Hi everyone! You doing OK?
It finally feels like summer has arrived in CLE! Not only is the weather great, but we finally get to share it with our family and friendsI
I hope you are beginning to reunite with the special people in your life and absorbing the powerful energy that comes with in-person connection and contact. Try not to take these moments for granted. Remind yourself that the people who bring out the good energy in you, and those people who really fill you up with happiness are rare and special-they're the good eggs :) This week, I'm sharing a few Pitta balancing tips with you to help you maintain balance and comfort when it gets HOT! As a Pitta dominant person, I easily go out of balance during this time of year. Extreme heat and humidity can make me irritable and short tempered. How about you? Maybe you find the opposite is true for you and this season is balancing for you. It's fascinating how we all differ. Regardless, of what your dominant dosha might be, Pitta dosha is a part of all of us and given the right accumulation of hot conditions, we could quickly find our body flaring. Here are a few ways to keep cool. Keep your insides COOL Our digestive agni (fire) is naturally lower in the summer, that's why we typically have less of an appetite this time of year. So, for optimal digestion and elimination we want to eat breakfast and lunch before the sun gets hot (before 1pm). This will ensure you have less indigestion, bloating, and discomfort.
Eat dinner when the sun begins to set. When you snack, choose fruit. Take in more water throughout the day. If you must use ice, let it melt and cool the beverage instead of taking it ICE cold. This is better for all the tissues of the body. Become aware of your hunger signals and honor them. If you're not hungry, don't force feed yourself. If you're hungry, eat. Really try to set a schedule for eating so your body can better regulate itself. Incorporate these cooling herbs into your food
Fennel
Coriander
Cardamom
Cilantro
Mint
Saffron
Dill
Chamomile
Spearmint
Lemon verbena
Cooling drinks Cucumber and mint water, watermelon juice, and coconut water are all great choices to help cool you and hydrate the body. Replace your lemon water (which is heating) with lime. Limes are considered cooling. Vary your workout Cardio workouts during the summer months should be performed with caution. It is very easy during the summer to overheat the blood and agitate the body and mind which can lead to all kinds of health problems. Keep these heart pumping routines to the early morning hours. Avoid yard work when the sun is at it's highest (noon-3pm). Cool your outside SUNBURN/RASHES For sunburn and rashes, try using coconut oil. Aloe is great, but you might find yourself without it. Coconut oil is very cooling and great for calming hot, irritated skin. This is also the season to switch out your sesame or almond oil to coconut oil for your daily abhyanga massage. GET IT HERE or, at your favorite store. Neem oil is another staple to have in the house. Known as one of the most cooling herbs in Ayurveda, neem is great for healing skin and it's an amazing antiseptic for cuts and wounds. It also works on acne. GET IT HERE. Cold water on the head-this is a super quick way to bring heat down fast. Also, try putting your feet in a bucket of cold water. Most of you probably have air conditioning in your home. This is a wonderful invention, but it's constant use in our homes and in every building we go in to has affected our natural ability to tolerate higher temperatures. Our body has an amazing ability to cool itself so, when you can, let it. When you absolutely need the A/C, enjoy it :) Have a wonderful week, friends! ~Julie