Ayurveda, the most ancient medicinal system in India, is popular worldwide. Ayurveda is part of our life. Ayurveda is made of 5 elements of nature, which include 3 doshas such as Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each human body will have 1 dosha based on the nature of the physical body. Vata is a combination of air/space, Pitta is a combination of fire/water and Kapha is a combination of earth/water. As we know, every year we undergo 3 seasons, summer, monsoon, and winters. All these seasons are connected to 3 doshas, as 3 doshas are connected to the human body which gets impacted due to seasonal changes. During summer, pitta dosha is high. Hence, maintaining a disciplined Ayurvedic summer food routine is crucial to stay healthy and balanced. Here are some food habits to balance pitta dosha.
1.Drink Lots Of Watery Liquids
As Summers are hot, it becomes important to keep our body cool and light. Consuming at least a glass of water every 1 and a half hours, 6-7 liters a day is very important.
2.Consume Lots Of Green Leafy Vegetables
Balancing pitta dosha plays a great role during summer Green leafy vegetables such as astringent and bitter flavours include spinach, kale, watercress, and arugula. In addition, alkaline foods such as onions, garlic, carrots, beetroots, and sweet potatoes help reduce acidic levels.
3.Balancing Summer Blend
Blend 3 types of seeds such as cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and ground turmeric with 2-3 spoons sprinkled on yogurt, grilled vegetables, or fruit salads, helps in balancing pitta dosha during summer.
- Here’s the procedure for storing this blend:
- Take 2-3 spoons of cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds.
- Add them on a medium flame pan.
- Fry them for 2 minutes.
- Then add 2 tablespoons of turmeric.
- Fry all of them, for another 30 seconds
- Please turn off the flame and let it cool.
- Take a blender. Add all of them and grin it well.
- Store it in a container.
4.Consume Lots Of Diary Products
Consumption of dairy products such as ghee, cow milk cheese, goat cheese, unsalted butter, cottage cheese, and homemade yogurt are great products to cool your body naturally during hot summer, which is good for digestion and reduces irritation during hot summer.
5.Water Rich Fruits
Fruits are a great way to keep your body light and healthy during summer. Fruits like pomegranate, watermelon, mango, apples, grapes, pears, berries, and muskmelon are excellent during summer.
6.Sattu
Sattu is the best plant-based protein food for summer. It helps maintain digestion, and weight balance, increasing stamina and energy during hot summer, when your energy gets drained out easily. You can have sattu in different ways. It could be in the form of sattu rotti, porridge, drink, and laddu.
7.Bael Patra
Bael patra also known as “Wood Apple”, includes health benefits suitable for the summer season. Its benefits include regulating constipation and controlling diabetes and stomach aches. In addition, it helps to keep your body cool.
8.Avoid Oily And Junk Foods
Avoid junk foods as they lead to mood fluctuations, weight gain, and easy stomach upsets during the summer heat. Avoid foods like fried items, baked items, and outside prepared foods.
9.Eat Light Foods
Consuming light foods like fruit juices, smoothies, and soft foods like dairy products, helps you to keep yourself healthy, and fit during the hot summer, which drains your energy easily.
10.Lime Juice Drink
Lemon juice is a great nourishing drink during summer which helps in hydrating your body, digestion, vitamin C boost, weight management, and cooling effect to your body.
11.Butter Milk
Buttermilk is a great drink for summer sweat. “Masala majjige,” what we call in southern India is an authentic drink that helps you with good digestion, hydrating your body, and keeping your body cool.
12.Fruit Juices
Fruit juices help revitalize the body’s heat and give a cooling effect. In addition, juices provide nutrients and nourishment to your stomach and body. Fruit juices such as watermelon, mango, orange, and so on are great juices during summer to balance pitta dosha.
13.Grains
Grains are a great food for body cooling during the summer season. Grains such as amaranth, barley, and quinoa are best for handling illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. In addition, it boosts energy, regulates blood pressure, and maintains blood sugar levels.
14.Cooling Spices
Certain spices provide a cooling effect to the body, which is a great requirement during summer. Spices such as dill, mint, fennel, and cilantro are great cooling spices to consume during the summer.
15.Legumes
Legumes are astringent, which are a great protein source during the summer season.
16.Nuts
Nuts help strengthen bones and energy during summer’s heat. A few nuts that can be consumed during summer are dates, figs, raisins, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, and almonds.
17.Panaka Pancharasa
Panaka is an ancient Indian grandma recipe and a “Ram Navami” festival special. It’s a great drink that includes flavors of jaggery, cardamom, and so on, which helps in the natural cooling of the body during the summer heat.
18.Seeds
Seeds are great energy and immune boosters to fight against seasonal ailments during the summer season. These seeds can be added to different food recipes like porridge, smoothies, and juices in limited quantities so you can get the best benefits.
19.Avoid Icecreams
Ice creams provide a cooling effect to the body but in reality, they create the opposite effect. The milk fat and sugar produce heat in the body, which doesn’t cool in reality, and when the summer weather is hot, instead of giving a cooling effect, ice cream provides heat to the body which is not good for pitta dosha during summer.
20.Date Shake
Dates give a rich source of energy during the summer heat. A date shake helps boost energy in the body during the summer heat.
