Stay Balanced in the Summer Heat

Summarized from The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies by Vasant Lad

The seasons are characterized by the cycles of the doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. Maintaining good health during the four seasons of the year requires living in harmony with the seasons, their natural cycles, foods, the type of exercise we do, ext. Today we will discuss how to stay balanced in the midst of summer heat.

Summer is the season of pitta. It is hot, sharp, dry and bright. For everyone, especially those who are predominantly pitta in nature, need to stay cool this time of year to prevent aggravating pitta. The following are some recommendations for staying balanced.

• Wear cotton or silk clothing to stay cool and let the skin breathe. Loose fitting clothes allow air to pass through keeping the body cool.
• The best colors to wear in hot weather are white, gray, blue, purple and green. Avoid red, orange, dark yellow, and black, which absorb and retain heat and will aggravate pitta.
• Good fruits for summer include apples, pears, melons, plums, and prunes. Watermelon and lime juice are also good in summer. Try steamed asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cucumber raita, and basmati rice. Avoid sour fruits, citrus fruits and even beets and carrots, which are all heating. Garlic, onion, chili, tomato, sour cream, and salted cheeses are also not recommended. You can eat more salads in summer than at any other time, as they are cooling, but they are best eaten for lunch.
• Don’t drink hot water or hot drinks in the summer. Room-temperature or cool drinks are best. Ice and iced drinks, however, inhibit digestion and create toxins in the body; it is best never to drink them.
• If you customarily drink alcoholic beverages, avoid whiskey, brandy, rum and red wine, which are heating. Some cool beer during hot days will be all right.
• If you have to work outside, wear a wide-brimmed hat.
• Wear sunglasses outdoors during the brightest part of the day.
• If you can, work indoors. Have some air conditioning in your car and in your room or office.
• If you feel really hot, take a swim in a cool lake or pool, then drink a little lime juice in water.
• Avoid strenuous exercise. If you are accustomed to running or other vigorous aerobic exercise, do it early in the morning at the coolest part of the day.
• Do some mild yoga exercises and quiet meditation twice a day. Good postures for summer include the Fish, Camel, Boat, Cobra, Cow, and Tree poses. Pitta individuals should not do inverted poses such as Headstand and Shoulder Stand, which can be pitta-provoking. Also, do the Moon Salutation.
• Perform shitali pranayama, a cooling breathing exercise.
• Certain jewelry and gems will help cool pitta. These include a necklace of sandalwood beads, a jade or pearl necklace, amethyst crystals, moonstone, malachite crystals, and any silver jewelry.
• Sandalwood, jasmine, and khus oils are cooling and are good fragrances to wear in the summer.