How beautiful! Summer has finally arrived. It is pleasantly warm and the wonderful weather invites you to spend a lot of time in nature.

However, those who have to work on hot days may suffer greatly from the heat. There are also many medical conditions and complaints that worsen with the outside heat.

It is very easy for heat to accumulate in the mind-body system in summer and can lead to an imbalance of Pitta, especially towards the end of summer.

Therefore, it is important to avoid overheating especially now.

Each of the three doshas has 5 important sub-functions. In the case of Pitta, the 5 concern the following organs and functional areas: Stomach and digestive power, Liver and regulation of body temperature, Heart and emotions, Eyes and biorhythms, Skin and immune system. For each of these areas we give you tips.

1. warm or hot drinks

Digestive power depends on Agni, the inner fire. External heat causes the internal fire to be dampened. You will notice this by having less appetite at lunchtime on particularly hot days. Agni controls the feeling of hunger. When Agni is throttled, the appetite for a main meal is lost.

Taking ice-cold drinks to cool down can further disturb Agni. Desert dwellers know that warm drinks reduce the digestive fire and therefore drink warm peppermint tea to compensate for the loss of fluids.

Pitta tea or sage tea, drunk more or less warm, also help to cool down internally and to bear the external heat better.

MA1 Sportsman's Rasayana is one of the best Ayurvedic remedies to balance internal and external heat and its consequences for health. Especially on days with physical activity you should take 2 - 3 x daily 2 tablets of MA1.

2. bitter herbs and vegetables

In the liver, the ingested vital substances are converted into the body's own substances. At the same time, the liver is also responsible for the body's heat regulation. As an organ of heat, the liver responds particularly well to foods with a bitter taste. The bitter substances increase liver activity and have a cooling effect at the same time.

This is why salads and bitter herbs such as sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano are so valuable right now.

3. cooling herbs and minerals

The heart and circulation are under particular strain in hot weather. Due to the loss of fluids in the air we breathe and when we sweat, and due to the widening of the blood vessels as an adaptation to the heat, the regulation of the circulation is particularly sensitive.

The Ayurvedic medicinal plant for stabilising the heart and circulation in heat and emotional stress is Arjuna. Arjuna has a cooling effect, strengthens the heart, balances the emotions and stabilises the circulation. The active ingredients of this wonderful medicinal plant are contained in several Ayurvedic preparations: Arjuna Tablets Organic, MA1402 Kapha Balance and in the heart syrup MA473 Arjunarishta.

Whenever we lose fluid through sweating, the body also loses a lot of magnesium. Magnesium replacement in the form of capsules, powder or alkaline powder is particularly important in the hot season.

Lassi is a wonderfully cooling drink. Lassi contains valuable salts and proteins that maintain the blood volume and thus support the circulation. It also has a pleasant cooling effect even at room temperature. Due to its mild acidity and lactobacilli content, it also supports Agni and the digestive system.

If you enrich your lassi with some rose petal hydrolate, you will have cooling and emotionally balancing effects at the same time. The rose fragrance contains 400 different aromatic substances that lift the emotions and clear the mind.

4. cooling oils and fats

Our eyes react particularly strongly to bright sunlight and intense heat. They should be protected by sunglasses. An additional protection for the eyes is a drop of ghee or triphala ghee rubbed on your eyelids before sleeping.
Ghee in the diet has a cooling effect while strengthening Agni. This wonderful effect is complemented by the fact that the feeling of satiety from a meal lasts longer if sufficient ghee is added to the food. If one has less appetite due to the summer heat and therefore eats less, a lack of energy can already occur 2-3 hours after a meal. Many people perceive this as hypoglycaemia. This is especially the case after meals rich in carbohydrates. Ghee in food can prevent this discomfort.

5. oil massage with coconut oil

Coconut oil has a wonderfully cooling effect! Use only untreated fragrant coconut oil (= coconut oil) for your oil massage. Use a little less oil for the massage in summer than in winter!
Every oil massage should be followed by a water application. Take a lukewarm shower after the coconut oil massage and then make a cold shower over your arms and legs, if you are brave also over your head and trunk. This is a particularly effective way of strengthening your immune system.

Summary

Each season challenges our mind-body system in a specific way. The summer heat, if left unchecked, can disturb the Pitta dosha with all 5 sub-functions. At the end of the hot season, heat accumulates in the system particularly easily. Therefore, apply our 5 tips now to finish the summer particularly nourished and refreshed.