Beat the Heat- Ayurvedic Style

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The soaring temperatures, constant burn of the sun, people in shorts and the sweat trickling down your back are a constant reminder that summer has arrived. However, now that summer is here, the question on everyone’s mind is how to beat the heat and stay cool. Thus, read on to know of some of the ayurvedic ways to beat the heat during summer.

In comparison to other seasons, our health is the most sensitive due to various external factors like dehydration or loss of energy. Thus, it is important for us to be careful about our diet, lifestyle or sleeping habits, as our bodies are more prone to disease during this season. Ayurveda has prescribed a number of golden rules to follow, which will help you beat summer-related diseases without the use of medicines and stay healthy and happy.

Body in Summers

Ayurveda describes the summer season as dry, very hot, kapha-destroying and pitta-generating. It also states that it is due to these factors, that the human body tends to lose its capacity to fight diseases, as the body’s resistance power is low. These factors affect our digestion power and even make us feel weak and drowsy. There are health problems related to skin and digestion because of decrease of fluids in the body.

To avoid these problems one should regularly take water, tender coconut water, lime juice and green tea. These juices helps to replenish the fluid that we tend to lose due to dehydration or sweating during the season. However, it is advisable to be careful about drinking water as pollution in water often tends to rise in summer and may lead to an increase of epidemics such as cholera, jaundice, measles, fever, diarrhea and eye diseases. You should also not be wary of sweating as it is the body’s way of staying cool during the summer.

Foods to Avoid in Summers

The ancient texts of Ayurveda list a number of foods that should be avoided during summers. This is primarily because there are certain fruits like mangoes that tend to increase the body heat. The texts suggests to avoid stale and excessively spicy, sour and salty food during the season. People are also asked to avoid uncovered food and fruits. Also, one should avoid intoxicating drinks, exertion and late night sleeping. According to Ayurveda, infrequent sexual intercourse is advisable in this season.

Summer Foods

• The juice of bel fruit (wood apple) is considered to help keep the stomach and mind cool during summers.
• It is also advisable to drink Aam panna (boiled unripe mango juice) during summers. This drink is known for its heat resistant properties and helps to prevent excessive loss of sodium and iron during summers.
• Similarly, sugarcane juice is another drink that has heat resistant properties and should be taken during summers to keep the body cool
• Fruits like cucumber, falsa (phalsa or Grewia asiatica), shahtoot (King's or "superior" mulberry), lichi (lychee), melon, watermelon, mangoes and grapes should be included in the everyday diet.
• Sweet or salted buttermilk or blended whole curd should be taken.
• Baked barley and gram powder (sattu) should also be consumed.
• Amla fruit (Indian gooseberry) soaked in sugar syrup and gulkand (a sweet preserve of rose petals) should be taken.
• Fresh tender coconut water is also a good drink to beat the heat.
• Sugared candy of white pumpkin, onion, coriander, mint and lime should be taken.

Keep Cool in Summers

One of the best ways to stay cool during summers is to wear light-colored, airy, cotton and khadi (hand-woven cotton) clothes. Taking a cold-water bath and smearing cold pastes, such as sandalwood, is also helpful to regulate the body temperature. Drinking boiled water after cooling is advisable as this destroys any water-borne diseases.

Home Remedies for Seasonal Ailments

Nosebleed: Nosebleed or hemorrhage from the nasal veins is a relatively common occurrence during summer. In such condition, the patient should be made to lie down and allowed fresh air. Put an ice-cube in a handkerchief and keep it on the nose of the patient. The patient should also drink a concoction made with fresh lime in cold water.

Urinary Inflammation: Urinary inflammation and blockage is a common occurrence in summers. This occurs largely due to less amount of water in the body. The best way to avoid this is by drinking at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Patients can also drink sugarcane juice, falsa juice or a concoction made by boiling 1 teaspoon coriander and 1 teaspoon saunf (fennel seeds) and sugar in two cups of water. After the concoction cools down, it should be sieved and had every two hours.

Heat Stroke: Heat stroke is another common ailment that afflicts the body during summers. In this condition, the patient suffers from high fever, body ache, cramps and can even faint due to severity of the condition. As a remedy, keep ice-cold bandages on the head, hands, feet and underarms till the fever subsides. The patient should be given unripe mango juice, lemon, coriander and mint juice. Water mixed with sugar and lemon should be given to prevent dehydration.