From an ayurvedic point of view, high heat leads to reduced metabolic activity inside the body and weakens our agni, our digestive power. Although this may seem difficult to understand at first glance, it is also a feat of our inner intelligence. Jatharagni, the main digestive fire in the gastrointestinal tract, is also the main seat of pitta. The hotter the sun shines, the weaker our Agni becomes.
This is because the abundance of blood, which is otherwise concentrated around the digestive organs, is directed more towards the outer layers of the body in summer in order to release heat via dilated blood vessels. The resulting reduced blood supply in the gastrointestinal tract leads to a lower metabolism inside the body and to weakened Agni. Most people notice this through a reduced feeling of hunger during the day, tiredness and weak digestive power. For the body and mind to function properly and healthily, it is important that all doshas are in the best possible balance. Many factors influence the balance of the doshas, such as our work, diet and the seasons.
Our aim should therefore be to adapt our daily routine and diet to the external circumstances. With simple measures, you can stay in balance even in summer, because the basic rule of any Ayurvedic therapy is that all disturbances are naturally balanced by their opposite: Restlessness through rest, sluggishness through activity, cold through heat and vice versa.
16 Tips for more Pitta Balance in Everyday Life
1. Prefer cooling and lukewarm food, avoid very hot food. How about an Ayurvedic summer salad, for example?
2. Integrate the pitta-reducing flavors sweet, bitter and astringent into your daily diet.
3. Season dishes mildly and use chili and white pepper sparingly. You are also welcome to use pitta churna as a ready-made spice mix.
4. Use ghee or heat-stable coconut oil for cooking and frying.
5. Take cooling (not iced) drinks, e.g. our ayurvedic summer drinks, for example you can steep fresh peppermint leaves or pitta tea in a liter of water overnight and have a cool, fresh drink for the day in the morning.
6. Hot water activates the reduced agni, but should be allowed to cool down a little before drinking.
7. Reduce or completely avoid alcohol, vinegar and hard cheese, as these have a strong heating effect on the body.
8. Avoid fasting days in summer, as these further weaken your Agni.
9. In case of heavy sweating, washing with a sage decoction or cool compresses are also very pleasant. Sage can also be enjoyed as a tea.
10. Engage in moderate physical activity in harmony with the doshas. A lot of pitta can lead to pent-up energy, which should be released. Use the cool morning or evening hours for this and avoid intensive exercise in direct sunlight at all costs.
11. Plan specific relaxation phases every day so that you can also cool down mentally.
12. Use your energy creatively, otherwise imbalance can also be directed destructively inwards.
13. Go for regular walks in the forest. A high Pitta benefits greatly from the green, cool expanse.
14. Wear loose, airy clothing made of cooling fabrics such as silk or loose-fitting linen.
15. Prefer the color blue, which calms and reduces your Pitta.
16. Cool yourself down with body sprays or facial toners from time to time. Suitable additives include rose, sage and peppermint. Peppermint oil sticks can also be applied to the temples and neck and have an immediate cooling effect.
Caution – Don’t Eat and Drink Too Cold
When summer shows its hot side, people like to reach for cold and ice-cold foods and drinks that actually seem to cool you down at first. However, Ayurveda advises against this, as ice-cold food, such as ice cream, massively reduces agni, the digestive fire. An English study found that an ice-cold meal extended the gastric transit time by 50 minutes compared to the same meal eaten steaming hot.
By the time the food leaves the stomach, all the digestive enzymes in the upper sections of the intestine have long been reabsorbed and the food can no longer be properly digested and utilized. At the same time, metabolic residues, known in Ayurveda as ama, are more easily formed. If these deposits are not broken down sufficiently and accumulate over a long period of time, they can become a major cause of illness.
Ayurveda therefore recommends eating cooler foods. These should be at least room temperature so that the body does not have to expend too much energy to bring food to body temperature. This is because the body has to gradually warm up everything cold that you eat before all the digestive processes can take place. People with weak agni can, for example, feel a twinge in the stomach area if they eat or drink something that is too cold.
It therefore makes sense not only to pay attention to the composition and quality of the food, but also to keep the food at a warmer temperature for the best possible digestibility.
Reduce Pitta Specifically with Cooling Foods
Pitta-reducing spices
Cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, fennel, saffron, turmeric, vanilla, poppy seeds, fresh garden herbs (except leeks) agni enhancing pungent spices in small quantities such as: ginger (fresh), cumin, pippali (long grain pepper), trikatu
Pitta-reducing herbs
green coriander, verbena, lavender, borage, dill, chervil, dandelion
Pitta-reducing teas
Pitta tea, peppermint, camomile, elderberry, mallow, hibiscus, nettle, fennel, lavender, licorice, hops, rose petals, cinnamon, lemon balm, yarrow
Pitta-reducing vegetables/salads
predominantly sweet and bitter vegetables: asparagus, cucumbers, zucchinis, pumpkin, celery, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, savoy cabbage, chard, potatoes, artichokes, fennel, chicory, sweet peppers, sprouts, green leafy vegetables and salads, rocket, dandelion, olives
Pitta-reducing legumes
All pulses except red and brown lentils, green beans, fresh peas
Pitta-reducing fruits
Sweet fruits, mango, sweet melons, avocado, figs, sweet pears, sweet grapes, raisins, cherries, pineapple, sweet oranges, apples, pomegranates, dates, apricots, kiwi, quinces
Pitta-reducing cereals
Rice, wheat, oats, barley, spelt
Pitta-reducing oils and fats
Ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, walnut oil
Pitta-reducing sweeteners
Sharkara, raw cane sugar, sweetener, palm sugar, maple syrup, fruit sweeteners e.g. pear syrup
Pitta-reducing nuts and seeds
Coconut, shelled almonds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, water chestnut, walnut
Pitta-reducing dairy products
Demeter whole milk from glass bottles, lassi, cream, freshly made mild yoghurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese in small quantities, mascarpone, butter (unsalted)
Meat/eggs
Chicken, turkey, pheasant, hare, game. From egg: egg white
Ultimately, it is always about listening to your body’s signals and getting a feeling for your own needs. Many people intuitively have preferences and inclinations at different times of the year, which can be wonderfully deduced from an ayurvedic perspective and are an expression of their own body intelligence and desire for inner balance. We just have to learn to read them and interpret them correctly.
The Maharishi Ayurveda Team from Bad Ems wishes you a few more wonderful summer weeks and a sunny August!
© Maharishi Ayurveda Private Clinic Bad Ems
