When the temperatures outside rise, we find our internal heat rising, as well. This makes it easy to feel hot, irritable, burnt out, and exhausted and we become increasingly prone to heat-related health issues like rashes, ulcers, and insomnia.
As the sun shines in all of its glory and the days grow long and play-filled, there are a few simple things that we can do to keep ourselves healthy and balanced—especially those of us who are pitta prakruti predominant or prone to heat-related issues like inflammation:
Photo by Nitin Dhumal/Pexels
1. Eat lighter meals and foods.
In the hot weather our bodies disperse heat from the center outward and through the skin in order to keep us cool. Our inner fire is being tamed by the body’s natural wisdom. For this reason, there is less of heat available in the stomach and GI tract to help us digest.
This makes summer a good time to eat lighter, smaller meals and less heavy/dense foods like meat and dairy, which simply require more energy to digest. This doesn’t mean you can’t have a burger or some spinach/artichoke dip of you want it—it will just require more time and energy to digest. Give yourself that space and grace for that.
A good rule of thumb is to aim for 80/20. 80% of the time, you are following this guideline, and 20% of the time you are not. Know that some days might be 60/40 or 90/10, and that’s ok. We still love you!
If you listen to your body, you’ll notice you’re getting full with less food, so this will happen naturally.
2. Choose seasonal foods.
If you’ve been in this space for some time, you know that this is one of my favorite things to share, and it’s for a good reason. It’s perhaps the simplest way for us to begin (or continue) changing our health and our lives.
Nature provides exactly what our bodies need to counter the energy going out of balance in any given season. In the summer, you’ll see foods that are lighter—both physically and energetically—growing in abundance. These include intensely hydrating foods like cucumber, zucchini, and watermelon on the hottest days of the year.
Simply eat more of them! Again, aim for 80/20.
Not sure what’s growing in your area at any given time? Talk to your local farmer or visit a farmer’s market and see what they have!
3. Avoid cold drinks.
Nothing kills digestive fire quite as successfully as cold drinks. Over and over again, I see my clients’ power of digestion increase as soon as they stop drinking chilled or icy beverages. Simply switch to room temperature drinks, or just ditch the ice to start.
When we can’t digest our food, the body can’t use it and starts storing it as toxins. This is why we want to continuously improve our digestion.
If you’re having a day where you really want an ice cold lemonade in the middle of the summer, go for it, just make sure you are a couple of hours from food (before and after).
4. Be smart about exercise.
You’re already running hotter than usual, so go easy.
Moderate exercise in the early morning or early evening is your best bet.
Avoid working out in the middle of the day when heat is at its peak—internally and externally.
Note: Being highly competitive—with ourselves or others is a good indication that the heat and fire in our body is too high. Noticing if this is part of our story around exercise provides a perfect opportunity to use the summer to explore how that might be balanced.
5. Fruit, fruit, fruit.
There is an abundance of delicious fruit in the summertime, so why not make a meal of it?
Fruit is easy to digest and is super hydrating, thirst-quenching, cooling, and satiating. For exactly these reasons, fruit needs to be eaten on its own, two hours before or after other foods—no matter which season we’re in.
Fruit digests quickly, and if we are eating it with other foods (yes, even and especially yogurt), it’s going to have to sit in the stomach for a longer period of time than necessary. When this happens, it starts to ferment and creates a myriad of digestive issues—some of which can become more serious if the behavior is repeated regularly over time.
Feeling adventurous? Add some spices and honey to your bowl of fruit for even more joy!
My goal is to share things with you that you can immediately incorporate into your daily life without too much upheaval. Can't do all of them? Pick one or two! Play with them and explore. See how they work for you.
The changes we implement now will not only help us in the summer but also will set us up for a healthier fall and winter!
And, if you need a little inspiration to get started, here’s a delicious Black Bean and Oat Burger recipe that’s perfect for summer!