Pitta Foods and Beverages: SUMMERTIME

Summer Grocery List – Pitta Balancing Diet

July-October

Why Live and Eat Seasonally?

When we adjust our diet and lifestyle to match the season, health-promoting digestive microbes dramatically change. Summer microbes support balanced immunity, digestion, mood, energy, blood sugar, weight, sleep – and much more. Summer is also associated with the qualities of ‘Pitta,’ which are hot, light and dry. To stay balanced, focus on foods and activities that are cool, moist, heavy and oily.

To Stay Cool, Calm and Hydrated

  • Eat more foods that are Sweet, Bitter, Astringent / Cold, Heavy, Oily: such as salads, steamed vegetables, fruit and coconut oil.
  • Eat less foods that are Pungent (Spicy), Sour, Salty / Hot, Light, Dry: such as coffee, chips and salsa and spicy foods.
  • Eat more vegetables.
  • Sip cool or room temperature water with cucumber slices or drink coconut water to keep cool and hydrated.
  • Take Brahmi BrainNeem and Amalaki to keep your mind cool and calm, to cleanse your blood and prevent inflammation. Take 500-1000mg of each, 1-2/day after food.
  • Drink herbal teas such as mint, hibiscus, dandelion and chicory.

Daily Routines (Dinacharya) for Summer

  • Self-massage with Tri-Doshic Massage Oil, Lymphatic Massage Oil or coconut oil.
  • For 8 minutes daily, breathe slowly in and out through the left nostril. With your right thumb, hold your right nostril closed. Pause at the inhale and exhale. This is cooling and calming.
  • Avoid excessive activity during midday heat as it can be draining.
  • Do not skip meals. Enjoy a big, relaxing lunch before 2pm.
  • Carve out time each day to rest, rather than push yourself.

Signs of Excess Pitta During Summer

  • Irritability and impatience, occasional heartburn, occasional acid reflux, occasional stomach ulcers, sensitivity to heat, lethargy, sarcasm, skin rashes, boils, acne, low blood sugar, difficulty falling asleep.
  • If you experience some of these signs, schedule a consult and follow the above guidelines for a soothing summer!

SUMMER GROCERY LIST

  • Choose Organic and non-GMO when possible.
  • Curious about a food not on this list? Taste it. If it has 2 of the 3 summer tastes (sweet, bitter, astringent), it is balancing. Prepare it to be room temperature, cool and moist.
  • Eat more of your favorite foods from this list.
  • Though these are not the only items you can eat, they are the most beneficial foods for this season.
  • *An asterisk means that this food is a Summer Superfood. If you like it, eat more of it.

Download the PDF>>> Download the Summer Grocery List and Tips PDF

VEGETABLES
  • Alfalfa Sprouts
  • *Artichokes
  • *Asparagus
  • Avocados
  • Bean Sprouts
  • *Beet greens
  • *Bell Peppers
  • *Bitter Melon
  • *Broccoli
  • *Cabbage
  • *Cauliflower
  • *Celery
  • Chicory
  • *Cilantro
  • Collard Greens
  • Corn
  • *Cucumbers
  • *Dandelion
  • Eggplant
  • Endive
  • *Fennel
  • Green Beans
  • *Jicama
  • *Kale
  • *Lettuce
  • Mushrooms
  • Mustard Greens
  • *Okra
  • Parsley
  • Peas
  • Pumpkin
  • *Radishes (moderation)
  • *Seaweed
  • *Snow Peas
  • Spinach (moderation)
  • *Squash, Acorn
  • Squash, Winter
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Swiss Chard
  • Tomatoes (sweet)
  • Turnip Greens
  • *Watercress
  • *Zucchini

 

FRUIT
  • *Apples
  • *Apricots
  • *Blueberries
  • *Cantaloupe
  • *Cherries (ripe)
  • *Cranberries
  • Dates
  • Dried Fruit
  • Figs
  • *Grapes
  • *Guavas
  • *Mangoes
  • *Melon (all)
  • Nectarines
  • Oranges (sweet)
  • Papayas (small amounts)
  • *Peaches (ripe and/or peeled)
  • *Pears
  • *Persimmons
  • *Pineapple (sweet)
  • *Plums (ripe)
  • *Pomegranates (sour)
  • *Raspberries
  • *Strawberries
  • Tangerines (sweet)

 

WHOLE GRAINS
  • *Barley
  • Oat
  • *Rice
  • Rye
  • Wheat

 

LEGUMES
  • *Adzuki
  • Bean Sprouts
  • *Black Gram
  • *Fava
  • *Garbanzo
  • Kidney
  • Lentils
  • Lima
  • *Mungs
  • *Split Pea
  • *Tofu

 

NUTS & SEEDS
  • Almonds
  • *Coconut
  • Flax
  • Macadamias
  • Pinon
  • *Pumpkin
  • *Sunflower

 

DAIRY
  • Butter
  • Cheese (moderation)
  • Cottage Cheese
  • *Ghee
  • Ice Cream
  • *Milk
  • *Rice/Soy Milk

 

MEATS
  • Beef (moderation)
  • Chicken
  • Duck (moderation)
  • Eggs (moderation)
  • Freshwater Fish
  • Lamb (moderation)
  • Pork
  • Shrimp (moderation)
  • Turkey

 

OILS
  • Almond
  • Avocado
  • *Coconut
  • Flax
  • *Olive
  • *Soy
  • Sunflower
  • Ghee

 

HERBS & SPICES
  • Anise
  • Asafoetida
  • *Chamomile
  • *Coriander
  • Cumin
  • Fennel
  • Peppermint
  • Saffron
  • Spearmint

 

BEVERAGES
  • Water (room temperature or cool)

 

TEA
  • *Chicory
  • *Dandelion
  • *Hibiscus
  • *Mint

 

SWEETENERS
  • Maple Syrup (small amounts)
  • Raw Sugar
  • Rice Syrup

 

CONDIMENTS
  • Carob
  • Mayonnaise