JUNE diet guide

In the month of June humidity rises revealing the elements of fire and water in the atmosphere. This shift in the elements is referred to as pitta dosha. As heat rises you may notice a more rapid heartbeat, rosacea, and dilated blood vessels. The liver is working hard now to balance out the element of fire and release any remaining toxicity from the body that was held onto in winter/spring. In order to find balance in the mind body sense complex during this time it is helpful to cultivate qualities that are opposite of hot and wet (the qualities of fire and water). You can do this by cultivating opposite qualities of cool and dry all the while staying grounded, calm, and nourished.

If you find it’s a challenge to beat the heat and you are struggling with common pitta ailments like acid indigestion, burning eyes, diarrhea, fever, ulcers, or a series of agitated emotions read on or join me at the Beat the Heat Workshop for some simple dietary and lifestyle guidelines to help you find balance during the summer. In the workshop we will take a deep dive into diet and lifestyle techniques, as well as some yoga practices that will help you maintain balance and heal these common pitta ailments. Register for this workshop here.

For those of you with a pitta (fire and water) predominance, you may find yourself feeling hot headed with emotions charged by the liver like anger, fear, and irritability. The liver is on overdrive working to process toxicity and when overheated these emotions can arise. They can also be accompanied by rashes and acne this signifies that more toxicity is trying to release. If you have these or rosacea, take note that your digestive fire may also be getting taxed as all the blood is rushing to the extremities. To balance this, be sure to cool yourself down. As the liver works hard, a lot of acidity is created in the body. Additional discomforts from this acidity are acid reflux, ulcers, diarrhea, and more. To balance acidity: reduce alcohol intake, caffeine, ferments, and hot, spicy foods. Keep your lymph clear by avoiding heavy fats, pastries, processed foods, canned foods, ready made meals, and fried foods and carbs. Maintain sustenance by eating foods that are stabilizing sources of energy. Enjoy grains, root veggies, seeds, avocados and cooling oils. Chill out with aloe vera juice, bitter greens, cucumbers, sweet and sour berries, honeydew, mangos, limes, mint, and coconut water. An easy way to do this is to infuse your water with some sliced cucumbers, mint leaves, and/or squeezes of lime juice. Spritz your body with rose water or sip on some rose tea. Make some ice pops with pineapple or watermelon, these fruits cool you down while reducing inflammation. You may find the best way to cool down is to jump in a pool or moonbathe. Try not to take on too much, take a back seat on some projects…chill out, no need to go into overdrive and burn yourself out. Take it slow, keep it simple, enjoy.

For those of you with a kapha (earth and water) predominance, the humidity of June may lead to retention of water in the body yielding swelling and puffiness along with a feeling of heaviness, slowness, and lethargy. This happens because the blood vessels are dilated as the body heats up too. Other common kapha ailments through hot and humid months include fungal infections and parasites. If you are noticing any of this you can find balance with diuretics like cumin, coriander and fennel tea, watermelon, chamomile and mint. These reduce moisture in the body and help you cool down.

If you have high vata (the constitution of air and ether), you may be enjoying this time as it is deeply moisturizing and warm for a predominantly dry and cold body! This joy may cause you to make some impulsive decisions with great enthusiasm and leave you feeling overwhelmed and overscheduled. Be sure to stay hydrated and keep your routines going, continue to take it slow and ground down. If you notice yourself drying out or feeling any anxiety from all the things to do, enjoy the tastes of sweet, sour, and salty to help you rehydrate and keep those electrolytes balanced. Enjoy fruits like bananas, homemade limeade,  water infused with mint and/or cucumbers, coconut water, rosewater lemonade, and sun teas like hibiscus. Slow down, know that you don’t have to try it all, underwhelm yourself with a simpler schedule and keep those routines going.

Overall to beat the heat, favor sweet, bitter and astringent tastes. Bitter tastes cool you down. Astringent tastes like beans, pomegranates and raw veggies tone your tissues and enliven the body. The sweet taste is helpful in balancing hot headed emotions, calming you, and helping you cool down. Go simple and nourishing. Introduce fresh salads that include bitter greens, use herbs like cilantro, enjoy other veggies like cabbage, fennel, and cucumber as they are all cooling. Introduce juices and raw fruits for quick boosts of energy. Use roots and healthy fats to sustain energy. Tridoshic (for all the doshas) summer foods include berries, red grapes, mango, soaked prunes, soaked raisins, asparagus, leeks, okra, amaranth, basmati rice, quinoa, cottage cheese, and goat’s milk. 

As far as lifestyle, keep your cool, stay grounded, and relaxed. Protect pitta from excess heat by rising early and doing your exercise before noon when the sun is strongest in the sky. Chill out in the shade whenever you can. Take a more relaxed approach to your exercise with moments to restore and rest. Yogis will find balance by spending extra time in savasana (corpse pose), subduing intensity, and practicing breathing exercises such as shitali karana. Remember, if you find it’s a challenge you can always join me at the Beat the Heat Workshop. Learn more here.