August diet guide

August is a month of transition from summer to fall in the Northern Hemisphere (if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, check out the tips for February here). This month has a variety of shifts in weather from rain to wind to bright clear skies with blazing sun. The mornings and evenings start to cool down and those long summer days start to shorten. The gunas or qualities of August are hot, clear, mobile, and dry. As humans that are attuned to the natural world, we can feel these qualities in our bodies. 

The atmosphere gets arid as fall winds start to sweep through and so, our bodies get dry. Your physiology may sense that fall is around the corner and start to prepare by insulating the skin for cooler times ahead by pulling fat from the bloodstream. This dries up your blood. Your body may also start to wake up at 2 am each night to urinate, this time is referred to as “vata” time (vata signifies the elements of air and ether within you). This dry blood, midnight urination, and daytime sweat from the remaining summer sun may leave you feeling very dry and dehydrated, increasing the imbalances of vata dosha (get your vata balancing tip sheet here). 

When vatas are out of balance they typically have dry skin, popping joints, gas, insomnia, anxiety, constipation, a scattered mind, and cold hands and feet. This is amplified by the fall season as the wind element is predominant. Start to balance that dryness now and you will find that come late fall your body mind sense complex will be happier.

You can balance the dryness by enjoying some of the sweater and sour fruits that blossom at this time. Fresh peaches, pears, nectarines, and grapes are a wonderful addition to your diet. So are things like hydrated flax, chia seeds, aloe vera gel, and a daily drink of Ayurveda-Ade. To help with water retention you can also add dashes of salt and lime to your water. All of these will work well to keep you hydrated and juicy. 

Still feeling dry? Start to limit diuretics and the astringent and pungent tastes. Diuretics include foods like celery, asparagus, parsley, hibiscus, coffee, green and black tea, dandelion, and onions. Astringent foods include foods like green bananas, broccoli, brussels, cabbage, cauliflower, millet, barley, popcorn, rye, and dried fruit. The pungent taste can be found in chillies, garlic, leeks, onions, mustard greens, radishes, buckwheat, and spelt, and most spices. (*Note the dryness of most of the veggies/fruits can be balanced by cooking them and/or marinating them in oils like ghee, coconut, olive, or avocado.)

Overall during this month, continue to enjoy the bounty that summer gardens have to offer such as yellow squashes, cucumbers, and greens all the while adding in some root vegetables to help you ground the air and ether elements. Continue to stick with lighter fare when picking proteins, reducing red meat and enjoying lighter meats and proteins like beans, nuts, seeds, fish, quinoa, kitchari, and poultry. 

Lunch/supper may look like a hearty quinoa salad with a variety of veggies including roots like cooked sweet potatoes, carrots, or beets sprinkled with seeds, nuts, or tahini to help you ground. You can also ground with a bit of the sweet taste in desserts. This is the month to enjoy ice cream! Woohooo! My favorite ice cream is simply to blend some frozen bananas with water and add a dash of cinnamon and if I’m looking for more substance, then I start to add in some nut butter and nut milk and I’m good to go. The sweet taste strengthens and nourishes the tissues; it also supports the mucus membranes throughout the body. It helps us to prepare for the fall months to come. 

If you find yourself experiencing more inflammatory symptoms like rashes, itchy skin, or a lot of aggravation – the wind element is pushing the fire element within you. In this case work to pacify the irritations by balancing pitta dosha (get your pitta balancing tip sheet here) and cultivate some grounding and nourishing routines such as oil massage. The daily oil massage will keep your skin and complexion smooth and ready for the fall winds. Message Suzanne for additional instructions if you want some tips.

Those with earth and water predominance in the body a.k.a. Kapha dosha may be feeling just right at this time with great reserves of energy, motivation, and focus as the air and ether is balancing the heavier qualities of earth and water. 

Overall we are thinking of staying light while building, nourishing, and starting to ground down with more stable routines and food. As always keep it local and organic and remember you are blessed. Say some blessings such as the mantra provided below to help you remember (access the audio recording here for pronunciation). 

From the Bhagavad Gita 4.24

ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् |

ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥24॥

brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam

brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahma-karma-samādhinā

Brahman is the worshipping. 

Brahman is the oblation

poured by Brahman into the fire of Brahman.

Brahman is attained by he who is absorbed

in the action of Brahman.

Om shanti, shanti, shanti.