Summer is upon us, the Pitta (fire element) time of year. Here are a few simple ways to stay cool, calm, and collected and beat the heat.

Lifestyle Support

Create Calm and Ease

• When the temperature rises, so can tempers, so keeping a cool head is essential.
• When you feel the heat in your head becoming too much, place a cool cloth around your neck or forehead.
• Avoid heated and stressful conversations on hot days and save them for cooler ones.
• Taking slow, deep belly breaths can also help calm stress and provide ease and relaxation.

Wear Light Colored Clothing Made from Natural Materials

• White, pastels, beige, and lighter shades of color can help the body stay calm and cool.
• Also, opt for natural materials such as cotton, linen, or silk, as they help keep the body cool.
• Consider wearing a hat to cover the head, maybe even a wide-brimmed one, to keep the sun off the face and provide shade.

Avoid Strenuous Exercise ~ Especially in the Mid-Day Heat

• During the summer, light exercise is recommended and is best for your overall health.
• If you have a more strenuous workout, choose the early morning hours before it gets hot.

Diet Support

Eat Light rather than Heavy Meals

• Believe it or not, our digestive capacity is weakest in the summertime because our body is trying to stay cool, dispersing the fire of our digestion out of the belly.
• Listen to your hunger level and stop eating before you’re stuffed.
• Favor lighter foods such as fruit and vegetables and limit meat consumption, as meat is heavier to digest.
  • This sounds weird during barbecue season, so choose to grill and consume veggies, chicken, or fish vs. heavier meats.

Favor Sweet, Bitter and Astringent Foods – Pitta Pacifying Tastes

• All these tastes are cooling.
• Sweet foods are nourishing (this does not mean sugar!)
  • Examples include:
    • Whole Grains
    • Good quality fats like ghee, olive oil and avocado
    • Animal proteins such as chicken and fish
• Bitter foods are cooling
  • Examples include:
    • Greens and Vegetables
• Astringent foods cool and remove moisture from tissues
  • Examples include:
    • Legumes like beans and lentils
    • Raw fruit and vegetables
    • Pomegranate, pears, and cranberries

Eat When You’re Hungry to Avoid Getting Hangry

• Appetite is usually lower when it’s hot because digestion is weaker, heat makes people more irritable, and hunger aggravates irritability even more.
• It’s ideal not to skip meals, especially lunch.
• Keep meals light and simple with cooling foods such as leafy greens, mint, cucumber, coconut, jicama, and fruit such as berries, grapes, and melon (be sure to eat raw fruit by itself).