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This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor.
Indian Summer
The simple wisdom of Ayurveda provides insight into healing the expected ills of summer, like sunburn and rashes, and the unexpected, too.
ACCORDING TO THE ANCIENT HEALING ART OF AYURVEDA, many common ailments are more likely to occur during a particular season. For example, people more often battle colds and congestion in wintertime.
Summertime spawns its own crop of ailments, like sunburns and rashes. Not surprisingly, many such problems are related to the abundant heat and light that flood parts of the earth where it is summer. * Ayurvedic healers say that summer warmth and brightness increase the likelihood of a whole family of conditions. Anger and the sweltering heat of summer, for example, often go hand in hand. So do headaches and heat. And many people experience such problems as diarrhea and nosebleeds more often during the summer. * In Ayurveda, we explain this by noting that summer is the pitta season. Pitta is one of the three basic doshas (vata and kapha are the other two) that characterize both personalities and the seasons. Pitta is associated with heat and light. If a person has abundant pitta energy (which may occur for different reasons, including genetics, diet, weather, behavior, and seasons), then that individual is more susceptible to a pitta imbalance and pitta ailments. The secret to treating these problems is to tame excess pitta energy. In Ayurveda, we do that in various ways. Diet is most important, but also important are herbs, compresses, and behavioral factors.
The following ailments are more likely to appear in the summer. The remedies I suggest are ones I found helpful in calming the pitta heat associated with each condition. For each condition, I've made several suggestions. You should not feel obliged to try them all. Try what sounds good to you and observe how it works. If it fails to help, then try a different approach. Each person is unique and will react differently to these remedies. Also, it's important to remember that people who are prone to illnesses in the summer are more likely to be suffering from excess pitta at this time of year. If you are one of these people, then you will want to pay careful attention to the general rules for keeping pitta in check during the summer (see "10 Tips for Cooling Summer Energy", below).
PREVENTIVE BREAKFAST: People who get migraines at midday that subside in the evening should try the following preventive measure. First thing in the morning, peel and chop one ripe banana. Place it in a bowl with one teaspoon warm ghee, one teaspoon date sugar, and a pinch of cardamom. This is delicious, and it will help to reduce pitta and prevent headaches.
AVOID DIRECT SUN: Because migraine headaches are predominantly a pitta disorder, they are affected by the hot sun. When the sun rises, its sharp, penetrating rays increase pitta in the cardiovascular system. If you do go out in the sun, wear a hat.
SOOTHING GHEE NASYA: Once a headache has developed, lubricating the nostrils with a few drops of ghee and gently inhaling will help relieve the pain. Ayurvedic practitioners believe this also enlivens consciousness and intelligence.
Nosebleed
Nosebleeds have many possible origins. Trauma to the nose, extreme dryness of the nasal passages, allergies, rhinitis, or high blood pressure can cause nosebleeds. According to Ayurvedic principles, nosebleeds are essentially a pitta disorder, in which pitta becomes hot and sharp and causes the bleeding.
COOL WATER: Drinking cool water will stop many nosebleeds. If the bleeding doesn't stop, dip a soft clean cloth into cold water and place it on the forehead and nose. Then gently blow your nose so that the clot comes out.
GHEE NASYA: If the bleeding still doesn't stop, gently rub a couple of drops of luke-warm ghee in each nostril. Ghee is hemostatic--it stops bleeding.
JUICE CURE: To stop or prevent nosebleeds, drink cranberry or pomegranate juice or a 50-50 mixture of the two.
Anger and Hostility
Anger and hostility are signs of aggravated pitta in the nervous system. Pitta, is necessary for understanding and judgment, but when it is out of balance, it creates misunderstanding. Here are several simple home remedies to cool pitta and keep tempers under control.
DIET: Perhaps most important, a person who becomes angry easily or often should follow a pitta-pacifying diet (see "The Summer Diet", below). You should especially avoid hot, spicy, and fermented foods and citrus and sour fruit. Favor simple, bland foods and cool drinks.
MEDITATION: There is an ancient method of meditation that involves watching your emotions come and go without naming them or trying to change them. As the feelings arise, breathe them in and then exhale them.
PITTA-PACIFYING DRINK: Into one cup of grape juice, add 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin powder, fennel powder, and sandalwood powder. This cooling drink will help settle angry feelings and pitta symptoms such as burning in the stomach.
Athlete's Foot
This itchy, inflammatory condition of the foot is common in individuals with a pitta constitution because they are more prone to sweat. Both Ayurvedic treatments presented here should be used until the condition clears.
TEA TREE OIL: The first solution to this annoying problem is to clean the feet with tea tree oil. Rub this natural antiseptic oil between your toes with a cotton swab.
NEEM SOAP: An alternative treatment is to thoroughly wash the feet with neem soap, dry them completely, then lightly apply neem oil to the affected areas.
Bites Stings
Any bite or sting of an insect can trigger a local irritation of pitta under the skin. As long as the venom of the insect remains there, it may continue to create periodic allergic reactions or even sting-bite nephritis, a serious condition involving generalized swelling and breathlessness. So stings and bites, though usually simply irritating, may occasionally be serious.
CILANTRO: As soon as possible after receiving a sting or bite, drink cilantro juice. Place a handful of cilantro in a blender with about 1/3 cup water, blend thoroughly, and strain. Drink the juice (2 tablespoons three times a day) and apply he pulp to the skin over the affected area. It will pacify the itching, burning, hives, or rash created by the sting or bite.
HEALING PASTE: Also soothing and healing is the paste made by combining with water 1/2 teaspoon each of sandalwood powder and turmeric. Apply topically to the site of the sting or bite.
PREVENTION WITH NEEM: Neem oil is a much-used insect repellent in India and around the world. It contains a natural chemical compound that repels insects. Try rubbing a little on exposed skin before going outdoors.
Diarrhea
Generally, diarrhea occurs when the digestive fire becomes weak. As a result, absorption and assimilation of foods become minimal, and the undigested food is eliminated as liquid. To relieve diarrhea, Ayurveda aims to strengthen digestive fire and pacify whatever dosha--generally pitta--is aggravated. Indigestion, nervousness, or eating contaminated food can also cause diarrhea.
Note: If diarrhea continues beyond three days, consult a doctor.
FOOD REMEDIES: Chop 1-2 ripe bananas, then add 1 teaspoon ghee (see "How to Make Ghee", below), and a pinch of cardamom and nutmeg. Bananas are high in potassium, which helps to bind the stool.
HERBAL REMEDIES: Mix 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder with 1 teaspoon raw natural sugar. Eat the mixture with some water 2-3 times a day for 2-3 days. Or try drinking a cup of hot black coffee with about 10 drops of lime juice and a pinch of cardamom or nutmeg.
TO PREVENT DEHYDRATION: Diarrhea can sometimes lead to dehydration. To prevent this, add 1 teaspoon of natural sugar, 1 teaspoon of lime juice, and a pinch of salt to a pint of room-temperature water and sip throughout the day.
Dry Skin
Dry skin can have many causes, but in the hot summer months, sun and hot dry air are the likely culprits behind increased pitta in the system and irritated skin. These remedies can help you maintain the health and beauty of your skin.
OIL: In some cases, applying sunflower or coconut oil to your skin may be all you need to eliminate dry skin.
CHERRY MASK: Apply the pulp of fresh crushed cherries as a face mask for 15 minutes to relieve dry skin and improve your complexion.
SOAP: Soap should be used sparingly because it washes away the sebaceous secretions that maintain the oiliness of the skin. The Ayurvedic practice is to use soap only once or twice a week. Of course, this is not always an option; those who perform very physical work or sweat profusely need soap daily. But any decrease in the amount of soap used in bathing will improve a skin condition.
Eye Strain/Irritation
Although pitta types are more likely to experience burning in their eyes, anyone can fall victim to eye irritation when pitta is not in balance. The following Ayurvedic remedies aim to relieve irritation and help maintain good eye health.
CASTOR OIL: At bedtime, put a drop of pure castor oil into each eye.
ROSE WATER: You can also put three drops of pure rose water into each affected eye. Rose water is cooling.
STRESS REDUCER: For eye strain, take sterilized cotton balls or pieces of gauze, dip them in cool goat's milk, and put them over your closed eyes.
Migraine
Although migraine headaches can result from a vata, pitta, or kapha imbalance, they most frequently occur when systemic pitta moves into the cardiovascular system, circulates, and affects the blood vessels around the brain. The hot, sharp quality of pitta dilates the blood vessels and creates pressure on the nerves, causing this painful condition.
FOLLOW A PITTA-PACIFYING DIET: To treat migraine headaches, it is vital first to reduce pitta with a proper pitta-pacifying etc. Especially avoid hot, spicy foods, fermented foods, and sour or citrus fruits. This is effective for both relief and prevention.
Rashes and Hives
The Ayurvedic approach for dealing with rashes and hives is to provide a cooling effect from both the inside and the outside.
FOR INTERNAL HEALING: Here is an effective formula to help restore health to pitta-damaged skin from the inside. It might not be effective for all types of rashes, but it win promote healing of the skin. Mix 2 parts coriander, 1 part cumin, and 2 parts raw natural sugar; steep 1/2 teaspoon of this mixture in a cup of hot milk and drink it once or twice a day until the condition is healed.
TOPICAL SOLUTIONS: Applied directly to the skin, coconut water (from the center of a fresh coconut) and melon rind will help soothe and heal rashes and hives.
Sunburn
Sunburn is an acute inflammatory condition of the skin cells due to overexposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun (or a solar lamp). The inflammation may be mild or serious, depending on the degree of exposure. People of pitta constitution, who are generally more fair-skinned, are more susceptible to sunburn.
Something more may also be involved, however. People use many chemical products on their skin as well as internally--deodorants, soaps, perfumes, and cough medicines, to name only a few. These substances all weaken the skin. When those who use a large number of these products lie in the sun they are more likely to burn.
TO SOOTHE SUNBURN: Apply aloe vera gel or coconut oil to the site of the bum. If you have access to an aloe vera plant, slice a leaf to expose the gel and lightly rub the gel on the sunburned area.
· Take a gauze pad, dip it in cool milk (either cow's or goat's), and apply it directly to the sunburn.
· Place an icebag on the affected area to cool the skin. Don't leave ice touching the skin for more than a minute or two at a time.
TO PREVENT SUNBURN: Avoid or minimize exposure to sunlight from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the peak hours of the sun's strength.
· Before going outside in the daylight, apply neem oil to the exposed parts of your body. Neem is a good sun-blocker and can be applied before and after showering. However, it will not protect your skin from long periods of exposure. The best rule is to avoid more than 30 minutes of direct exposure to the sun.
· Drink coconut water or coconut milk (a mixture of water and shredded coconut flesh), which can be purchased in grocery stores. Both have a cooling effect on the body.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Summer Diet
THE AYURVEDIC TRADITION offers helpful insights into what foods will suit and balance you, how to prepare and cook food properly, how to avoid food combinations that will create toxins in the body, and which eating habits to cultivate--and which to avoid--to receive the most nourishment from what you eat.
What you eat should be suited to your individual constitution and to the seasons. At any time during the year, certain foods can aggravate or calm pitta conditions. In the summer, when the potential for a pitta imbalance is at its height, it is most important to avoid sour and citrus fruits and foods that are spicy or fermented. Here are some other basic guidelines for avoiding problems.
Foods That Aggravate Pitta
1. Sour Fruits: Sour apples and berries, cranberries, grapefruit, lemons, green grapes, and rhubarb. Sour fruits are generally liquid, light, and heating in nature.
2. Pungent Vegetables: Corn, eggplant, garlic, green olives, cooked spinach, and tomatoes. Pungent vegetables are generally light, drying, and heating in nature.
3. Grains: Yeast bread, corn, dry oats, brown rice, and rye.
4. Legumes: Miso, soy sauce, and tur and urad dals--almost any type of dried pea or lentil that is husked and split for cooking.
5. Dairy: Salted butter, hard cheese, sour cream, frozen yogurt.
6. Animal Foods: Beef, duck, egg yolks, lamb, pork, salmon, and most seafood.
7. Oils: Almond, corn, safflower, and sesame.
8. Spices. Allspice, dry basil, cayenne, garlic, mustard, oregano, and thyme.
Foods That Pacify Pitta
1. Sweet Fruits: Apricots, berries, coconut, grapes, melons, and peaches.
2. Sweet and Bitter vegetables: Artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, sprouts, and zucchini.
3. Grains: Barley, couscous, granola, cooked oats, pasta, rice (wild, white, basmati), wheat.
4. Legumes: Almost all beans and soy products.
5. Dairy: Unsalted buffer, soft cheeses, cow's and goats milk, ice cream, and fresh yogurt.
6. Animal Foods: Chicken (white), egg whites, freshwater fish, shrimp, and turkey.
7. Oils: Sunflower, ghee, canola, olive, soy, and flaxseed.
8. Spices: Cinnamon, dill, fennel, mint, turmeric, and vanilla.
RELATED ARTICLE: 10 Tips for Cooling Summer Energy
Maintaining a balance of pitta in your life is a year-round effort involving all aspects of your lifestyle. In summer--the season of pitta--several simple activities can help keep pitta in balance and keep you feeling your best.
1. In the morning, as part of your daily routine, rub coconut oil or sunflower oil on your body before bathing. Coconut oil is calming, cooling, and soothing to the skin.
2. Wear cotton or silk clothing; it is cooling, light, and allows the skin to breathe. Loose-fitting clothes are best because they permit air to pass through and cool the body.
3. Don't drink hot water or hot drinks in the summer. Room-temperature or cool drinks are best. Because ice and iced drinks inhibit digestion and may provoke colds, coughs, and sore throat, it is best never to drink them.
4. If you customarily drink alcoholic beverages, avoid whiskey, brandy, rum, and red wine, which are heating. Some cool beer during hot days will be all right.
5. This is a season of generalized low energy. If you can, take a short nap in the daytime.
6. Never lie in the sun in summer and never wear shorts or short-sleeved shirts. Loose-fitting clothing will protect your skin while allowing air to cool it.
7. Avoid strenuous exercise. If you are accustomed to running or other vigorous aerobic exercise, do it early in the morning at the coolest part of the day.
8. Do some mild yoga exercises and quiet meditation twice a day.
9. In the evening after dinner, go for a walk in the moonlight.
10. Sex should be minimized during the summer; it is heating and will provoke pitta. If you want to have sex, do so between 9 and 10 p.m., when it is cooler.
RELATED ARTICLE: How to Make Ghee
Ghee, long used in purification and in many Ayurvedic remedies, is butter that is cooked to separate the clear butter fat from the milk solids and moisture. This cooking process allows butter to keep for long periods. Ghee is sold in many health food stores and Indian markets, and it can be made easily at home.
Two pounds of butter will make I quart of ghee. Put the butter (sweet and unsalted, organic if available) in a heavy, medium-size pot, turn the heat to medium, and heat until the butter melts. Take care not to burn it. Then turn down the heat, cook until the butter just boils, and continue to cook uncovered at this temperature. Stir occasionally.
In 12 to 15 minutes the ghee will begin to smell like popcorn and will turn a golden color. Whitish curd will form and separate from the clear ghee. When these curds turn a light tan color and the boiling quiets down, the ghee is ready. The cooking time should not be longer than 15 to 20 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat immediately and let cool. When ghee is lukewarm, the solid curds will have settled to the bottom of the pot. Decant the clear ghee into a container and discard the curds.
From the book The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies by Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc. Copyright [C] 1998 by Vasant D. Lad. Reprinted with permission of Harmony Books, a division of Crown Publishers, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 1998 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
Bibliography for: "Indian summer"
Vasant Lad "Indian summer". Natural Health. FindArticles.com. 11 Apr, 2012.
COPYRIGHT 1998 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
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