Ayurveda for the summer

Everyone is talking about the weather! And the seasonal temperature and weather situation does indeed play a major role in our physical and mental well-being. It is always fascinating to observe how the weather affects our mood and health: as soon as the temperatures rise, so does the mood barometer. However, digestive power and the associated performance levels drop noticeably when temperatures rise. The nutritional tips of the Ayurvedic Ritucarya teachings of healthy living according to the seasons help to compensate for this.

Considering seasonal and regional factors for a healthy diet is not only a trend in Ayurveda , but our local organic movement, which is geared towards sustainability, is also making every effort to make regional distribution channels, farm stores, vegetable box delivery services and shopping at weekly markets sexy. And if you consider desha (place) and kala (time) in your daily diet, you have already got 2 out of 8 factors of healthy Ayurvedic nutrition right.

In order to correctly interpret the Ritucarya rules for healthy behavior according to the season, it is worth taking a look at our own roots. It is well known that the different seasons and times of day in India cannot be transferred one-to-one to our needs here. However, global warming is bringing us ever closer together.

Summer is pitta time and all pitta-balancing tips help to balance physical and mental reactions to too much heat and sun. Cooling fruits, vegetables and spices in particular - such as melon, cucumber, coconut, fennel seeds, cardamom, turmeric and coriander - should be eaten regularly. Bitter leafy salads and vegetables are also recommended, as they reduce the heat and acidity of Pitta and at the same time strengthen the digestive power (Agni).

But be careful: in dry weather and changeable weather with lots of storms and temperature fluctuations, Vata also increases, which has a negative effect on the immune system and ability to cope with stress. The "real" summer diet for our time should therefore be a pitta- and vata-balancing diet with agni-strengthening quality:

1. Naturally prefersweet and bitter foods . Sweet summer fruits, leafy salads, spinach, artichokes and lots of fresh herbs are particularly good now. If the fruits also contain some acid, such as berries or apricots, they also have a balancing effect on Vata.

2. Cold-pressed oils help against dryness and stabilize Vata and Pitta. Ghee, olive oil and coconut oil in particular are ideal summer fats that should not be missed in anti-pasti, curries and barbecues.

3. If you have sensitive skin, you should be careful with ice cream. Especially when hot and cold (ice cream with hot espresso) or milky and sour (milk ice cream and fruit sorbet) are combined. All this puts a strain on Rakta Dhatu, which can increase the tendency to skin or cardiovascular complaints.

At the same time, it should be noted that our European summer days are much longer than the Ayurveda teachings native to South-East Asia. This has the advantage that our evening meal can also be postponed until later in the evening. In the cooler evening hours, digestive power and appetite become stronger again, so that we can also eat our main meal in the evening according to Ayurvedic rules in the summer at home. However, if possible, before sunset, as anything eaten later will have a negative effect on the regeneration and renewal process during the night.

There are many ideas for Mediterranean Ayurvedic summer cuisine and Ayurvedic spice blends, such as Italian Curry, Surya Provence and Enjoy Pitta, are ideal for delicious summer cooking.