AYURVEDIC DIET TIPS FOR THE SUMMER SEASON OR GRISHMA RITU

During the summertime, the sun tends to absorb water from our surroundings, which in turn affects the element of kapha in our body is also a type of water, it also dries up. As a result, the element of vata will start increasing. It's important to understand the implications of this combination of vata and heat, which has increased during this summer.

To know the problem in depth, we have to study the Ayurveda texts in which there is a reference to Grishma Rituchrya. Charak Rishi and Vagbhat Rishi have explained Grishma Ritu in Chapter No.6 of Charaka Samhita and Chapter No.3 of Astanga Hruday respectively in detail. Grishma ritu refers to the summer season which arrives in April and May. Ayurveda explains “shad ritu”, which comprises six types of seasons - Shishir, Vasanta, Grishma, Varsha, Sharad and Hemant. Each Ritu lasts for two months. Ayurveda also provides guidelines on daily routine, from early morning to bedtime, such as food habits, lifestyle, and physical activities. Human beings need to adjust their daily routine as per the changing season, which is called Ritucharya in Ayurveda. In this article, we will focus on Grishma ritu, i.e. the summer season.

The Lost Super Foods-The US Army’s Forgotten Food Miracle – This book contains 126 Forgotten Survival Foods That You Can Store Without Refrigeration for Years. Click here to add them to your own pantry

IMPACT OF GRISHMA RITU ON THREE DOSHAS

As per Ayurveda the Grishma Ritu or summer season follows the Vasanth Ritu. During the summer, the sun shines brightly which causes the water element in the body to dry out completely. As a result, the body loses its tenderness and smoothness. It is crucial to maintain the balance between three elements of vatha, pitha, and kapha in our body system. During summer, kapha dosha decreases while the vatha element increases, leading to an imbalance in the body.

In this connection, Vagbhat Rishi has explained in Suthra Sthan 3/26 of “Ashtang Hruday” that,

“Theekshnamshu Rathi Teekshnamshu Grishme Sanksheeptheev Yath|

Prathyaham Kshiyathe Shleshma Theen Vayushcha Vardhathe|”

It means that in the summer season, the Kapha dosha starts decreasing and the Vatha dosha starts increasing and along with this, the heat in the body also increases due to the increase of heat in season.

The Only Book You Need to Become Self-Sufficient on a Quarter Acre- Click here to discover what’s waiting inside The Self-Sufficient Backyard

FOOD HABITS DURING SUMMER

Which are all the things that you should eat in this season? Answering this, Acharya Charak says,

“Swadu Sheetha Dravya Snigdhaam, Anna Paanam, Thadaa Hitam.”

During this season, it is advisable to consume sweet-flavored, cold, and liquid food items in our diet. This will help to retain the amount of water in our body and also keep us safe from the heat. Eating sweet foods increases kapha in the body and helps to control the vatha element, thus keeping our body safe from the heat. Therefore, it is recommended to eat sweets, especially during this season.

During summer, it is recommended to include sweet-flavoured food in your diet plan, but in moderate amounts. It is best to opt for light, tender, and easily digestible food with cooling properties. Your food should also have fluidity, meaning it should contain liquid or water content and should be taken in limited quantities. It is essential for any food you eat on hot summer days to be digested quickly.

• During this season, you can incorporate rice into your diet plan. The rice that grows in your region is the best option to use. Additionally, you can prepare kheer from rice by using sugar candy, ghee and milk. However, it is important to consume sweets in moderation during this season, as previously mentioned.

• In addition, you can also opt for wheat roti. Moong dal is considered the best among all types of lentils, and it is advisable to avoid urad dal if possible as it generates heat in the body and can be difficult to digest. You may consume pulses like lentils in small quantities, but moong dal is the best choice.

• The following vegetables are the best options for the summer season: Cauliflower, Cabbage, Bottle gourd, Pumpkin, and Ash gourd. Among leafy greens, Spinach is good to consume, whereas Methi should be avoided as it can increase vatha and pitha elements. These vegetables help in eliminating heat from the body and maintain the water level, which is essential for good health during the summer.

• It is very important to use ghee or clarified butter in your food diet as it aids in proper digestion by reducing the elements of vatha and pitha.

• It is also advised to consume milk in this season. Generally in Ayurveda, cow's milk is always advised to be consumed, but in the summer, they have recommended to consume buffalo's milk, especially at night. You can consume buffalo milk by adding sugar candy to it.

• You can also consume healthy drinks made of dates, black raisins, kokam, amla murabba or gooseberry candy during summer as they are beneficial for health.

• During summer, it is recommended to consume sweet and seasonal fruits such as ripe mangoes, bananas, oranges, watermelons, custard apples, and sweet grapes as they are good for health.

Click here to know more about the Powerful Practices That You’ll Learn In This Life-Changing Guide

FOODS TOBE AVOIDED DURING SUMMER

According to Ayurveda, the flavours that are salty, bitter and acidic should be consumed in moderation or avoided completely. These three flavours are naturally known to generate heat or pitha in the body. Although Ayurveda recommends incorporating 'shad rasas' or six flavours in our food system, it is equally important to maintain a balance between them. Ayurvedic texts also mention which flavours should be consumed and which should be avoided during seasonal changes.

It's important to remember that in our previous discussion, we suggested that sour foods like kokam or black raisins should be consumed during summer days. It's worth noting that these sour foods aren't purely sour in taste, as they also have a sweet flavour that helps balance the sourness. Therefore, healthy drinks made with black raisins and kokam can be consumed without worry, as they won't exacerbate the pitha element.

• We should avoid packaged fried things that is high in salt.

• During the summer season (Grishma Ritu), we should be cautious when using spices in our food. It's best to avoid hot spices like ajwain, black pepper, and peepal as they can increase the element of pitha in the body. Instead, we can use cooler spices like coriander.

• There is a common misconception among people that curd is a cooling food and should be consumed especially in the summer season. However, the truth is that curd by nature is hot and is called Ushna Virya in Ayurveda. Therefore, consuming curd during the summer (Grishma Ritu - April and May) and autumn (Sharad Ritu - September and October) is not recommended as per Ayurveda. Despite its sweet taste, the curd is heavy to digest, making it unsuitable for consumption during these seasons.

• During summer days, it's best to avoid consuming buttermilk regularly. If you do want to have it, make sure it is fresh and properly diluted before consumption. The buttermilk should not be too sour. To make it sweeter, add sugar candy while taking it.

• During the summer, it's recommended to use water stored in an earthen pot instead of the water kept in the fridge. People tend to consume cold drinks from the fridge during summer days, but it's not advisable to do so.

• In addition to this, it is prohibited to consume alcohol during this season.

• If you have a habit of drinking tea or coffee, try to avoid it. If it's not possible, limit your intake.

EXERCISES IN THE SUMMER SEASON

It is not advisable to exercise excessively during the summer season, according to Ayurveda. Ardha Shakti exercise, which involves exercising until you start sweating a little, should be included in your daily routine. However, it is recommended that this exercise be done during the autumn or spring seasons. During summer, excessive exercise should be avoided as the Kapha dosha is low, and the vatha dosha is at its peak level. Physical exercises should be limited during this time, except for obese individuals who must engage in some level of exercise.

In Ayurveda, sleeping during the day is generally prohibited, except during the summer season. This is because in summer, the days are longer and the nights are shorter, leading to a reduction in the Kapha element and an increase in the Vatha element in the body. By sleeping during the day, the Kapha element starts increasing, making it beneficial to sleep in this season. If you prefer to sleep during the day, ensure that you do so in a cool room, and during the night, it's best to sleep where there is cool moonlight. You can even sleep on the terrace if it's comfortable for you. These tips are recommended by Rishi Charak to ensure a good sleep during the summer season.

CONCLUSION 

Now, we can come to the conclusion that, in the summer season, following Ayurveda's special tips known as Ritucharya can help prevent many problems caused by heat. As change is the rule of nature, adapting your eating habits and lifestyle to match the weather can keep diseases at bay and maintain good health. Therefore, it is highly recommended to follow Ayurveda's routine during the summer season.