pitta / summer cheat sheet
summer is the PITTA SEASON, ruled by fire and water. no matter what you're dosha is, we'll all be effected by the hot, steamy energy this time of year. you may have already noticed feeling sharp, intense, or even a little angry. here are some tips for DIET, EXERCISE, DIGESTION, SKIN, ANGER, and MUSIC for pitta...
DIET. since summer is a HOT, LIGHT season and opposites cure, EATING COOL, STABILIZING FOODS will really help balanced body and heart-mind. experiment with eating more cleansing BITTER foods (like leafy greens, jicama, nettles and grapefruit) ASTRINGENT foods (like beans, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, lemon, lime) and SWEET foods ((coconut, dates, mangos, rice, wheat, cashews, milk and ghee). for more PITTA DIET info check out BANYAN BOTANICALS and go to JOYFUL BELLY to search for pitta-reducing recipes.
EXERCISE. if you get MOVING IN THE MORNING, you simultaneously avoid baking in the heat of the day as well as a releasing heat from the body. i find if i sweat early, i feel relieved and cooler all day. please remember, we want to let off steam, not increase it! work at 50% of your exercise capacity. chill with RELAXED EFFORT and NON-COMPETITIVE movement like swimming, pilates, chi gong, slow flow yoga, and walking and talking with friends.
DIGESTION. support the digestive process with GHEE which magically cools hot digestion and warms cool digestion. its like year round temperature control for your gut. 1/2 tsp a day will help and ANCIENT ORGANICS GHEE is so delicious. if you’re pitta dominant or notice signs of hot digestion like loose stools and heartburn, consider having regular JUICE DAYS to cool down. in ayurveda, we mostly have cooked food but SALADS and RAW FRUIT go down well this time of year. also, make FENNEL, MINT, and CORIANDER standard summer spices to aid in digestion without overheating. with dry spices, always choose non-irradiated brands like FRONTIER COOP or SPICELY ORGANICS to get the maximum medicinal benefit!
LIVER. excess pitta shows up in different places but especially the liver so support it with FIGS, GRAPEFRUIT, LEMON, LIME, PINEAPPLE, GREEN BEANS, BEAN SPROUTS, BROCCOLI, CORN, MUNG BEANS, GHEE, FISH, CORIANDER, SAFFRON, and oils like AVOCADO, OLIVE, and SESAME. remember, TURMERIC is especially helpful this time of years since it helps us digest sugar, fat and oil so there less for our liver to process. you can take up to a 1/4 tsp , 3 times a day! remember, turmeric is generally contraindicated for pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as people with diabetes or bleeding disorders. always speak to a practitioner if you are confused.
ANGER. anger, envy, frustration, and judgement as well as being overly controlling or power hungry are all more common this time of year. in general, OUR CULTURE DENIES HEALTHY ANGER. that’s why there’s so much rage these days. when i do my one-on-one intakes, i ask clients to rate anxiety, depression and anger. overwhelmingly, people report the first two and almost NEVER the last. i think it’s because there are very few anger-owning role models out in ‘conscious’ community. the spiritual bypass phenomenon is real. also, anger has yet to be addressed by big pharma in the form of tidy a pill and what can’t be commodified, often goes unmeasured. in ayurveda, WE MUST TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT ELEMENT IS PRESENT IN EXCESS IN ORDER TO FIX IT. so i say, this summer try to truly claim your emotional fire! once you name and claim it, you can respond by adding COOL WATER and COOL EARTH in whatever ways you see fit. P.S…CELERY IN ANY FORM IS A GREAT EMOTIONAL CLEANSER!
SKIN. summer steam inflames and causes impurities in the blood to rise to the surface. thus, summer is the season of SKIN PROBLEMS. rashes, acnes, eczema, or just some ruddiness are all common this time of year. abate irruptions by AVOIDING NIGHTSHADES. of course, you probably know BELL PEPPERS, CHILES, EGGPLANT, POTATOES, and TOMATOES will inflame but most people are unaware that GOJI BERRIES, OATS, PAPRIKA, PEACH SKINS, SEAWEED, SORREL, STRAWBERRIES are all considered possible pitta agitators in ayurveda so watch out for those too! NEEM is our go-to for skin issues in ayurveda. HIMALAYA USA carries the full library of single ayurvedic herbs in pill form which is great since we never take neem oil internally. please remember neem is contraindicated for pregnant or nursing women, anyone trying to conceive, children and those with mahogany family allergies. always exercise caution when mixing with prescription drugs and use as directed. see a practitioner if you need more information.
MUSIC. summer is the PITTA SEASON, ruled by fire and water. it’s the most intense season and you may have already been feeling hot or inflamed on a physical and / or emotional level. i’ve been carefully selecting the music i play in my yoga classes according to ayurveda and season for five years. you can change your mood instantly by picking the right MUSIC or INSTRUMENT TO PLAY. for the pitta season, forget energetic, passionate songs for now. instead, play anything chill, fluid and soothing that makes you want to relax or lay down. and fellow musicians, know that SINGING or playing an instrument that requires you to literally let off steam like flute, sax, clarinet are so beneficial this time of year. any instrument can help soothe and release, if you play in a sweet, fluid major key manner.