As we started the summer mood, with parties, BBQs, meet-ups, some of us on holidays, picnics, etc, after a period of lockdowns and restrictions, I think many of us do not want to hear or talk about any other restrictions for a while, at least until the end of summer!
However, we also do not want to downgrade the health and wellness or ruin our digestive system, or regain the weight you lost maybe during the lockdown days. And some of you might want to use summer to go back to a healthier and more fit version of yourselves.
Here are 5 tips to apply during summer days, to keep us in balance and especially help our digestion -cause if that works well, our energy-weight-mood works well, too!
Summer is the Pitta season in Ayurveda with qualities of fire which are hot, sharp, sour, pungent, penetrating, and spreading. So we need to balance it with the application of opposites, that are Cool, Wet, Soft, Slow, and Relaxed – sounds like a holiday, right?
Below are some suggestions for your digestion, keeping the fire alive. If you apply these simple principles, in addition to being healthier, your tummy will look flatter in your swimming suits!!
Enjoy sunny summer days, remember to relax a lot whenever you can.
At the end of this summer, Ceylan Ayik will be guiding a group online 10 day Cleanse program. Join the free webinar on the 25th of August and then the 10 day cleanse program as of 28th of August.
All details of the End Of Summer CLeanse are here:
End of Summer Cleanse
How to Keep Agni-Digestive Fire-Alive during summer?
- Replace ice cold drinks and any form of ice (smoothies, smoothie bowls, water/drinks with ice) with room temperature. I know it feels refreshing at first but when you have “ice cold” of anything, you kill your digestive fire. Think of this, when you cut or bruise a part in your body, you put ice to block the bleeding. Same thing happens in your belly, ice cold of anything cutting the blood flow in your digestive track.
- To refresh, add cucumber, mint or basil leaves into your waterer drinks. Try my rose-hibiscus tea, recipe here on instagram and website, enjoy that at room temperature. I keep a thermos of that in my fridge and mix it with hot water when I drink.
- Summer is the Pitta season in Ayurveda and too much hot of anything aggravates your Pitta dosha, and interestingly enough, this accumulation creates emotions like anger, irritation and restlessness. Especially for women pre or menopause stage, with hot flashes bothering them enough, you do not want more hot flashes! To avoid that, use coconut all over, inside out! In your cooking and as coconut water or milk, and on your skin before your shower.
- Avoid using pungent tastes too much like garlic, ginger, onion, chillies, any hot and spicy food on hot summer days. Pungent taste has elements of fire and air and so you do not want to add these more into your body and mind!
- Instead go for cooling ingredients like herbs (parsley, mint, dill, basil, coriander), spices like fennel, coriander, turmeric (in moderation)
Tips to Support Digestion in Summer
A key factor for keeping your Pitta dosha under control in summer is to relax and slow down. So after these summer parties or events, make sure to relax during the day, even for 20 minutes, lie down and listen to a yoga nidra or body relaxation meditation. You will see that this cooling down is much more effective than a glass of ice cold water!
Hi! I am a RYT 500hours Yoga Teacher, YACEP Trainer and a certified Integrative Nutrition Healthy Living Coach. I am passionate about empowering women to help them transform their mind, health and bodies through yoga, meditation and optimal nutrition, as well as guiding them to become the healthy confident role model for their children, family and community.
