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Summer is pitta season. Even though our summer in Chicago has been chilly so far, we've certainly had some very steamy days. Everybody's heat rises in the summer but if you're prone to red eyes, heartburn, diarrhea, rashes, acne, irritability, anger or just plain overheating, the following dietary and lifestyle tips will be especially helpful:
· Exercise in the morning or evening, when it's cooler outside. Exerting yourself in the heat of the day is not a good idea in the summer.
· Drink coconut water, cilantro juice (Ew. Not an option for me personally but if you like cilantro, go for it!), pomegranate juice, cherry juice, grape juice. Cool--not cold--water with a squeeze of lime and mint is also refreshing.
· When you're overheating, do shitali pranayama. This is a cooling breath that really works! Roll your tongue in a tube shape if you can. (If you can't roll your tongue, it's OK, this technique will still work for you. In fact, i prefer to do it with a flat tongue because I really feel the cooling sensation.) Inhale through your mouth and feel the cool air move over your tongue. Close your mouth and exhale through your nose. Repeat. This breath can be practiced throughout the day for a few minutes if you're a chronic over-heater or if you tend to get the symptoms listed above.
· Wear pearls and turquoise. Any article of clothing or jewelry that's white, blue or green is suitable for summer. Stay away from the fiery colors--red, orange and yellow.
· Dab rose, jasmine, lavender or sandalwood oil on your belly button. These are cooling fragrances in ayurveda. Pitta people tend to have keen senses of smell and pleasing fragrances are useful in reducing elevated pitta. You can use them anywhere on your clothing or body but the belly button is a pitta point and it responds to these cooling substances. (KK Ayurveda Deluxe Body Creams come in both Rose and Jasmine versions.)
· Spray yourself with KK Ayurveda Rose Hydrosol or KK Ayurveda Coolant Spray (devised to address hot flashes but it works on everyone with signs of too much heat). Rose Hydrosol can also be added to your drinking water! It's delicious.
· Stay away from yogurt, alcohol, coffee, sour foods, citrus fruits, fried foods and fermented foods. Add berries, greens, asparagus, avocado, cucumber, melon, dairy, coconut, sweet foods, astringent foods and bitter foods to your diet for their cooling effects.
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