Antioxidants
The changing seasons can reveal a lot about our constitutions. Struggling to keep Pitta balanced during the summer is one clue you have a primarily Pitta constitution. Irritability, skin rashes, indigestion, sensitivity to sunlight and heat intolerance are all common signs of Pitta imbalance, and the heat of summer only exasperates the symptoms.
Because of this, summer is when care needs to be taken to keep Pitta in balance. Diet, herbs/supplements, and lifestyle are the primary tools you can use to keep your dosha’s harmonized. Here are our tips to keep Pitta in balanced:
Adjust Your Lifestyle to Keep Pitta Balanced in Summer
Pitta dominant people are naturally driven and can overwork themselves. If you feel more irritable, critical, or “intense” recognize these signs as Pitta becoming aggravating. Take more leisure time for yourself, or take up a hobby that’s more relaxing rather than competitive. The following lifestyle tips are great for Pitta dominant people to adopt:
- Stay cool – avoid being out in the heat and hot food
- Don’t overwork yourself
- Make time to relax
- Don’t skip meals – Pitta’s have strong digestion and are most prone to getting “hangry”
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol and caffeine
- Take up a hobby like meditation, or just listening to classical music to promote a calm mind
Know Your Pitta Balancing Herbs
Supplementing with Pitta pacifying herbs can greatly help keep you in balance. Ayurveda classifies all herbs based on how they affect each dosha. There are herbs that will specifically target Pitta, as well as herbs that balance all three doshas.
Some well-known herbs for Pitta pacifying:
Amla: Amla is great for all doshas but it is especially beneficial for Pitta. helps to cool and nourish tissues. Amla also helps balance agni, the digestive fire that is strong in Pitta constitutions and can potentially lead to indigestion or ulcers if unbalanced.
Neem: Neem powder and neem oil are wonderful for reducing heat in the body. Neem is one of the most powerful herbs for reducing Pitta and eliminating natural toxins in the blood. Because of its potency, it’s better to have neem mixed in a formula rather than taking it alone.
Triphala:
Triphala is an herbal blend made of three fruits (Amalaki, Haritaki, and Bibhitaki). Each of these herbs are highly revered, and together form a deeply rejuvenating formula. It balances all three doshas and gently cleanses and detoxifies the body.
Adjust your Diet to Pacify Pitta
Foods have a significant impact on dosha balancing and are one of the primary tools for staying balanced.
Foods that are spicy, sour, and oily increase heat in the body, thus contributing to Pitta imbalances. During the summer, enjoy more cooling foods such as fruits, like plums, blueberries and melons (the white flesh close to the rind on watermelons is deeply cooling). Vegetables such as cucumber and bitter greens like kale and collard greens are astringent and cooling to Pitta. When cooking, reduce heating spices like cumin, turmeric, chilies, garlic, clove etc and always balance them with cooling flavors like cilantro, coriander, mint, coconut.
By using these tips to make adjustments in your diet and lifestyle, and supporting your dosha with the correct herbs, you can help keep Pitta balanced, even during the heat of summer.
