Staying Healthy with Ayurveda:
The Season of Summer

By Eytom Shalom, M.S., L.Ac.

It is stating the obvious to say that summer, regardless of the months your country's summer falls in, is the hottest time of year with the longest and usually sunniest days. It is the time when your half of the planet is tilted a little closer to the sun.

Since the Pitta dosha is comprised of fire and to a lesser degree, water, we can deduce, then, that summer is the time when Pitta dosha is activated and predominant. Three facts are important in this regard:

1. Everyone must protect themselves from the potential for Pitta/heat imbalance, whether you are Pitta predominant or not.
2. If you are Pitta predominant, you may need to be extra careful during in the summer.
3. If you have a current Pitta imbalance, regardless of your predominant dosha, then you definitely need to take extra care.

What Does It Look Like Physically to be Pitta Predominant?

• Body Frame: Moderate frame, neither thick nor thin
• Weight: Moderate
• Skin: Soft, fair, oily, pink/red or sallow complexion, sunburns easily
• Hair: Soft, oily, early grey, baldness, strawberry blond or red hair
• Teeth: Regular, moderate sized, yellow color even if cleaned, soft gums
• Eyes: Medium-sized, sharp and penetrating, green, grey, yellowish tint to iris, easily bloodshot, fiery
• Joints: Neither predominant as in Vata, nor invisible as in Kapha

What Does It Look Like Physically to be Pitta Predominant? (continued)

• Joints: Neither predominant as in Vata, nor invisible as in Kapha
• Muscles: Moderate, slightly loose as opposed to hard and slender or firm and stout
• Appetite: Strong to excessive
• Thirst: Strong to excessive
• Sweating: Excessive: Sweats easily and profusely
• Sleep: Moderate: Generally sleeps 6 to 8 hours with only slight disturbance, like getting up once to urinate, occasional disturbed sleep
• Elimination: Regular bowel movements, soft, oily, frequent, even chronically loose
• Urination: Moderate: Can have hot burning urination with strong odor and dark color even without an infection
• Body Odor: May be strong, like a burning smell
• Sexual Vigor: Moderate, neither strong nor weak

What Does It Feel Like Emotionally to be Pitta Predominant?

• Dreams: Fiery, angry, violent, frustrated, scenes of war
• Mood:
• Out of balance: Irritable, aggressive, controlling, greedy, jealous, prone to anger and hot temper, proud
• In balance: Articulate and learned, awareness and vision
• Mind: Sharp, penetrating intellect, intelligent, aggressive, precise, nitpicky
• Faith: Prone to fanaticism, ideological extremes
• Memory: Excellent, sharp, memorizes quickly

Before you start thinking that Ayurveda is as general as the daily horoscope, understand that each of us is a unique configuration of Pitta, Vata, and Kapha. It is the skill of the Ayurvedic practitioner to parse out the most dominant features and come up with an accurate pattern.

;This is what is done in an Ayurvedic consultation using observation, questioning, pulse, and tongue diagnosis. Knowing your dosha composition is extremely valuable as a tool for self-understanding and for defining what will be the most health-producing diets and lifestyle to follow through the year.

As you might imagine from the above, with Pitta imbalance we see fire:

• Vision impaired due to heat (blood shot eyes, chronic burning eyes)
• Burning sensation anywhere: digestive tract, skin, eyes, scalp
• Hot body temperature
• Skin disorders like Psoriasis, Acne, Eczema
• Mental confusion and anger issues
• Blood diseases like Anemia

What Aggravates the Pitta Dosha and Causes Pitta-type Diseases?

Pitta is naturally aggravated in the late spring and in the summer, and by thought, food, and behaviour that increase Pitta. If you are Pitta predominant, you are especially susceptible to:

• Over indulgence in spicy-hot, salty, or sour tasting food, alcohol, and tobacco
• Lack of fresh air, like working in an office and not exercising outdoors
• Lack of naturally cooling foods and activities like meditation or swimming
• Not dealing with emotions of frustration and anger, or extricating one-self from frustrating situations that are impossible to work out
• Overexposure to the sun, such as walking in the sun at noon

What are Some General Principles for “Pacifying” Pitta in Summer?

Note that a precise diet must come from an experienced practitioner as no one is ever “mono” doshic. That is why in Ayurveda we say “Ayurveda treats the person and not the disease.”

The big picture in summer is to stay reasonably cool, without being refrigerated.
Avoid overexposure to heat and sun. Also avoid the opposite extreme with cold air conditioning and large amounts of iced beverages. Increase naturally moistening and cooling foods like fruits and salads while incorporating the principle that:
Pitta is aggravated by excess intake of sour, salty, and spicy foods and
Pitta is ameliorated by intake of sweet, bitter, and astringent foods

Foods Recommended for Pitta

• Naturally sweet and cooling: Milk, butter, ghee
• Naturally sweet and neutral or cooling: Rice, wheat, barley, oats
• Naturally sweet, and neutral or cooling: Eggs, tofu, fish, chicken, beans
• Naturally cooling and sweet or neutral: Cucumber, green beans, root veggies
• Naturally bitter and cooling green leafs: Kale, collards
• Naturally cooling and sweet fruits: Watermelon, apple

Foods to be Avoided in Excess for Pitta

• Sour, salty and spicy pickled foods like Kim-chee, Indian hot pickles
• Sour yoghurt, sour cream, sour lemons
• Chilies, cayenne pepper and foods made with them
• Radishes, excessive garlic, ginger, or black pepper

Activities that Pacify Pitta

• Mindfulness awareness meditation
• Leisurely walking in the early morning
• Walking in the evening along the ocean or a lake
• Swimming
• Having healthy fun
• Laughing

Herbs for Summer

Neem is a lifesaver in the summer, with its naturally cooling properties that benefit the skin. However, it should only be used if there is a Pitta imbalance such as Acne, Psoriasis, or Hemorrhoids.

Bacopa Plus is a formula combining Gotu Kola with Brahmi. It cools the mind and benefits students, scholars, or anyone with the kind of mental stress that leads to forgetfulness. It is also excellent for seniors.

American Ginseng and Chinese White Ginseng: These are both sweet and bitter and the American is also cooling, while the Chinese is not too warm. They both help replenish the Qi and moisture that is lost in the heat and by sweating.

Rose, Sandalwood, and Vetiver are classics. All three are cooling and specially used for the skin:

• I use Rose Water in a spray bottle to cool off in the hot weather, and also use it on a cotton ball at night to cleanse my eyes after washing my face. Rose pacifies Pitta.
• Sandalwood can be used in a paste on the skin as a mask, or also with Vetiver in a face powder I get from Kerala Ayurvedic Pharmacy that is used for washing the face without drying soap. Sandalwood is also treasured in beverages.
• Pitta Tea: I love Pitta tea year round, but especially in the summer. It contains Holy Basil (Tulsi), Sandalwood, Cardomom, Cinnamon, and Licorice. This tea is great for rehydrating, and for taking the edge off of heat conditions caused by Pitta. Reuse the bag two or three times.
• Pitta Spice, by Ayush: I sprinkle Pitta spice on eggs, fish, chicken, toast, in salads, and use in cooking lentils and beans. An excellent digestive herb/spice combo that uses herbs and spices that are slightly spicy but cooling, so excellent for Pitta: Contains green Mango powder, Pomegranate seed, Basil, Mint, Coriander leaf, Fennel, rock salt. Not currently available in most stores.

Have a safe and healthy summer!