How to Eat for Summer

As the seasons change, it’s important to follow their flow and adapt in order to keep your constitution, your prakriti, in balance. The onset of summer brings warmth, bright intensity, and fluidity. These summer qualities are shared with Pitta dosha, which is why summer is also considered Pitta season. This means that you are likely to accumulate qualities that attribute to Pitta dosha. Depending on your constitution, the summer heat can invigorate or aggravate you. Ayurvedic principles state that like increases like, while opposites keep balance. So for those with a Pitta constitution, the season of Pitta can increase your amount of that dosha and maybe lead you into feeling not so well. That’s why it’s important to follow the changes of the seasons, and live in harmony with them. One way to do so is to change your diet according to the season.

While changing up what you’re eating may seem like a task, most people find these changes to come naturally. After all, we tend to be drawn towards heavier, warmer foods in the winter and lighter, cooler foods during the summer. Even then, making a few simple changes in your diet and how you eat can make for dramatic changes in your health. These positive changes will help you stay in balance through the flow of the seasons.

Signs of Excess Pitta

• Acne/rashes

• Perfectionist tendencies

• Being critical of others

• Anger/intensity/criticalness

• Indigestion/acid reflux

• Diarrhea

The Pitta Season Diet
The hot summer has our bodies naturally craving lighter foods and meals. Our Agni, our digestive fire, is a strong source of internal heat, so it is important to pay attention as you eat and take time savoring your food, so as to not aggravate it, as well as having meals and foods that are easier to digest.

In general, Pitta season calls to favor sweet, bitter, and astringent flavors and relish in cool drinks. It’s great to enjoy salads, fresh fruits, leafy greens, and indulge in the occasional dairy products like milk, butter, or ghee. Speaking of fruit, many fruits that are in season during the summer are great for the pitta diet; apricots, cherries, plums, strawberries, melons, and limes, just to name a few. There are also many summer seasonal vegetables that have the more bitter or astringent flavors that are good for a Pitta pacifying diet such as radishes, arugula, rhubarb, and zucchini.

Unrefined sweaters like maple syrup, which are cooling are good to have during the summer, but it’s recommended to stay away from honey and molasses, which have warming qualities.

As for beverages, they should be around room temperature or cool. It’s best to always stay away from iced drinks, as they disturb your Agni and create toxins within the body. Some recommended beverages for summer include water, maybe flavored with mint or lime, coconut water, sweet lassi, and cooling herbal teas such as peppermint, licorice, fennel, or rose.

It’s best to stay away from sour or unripe fruits, like guava or grapefruit, as well as aged cheeses, and heating up vegetables and spices like carrots, beets, garlic, onions, and mustard seeds, as these may increase pitta. Also, spicy foods like chilies or cayenne pepper are recommended to be avoided completely.

It’s also important to keep in mind that raw vegetables, such as in the form of salads, are best digested when eaten at lunchtime. On the other hand, it’s best to have fruit away from meals for easier digestion.

Here are a few lists of foods that are most recommended for a pitta summer diet!

Fruits

• Apples

• Avocados

• Berries

• Cherries

• Coconut

• Grapes

• Limes

• Mangoes

• Melons

• Pears

• Pineapples

• Plums

• Pomegranates

• Prunes

Vegetables

• Artichokes

• Asparagus

• Arugula

• Beet greens

• Bell peppers

• Broccoli

• Brussel sprout

• Cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Celery

• Chard

• Collard greens

• Cucumbers

• Green beans

• Kale

• Lettuce

• Okra

• Potatoes

• Spinach

• Watercress

• Zucchini

Grains

• Barley

• Rice, basmati rice specifically

• Wheat

Legumes

• Adzuki beans

• Black beans

• Garbanzo beans

• Mung beans

• Soybeans and soy products (soy sauce, tofu, soy protein)

• Split peas

Oils

• Coconut oil

• Sunflower oil

• Olive oil

Spices

• Anise

• Basil

• Cardamom

• Cilantro

• Coriander

• Dill

• Fennel

• Mint and spearmint

• Parsely

Sweeteners

• Maple syrup

• Unrefined cane sugar

• Turbinado sugar

Nuts and Seeds

• Almonds

• Macadamias

• Pine nuts

• Pumpkin seeds

• Sunflower seeds

Foods to Stay Away from

• Very salty, oily, fried, and spicy foods (such as fried chicken, potato chips, etc.)

• Onions

• Garlic

• Processed and canned foods

• Caffeine (things like coffee and chocolate, and it is also good to check teas, as some have caffeine)

• Chilies

• Cayenne pepper

You can also cater your diet during the summer to your specific dosha while keeping in mind the properties of summer.

Vata

• As mentioned before, sweet fruits are ideal, especially for those with a dominant Vata dosha. Sweet tastes are great for stabilizing and building energy!

• In general, the summer heat tends to be very drying, so try to stay hydrated, especially since those with a Vata dosha tend to have low moisture already.

• Regularly timed meals are also important. Earthy meals eaten at regular times will also help provide stability for those with a Vata dosha.

Pitta

• It’s very important to eat light. As summer is a season that is strong in Pitta, it is easy for those with a pitta dosha to become imbalanced and have a higher amount of pitta. Light meals and foods will help keep your digestive fire, Agni, balanced.

• The foods listed above are especially good to focus on, as sweet and dry bitter tastes will help cool down Pitta’s fiery nature.

• Aloe vera is also good food for those with a Pitta dosha, with bitter and watery flavors.

Kapha

• Summer tends to be a great season for those with a kapha dosha, as the hot fiery weather balances out kapha’s naturally slow and cool elements.

• Avoid heavy meals. This includes things like meat and aged cheeses.

• Bitter foods such as leafy greens and rhubarb are also recommended to stimulate those with a Kapha dosha, as their more bitter tastes help balance Kapha's more oily nature.

In General

Some general tips for summer include:

• You should keep hydrated, especially with cool or room temperature water. As mentioned before, summer is very hot and dry, so it’s incredibly important to stay hydrated to keep healthy and balanced.

• When eating, it’s important to take time for your meals. Sit and relax, and savor your food while you eat.

• It’s recommended to eat fruit separately from your meals for all doshas. Fruits are hard for the digestive fire to break down and are best enjoyed alone.