The Ayurveda Experience Blog
Ayurveda advises to match your diet and daily regimen in accordance with the seasons. During Grishma Ritu (summer), the sun’s rays become more powerful and the body feels squeezed (wrung) dry with the increasing atmospheric temperature. This in turn weakens Kapha day by day and strengthens Vata.
What then is the Ayurvedic summer routine for good health? What healthy habits can you incorporate into your day during the hottest months of the year? Read on as we share some amazing tips for a blissful summer.
Ayurvedic Summer Routine
Seasonal Diet For Summer
- Taste recommended during summer is ‘the sweet taste’. Choose sweet tasting grains like Basmati rice, naturally sweet vegetables like sweet potato and sweet, juicy fruits like watermelon.
- Have light, unctuous and cool food, preferably in liquid form. Think soups, hot grain cereals and stews. Avoid cold smoothies which can clog the body’s channels.
- Eat more vegetables.
- Sip room temperature or cool water with slices of cucumber in it. Intake of coconut water is also advised.
- Drink herbal teas – mint, chicory, dandelion and hibiscus.
- Enjoy fresh fruits like apples, avocados, berries, cherries, grapes, lime, mangoes, pomegranates, melon, pineapples, plums and pears.
- Barley, rice, Basmati rice and wheat are all good choices for summer.
- Soy beans, mung beans, black beans and split peas are good summer choices for legumes.
- Favor coconut oil, sunflower oil and olive oil.
- Avoid too spicy food. To add flavor use basil, coriander, mint, lime, fennel, cardamom, and parsley.
- Whole milk, cheese, ghee and butter are good dairy choices for summer.
Seasonal Regimen For Summer
Practice Abhyanga (Ayurvedic massage) daily with coconut oil or sunflower oil. This helps calm the nervous system and cool the body. Wear loose, cotton clothes. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep daily and try to go to bed early, around 10pm.
To prevent sun damage, apply a good sunscreen lotion (preferably containing aloe vera) on the exposed parts of your body.
Summer Skin Care
How can you minimize skin damage during summer?
After exposure to the sun, cleanse the skin properly using rose water. Take 1 tbsp of unboiled milk, dip a small pad of cotton and rub on the face gently. Leave this on for 15 minutes and then wash with cold water.
Apply aloe vera gel before going to bed.
Make An Herbal Pack for Summer
Mash a papaya and mix it with a few drops of fresh lime juice. Apply it over the cleansed skin for 15-20 minutes. Then wash the skin alternatively with warm and cold water. Do this twice a week and your skin will be moist and fresh all summer long.
Follow this Ayurvedic summer routine for a cooler, calmer summer!
