Summer is a time when the sun is moving into the closet proximity to our local residence. Here in the Bay Area, we begin to experience summer around mid to late June. While the weather is a more moderate climate here, let summer be indicated by when the trees’ blossoms begin to drop and the grasses begin to yellow in your neighborhood.
As our bodies are a microcosm of the larger macrocosm, the heat of the summer creates heat, and dryness in our own bodies. When not properly balanced, this combination has the potential to create weakness and take nourishment away from our bodies. With the intention of cultivating balance, Ayurveda suggests supporting the body with light, fragrant, moist, soft, nourishing, and easily digestible foods while maintaining internally cooling lifestyle practices during these warmer summer months. Below is a list of suggested foods and practices:
NOTE ON WATER CONSUMPTION: Be mindful of water consumption – as it takes a lot of energy for your body to digest water. Focus on taking cooling foods – i.e. fresh coconut, mint, and cilantro – and engage in cooling practices – i.e. spending time under the moon, and wearing light cotton clothing – all which will be discussed further below – rather than excessively increasing your water intake. By consuming foods that once digested have natural cooling effects to the body, this will allow your own personal thermostat to stay balanced and be healthfully maintained.
Beneficial Summer Food Rules:
•Increase sweet, moist and nourishing food intake to balance dryness and heat in body
•When making a fruit salad, to make is most digestible, always combine super sweet and ripe fruits together – avoid mixing in sour, or unripe fruits.
•Eat fruits as a snack, or separate meal – allow for 3 hours to digest before or after eating another meal.
•When making a salad, add a generous amount of oil
•Limit raw vegetable intake – very hard to digestive
•Always cook vegetables in ghee
Benefical Summer Foods:
Wheat
Oats
Rice
Ghee
Cow Milk
Mung Dal (Green and Yellow)
Sweet Corn
Mango
Pomegranate
Dates
Coconut
Peach
Nectarine - super sweet
Plum - super sweet (avoid sour/unripe)
Raisins
Limes
Cucumbers
Beets
Carrots
Greens
Summer squash
Opo squash (available at Indian groceries)
Peas
Green beans
White onions
Mint
Cilantro
Rose Petal jam – Gulkand (available at Indian groceries)
Amalaki Murabba – sugar syrup soaked gooseberries (available at Indian groceries)
Grass Carp (only recommended fish – available at Asian fish markets)
Internally Cooling and Beneficial Beverages:
•Fresh coconut water from fresh coconut – (Asian and Indian groceries have young Thai coconuts readily available)
•Coriander Moon Water – take gallon of pre boiled water, add pinch of whole coriander seeds, put in glass container and set out under moonlight for an entire evening – drink next day.
•Rose Water Takra (fresh buttermilk with rosewater essence)
Spices to Increase and Use in Daily Cooking:
Cumin
Corriander Seeds
Fennel
Foods to Minimize and Avoid in Summer:
Food Rules:
•decrease dry, hot and spicy foods
•reduce salt and black pepper intake
•avoid fermented foods
•decrease red meat consumption (very heating)
Foods to Avoid:
Papaya – very heating
Pineapple – very heating
Watermelon – has potential to imbalance all 3 doshas – gas increasing
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Peanuts
Pickles
Chilies
Peppers
Red onions
Alcohol
Red Meat
Beneficial Summer Practices:
•Spend time under the moonlight in the evenings
•Sleep outdoors on hot evenings
•Sleep in white cotton sheets
•Surround residence with fragrant flowers – jasmine, lavender, roses
•Dress in light colored cotton clothing
•Wash face with ground (use coffee grinder) red massor daal, pinch of sandalwood powder and saffron – mix tablespoon of mixture with milk to make creamy paste for a daily cooling and nourishing face wash.
•Coconut oil makes for a good sun protector (always apply slightly warmed)
As our bodies are a microcosm of the larger macrocosm, the heat of the summer creates heat, and dryness in our own bodies. When not properly balanced, this combination has the potential to create weakness and take nourishment away from our bodies. With the intention of cultivating balance, Ayurveda suggests supporting the body with light, fragrant, moist, soft, nourishing, and easily digestible foods while maintaining internally cooling lifestyle practices during these warmer summer months. Below is a list of suggested foods and practices:
NOTE ON WATER CONSUMPTION: Be mindful of water consumption – as it takes a lot of energy for your body to digest water. Focus on taking cooling foods – i.e. fresh coconut, mint, and cilantro – and engage in cooling practices – i.e. spending time under the moon, and wearing light cotton clothing – all which will be discussed further below – rather than excessively increasing your water intake. By consuming foods that once digested have natural cooling effects to the body, this will allow your own personal thermostat to stay balanced and be healthfully maintained.
Beneficial Summer Food Rules:
•Increase sweet, moist and nourishing food intake to balance dryness and heat in body
•When making a fruit salad, to make is most digestible, always combine super sweet and ripe fruits together – avoid mixing in sour, or unripe fruits.
•Eat fruits as a snack, or separate meal – allow for 3 hours to digest before or after eating another meal.
•When making a salad, add a generous amount of oil
•Limit raw vegetable intake – very hard to digestive
•Always cook vegetables in ghee
Benefical Summer Foods:
Wheat
Oats
Rice
Ghee
Cow Milk
Mung Dal (Green and Yellow)
Sweet Corn
Mango
Pomegranate
Dates
Coconut
Peach
Nectarine - super sweet
Plum - super sweet (avoid sour/unripe)
Raisins
Limes
Cucumbers
Beets
Carrots
Greens
Summer squash
Opo squash (available at Indian groceries)
Peas
Green beans
White onions
Mint
Cilantro
Rose Petal jam – Gulkand (available at Indian groceries)
Amalaki Murabba – sugar syrup soaked gooseberries (available at Indian groceries)
Grass Carp (only recommended fish – available at Asian fish markets)
Internally Cooling and Beneficial Beverages:
•Fresh coconut water from fresh coconut – (Asian and Indian groceries have young Thai coconuts readily available)
•Coriander Moon Water – take gallon of pre boiled water, add pinch of whole coriander seeds, put in glass container and set out under moonlight for an entire evening – drink next day.
•Rose Water Takra (fresh buttermilk with rosewater essence)
Spices to Increase and Use in Daily Cooking:
Cumin
Corriander Seeds
Fennel
Foods to Minimize and Avoid in Summer:
Food Rules:
•decrease dry, hot and spicy foods
•reduce salt and black pepper intake
•avoid fermented foods
•decrease red meat consumption (very heating)
Foods to Avoid:
Papaya – very heating
Pineapple – very heating
Watermelon – has potential to imbalance all 3 doshas – gas increasing
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Peanuts
Pickles
Chilies
Peppers
Red onions
Alcohol
Red Meat
Beneficial Summer Practices:
•Spend time under the moonlight in the evenings
•Sleep outdoors on hot evenings
•Sleep in white cotton sheets
•Surround residence with fragrant flowers – jasmine, lavender, roses
•Dress in light colored cotton clothing
•Wash face with ground (use coffee grinder) red massor daal, pinch of sandalwood powder and saffron – mix tablespoon of mixture with milk to make creamy paste for a daily cooling and nourishing face wash.
•Coconut oil makes for a good sun protector (always apply slightly warmed)
