What with temperatures rising in the UK at the moment I thought a few tips would be welcome to help balance Pitta prakriti. Pitta is one of the 3 dosha’s or energies, we all having varying degree’s of the 3 dosha’s within us, Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
Also the seasons have dosha’s that dominate throughout the year, in the summer it is the hot Pitta dosha that is pre-dominant, therefore if Pitta is your dominate dosha you may be feeling the heat more than your Vata and Kapha friends.
The beauty of Ayurveda is that it is very much a case of listening to our bodies and reminding ourselves of what makes us feel good. So seeing as it is a million degrees out there you’ll be wanting to favour cooling food’s; fresh sweet fruits such as cherries and melon, most floret vegetables, buttermilk is very pacifying for Pitta along with coconut water and aloe juice. Favour the cooling spices coriander, cumin and mint.
Ensure that you stay hydrated with plenty of water, although the temptation may be to have ice cold water do try and ensure that it is room temperature. Although we wish to cool down we don’t want to put out our digestive fire (Agni) that is responsible for our digestion, regardless of the weather it is best to keep all foods and drinks room temperature to keep our Agni working efficiently.
Try and avoid foods that use excess oil, excess coffee as it is too stimulating and heating, the same for alcohol. Fermented foods such as hard cheeses, vinegar, red meat and anything processed are best avoided.
Ensure that your environment is cool, maybe take an early evening walk in nature and enjoy some cooling breath exercises (Sitali), if you’re able to a swim is the perfect exercise for Pitta pre-dominant individuals.
Above all else enjoy the beautiful bright days with those you love.
