Summertime is Pitta Season!

Now that it is summer, it’s time to reap the rewards and benefits of winter and spring. Hopefully, you did some spring cleaning in your home, yard, and body temple. And if you have an exercise routine, you are ready to slip into your bathing suit or perhaps, enjoy some water sports, lounge by the pool, or play some volleyball.

Ayurveda says that summer is the pitta cycle of the year. What is pitta? Water and fire are two elements that make pitta dosha. We feel the heat of summer, especially in July. Some places have more humidity than other places. If you live in the desert, you will feel the dry heat. If you live by an ocean, you can feel the humidity. Knowing if you have high pitta in your body is especially important. The summer heat can make you feel agitated and create rashes and outbursts of anger.

The summer does bring better digestion. Hopefully, you will be ready to digest better if you have done your cleansing protocols in springtime. Many people think that salads are lighter and healthier. However, raw foods are harder to digest. Since summer brings better digestion, we can consume more raw vegetables during this time.

Eating salads during lunchtime is ideal. There is a window of time, between 10 am and 2 pm, considered the pitta time of day. No matter what season it is, the pitta time of the day is the best time to eat a heavier meal or eat salads. Ayurveda never recommends drinking cold drinks or foods. However, there are moments when we have just finished working out or just sitting in the hot sun that invites us to take a cold drink. When the stomach is full of cold liquids, such as ice water, it can bring slower digestion and should be avoided. (This is another topic to dive into another article!)

When we have a high level of pitta in our body and mind, we should balance them with cooling spices, foods, and thoughts. Cooling spices such as coriander, fennel, peppermint, and lavender can be added to food or made as tea. Pitta can make us feel emotionally hot-tempered, also. 

Taking up a meditation practice is a great way to find inner peace and help us to keep an even mind. For a meditation practice, you can begin with your eyes open, gazing softly at a candle to find your concentration. This technique helps us to focus our awareness and still our mind and body. When your breathing begins to slow down and you are relaxed, you can feel peace and relaxation. Relaxation is the key to bringing down the pitta dosha to a balanced level.

Pitta Aggravating Foods:

1. Foods that are sweet, sour, and salty
2. Hot, sharp foods, foods that cause burning, chili and cayenne peppers, radishes
3. Tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, pineapples, lime, olives
4. Coffee, caffeine, nicotine
5. Spices like garlic, green chilies, mustard
6. Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kombucha
7. Excessive cheese, eggs, tempeh, deep-fried food, and red meat
8. Alcohol, especially when not accompanied by adequate hydration
9. Sesame oil, mustard, flaxseed, sour curds, saltwater fish

Pitta Aggravating Activities:

• Accessive sun exposure
• Hot yoga – pitta prakṛti individuals cannot tolerate it
• Stress, anger, fear, impatience, self-criticism, judgmental behavior
• Skipping meals

I hope this finds you enjoying your summer. Please, make an appointment with Annapurna for a Free, introductory Ayurveda Consultation to discuss balance in your body and mind.

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