods like potatoes, corn, millet, pasta, oats, popcorn, beans are recommended. Eat foods that are dry, mild, cooling, grounding, stabilizing and dense. Use moderate vs abundant amount ghee when cooking.

Ayurvedic Summer Lemonade Recipe [Video]

Drink boiled and cooled milk with a pinch of cardamom blended with organic rose petals. Rose is very cooling for the body. Cumin, coriander, and fennel teas are cooling as well. Take 1/2 tsp of bitter ghee on an empty stomach to improve digestion and control pitta dosha. Cooking with tumeric and using neem on the skin remove toxins from blood.

Headaches caused by summer heat are mostly migraines. Sometimes they can be tension-type headaches or sinus too. Your risk for headache rises by 7.5% with every 5°C rise in temperature. To avoid an attack, wear sunglasses and a wide hat, don't skip meals, and keep yourself hydrated. Once an attack is under way, drink water, eat ginger every 4 hours, rub a peppermint oil-based gel on your temples, and try deep breathing and meditation.

As we move towards the summer heat, we begin to shed our layers of clothes and turn up our fans. In summer, salads with...

For thousands of years, Chinese medicine has taught that all of our organs are paired with a season that best supports and nourishes their function. Each season, certain parts of the body are more affected giving us a window to study the pattern at which we fall sick. For a complete table of seasonal fruits and foods, swipe left.