the summer kitchen

The summer solstice has come, marking the first official day of summer. Hello pitta season! If you've been following me for a while, then you know that summer is my absolutely favorite season. The heat. The sun. The glowing skin. The smell of sunscreen. All the fruit. I mean--everything.

I don't know what it is about summer, but it gets me every time. Maybe because I'm an almost summer baby. But no matter. It's here, and I'm super excited. With that however, we all know there are adjustments we need to make in the kitchen to support the bounty that summer provides for us. Living in harmony with our surroundings and not in disharmony is super important, and is what ayurveda is all about! Here are some tips to get you and your kitchen adjusted. 

• Keep cooling foods ready and on hand. Cooling your body down does NOT involve downing ice cold water. What it DOES mean is to eat foods that have a cooling effect on the body. 
  • ​Aloe, coconut, cucumber, cilantro, and yogurt are all items that are always in stock in my fridge. Toss coconut flakes on your food. Garnish with cilantro. Have a side of cucumber with your meals. All of these are great ways to calm that pitta down. 
• It's finally fruit season! Enjoy all the fruit. I know I have been. But remember, eat it alone. Don't eat it with breakfast. Don't put it in your smoothies. Don't accompany it with dairy. Nothing. By itself, as a mid-morning or afternoon snack. ​Fruit digests at a much different rate than other foods we eat. This can cause disruption in your digestive processes, and thus can throw off your GI Tract. Love fruit. Just, by itself. 
• Salads! When the weather starts to get warmer, my body naturally craves salads. This is completely normal. Summer is THE perfect season to incorporate salads into your diet. However, salads are still hard to digest, and can cause vata-type problems such as bloating, gas, and indigestion. Eat the salad, but try to make it part of your lunch or in the middle of the day when your agni is the strongest. This will help in proper digestion of the raw food. 
  
• Spices. It's important to incorporate spices into your food that will help cool the body, but also help cleanse the liver. The liver is one of the bigger seats of pitta, so we want to make sure we are constantly allowing it to flush everything out. Turmeric, aloe, fresh ginger (as opposed to dry/powder), fennel are fantastic to keep on hand in your cabinet or fridge. Try to incorporate them as much as possible. 
  
• Hydration. If you have every seen me as a practitioner, you know that this is one of the number one things I recommend to my clients. Water. Water. Water. Room temperature (as the coldest) to warm. Pitta is heat. Heat can be drying. Summer can take a toll on your body, especially when we are sweating more. Our body is going to need water to keep us cool. Half your body weight in ounces at a minimum, plus any extra to make up for any dehydrating drinks you have consumed (think caffeine and alcohol!). Here's a link to my hydration drink that I make a big jug of many days for my family to consume. It's pretty tasty if I do say so myself. 
  

Okay guys. This list obviously isn't comprehensive, but a great starting point. If you're interested in what else to do to get you all set for the summer, go ahead and reach out to me and we'll get you all set to enjoy the beauty this season has to offer.