Summers are not going away anytime soon and so is the blazing heat, making the body feel heavy, irritable, and overheated. According to ayurveda, summertime aggravates the Pitta Dosha which is the fire and water element.
If left unbalanced, excess Pitta can trigger acidity, skin rashes, heartburn, inflammation, irritability, and fatigue.
A mindful seasonal detox with cooling Pitta-pacifying foods and lifestyle adjustments is one of the ayurvedic sustainable preventive care. By including Pitta-pacifying foods in your diet, you not only stay cool but also strengthen immunity.
In this article, follow a list of all the foods to balance Pitta and practical tips on how to use them in your daily life.
Take a 5-mins quiz to check the dosha imbalance, click on the image below
Top Pitta-Pacifying Foods For a Natural Summer Detox
Below are some of the most effective Pitta-Pacifying foods for seasonal wellness. Each food is a gentle natural immunity booster that supports ayurvedic preventive care. Let’s look at each one of them that will balance the Pitta in your body.
1. Coconut
To balance the aggravated Pitta dosha, consuming coconut replenishes the lost electrolytes during hot weather. Coconut water or coconut flesh are naturally sweet and have cooling properties that soothe high acid, reduce body heat, and hydrate every cell in the body.
How Do I Consume? The best and most efficient way of consuming coconut is drinking fresh coconut water mid-morning during 12 or 1 in the noon. Another way to include coconut is to grate it and add the coconut savings to salads or smoothies for seasonal detox.
2. Watermelon
This watery fruit is the hydration hero during summers, which has over 90% water with natural sugars and antioxidants like lycopene. Consuming watermelon also flushes out excess toxins from the body and calms the excess heat during hot days.
How Do I Consume? Everyone will agree with my way of eating chilled watermelon cubes as a snack. At times, I blend watermelon pulp into a smoothie with some mint leaves for extra cooling. One big glass of watermelon juice keeps me hydrated for some hours straight so that I feel light and cool throughout the day.
3. Cucumber
During very hot summer days, I ensure to cut a plate of cucumber with squeezed lemon on the top. The high water content and mild sweetness of the cucumber makes it one of the top Pitta pacifiers. Besides being pitta pacifier, Cucumber cleanses urinary tract, reduces swelling, and promotes ayurvedic immunity by offering cellular hydration.
How Do I Consume? As mentioned-above, I cut salad and have a full plate of cucumbers. Also, I make infused detox water and enjoy it throughout the day. Interestingly, I am currently enjoying cucumber as I write this article.
4. Mint (Pudina)
Be it raitas, smoothies, chutneys or mint water with lemon, Pudina is a staple in every Indian household during summers. Mint has volatile oil that cools the digestive fire and eases the problem of digestion. Not only does Mint reduce Pitta-related headaches but also enhance natural detox, making it one of the best natural immunity boosters.
How Do I Consume? I prefer making green pudina chutney and pairing it with meals throughout the day. Some days I prepare lemon water and add a few leaves of mint in it.
5. Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
Several studies prove that Fennel seeds have a range of benefits like birth facilitation, menstrual flow, enhanced libido, reduction in stomach cramps, and more. Additionally, Saunf supports digestion without aggravating Pitta as it calms acid reflux, bloating, and inflammation in the body. In fact, fennel seeds are so powerful that it not only balances Pitta dosha but others Kapha and Vata too.
How Do I Consume? All of us Indians are already including fennel seeds into our daily lives, like chewing a teaspoon of roasted fennel after meals or steep seeds in warm water for a soothing drink first thing in the morning.
6. Amla (Indian Gooseberry)
One of the richest sources of Vitamin C and antioxidants is Amla, which boosts ayurvedic immunity, nourishes the liver, and balances all the tridoshas in the body. As it is a powerhouse of Vitamin C, Amla detoxifies the body deeply and calms down the aggravated heat in the stomach.
How Do I Consume? I know eating raw Amla is not everybody’s cup of tea. Hence, you can either mix amla in chutneys, smoothies, herbal juices, or make a pickle.
7. Leafy Greens (Spinach, Kale, Coriander)
Coriander aids digestion, detoxification, cardiovascular health, and balances doshas. Also, the other green leafy vegetables might be bitter in taste but have astringent properties that draw out excess heat and cleanse the blood.
Collectively, green leaves promote liver detox and strengthen natural defenses for seasonal wellness. Afterall, haven’t we all heard about the importance of eating green leafy vegetables!
How Do I Consume? Indians love Palak paneer, so steam the spinach and make a subzi. You can also stir into soups, juices with cucumber and celery for a green detox drink. Making a coriander green chutney can be clubbed with each meal throughout the day. Note, that Kale is not commonly found here, so prefer eating spinach, coriander, or other green leaves.
8. Bottle Gourd (Lauki)
We all have seen that anytime you are sick it is suggested to eat lauki subzi without heavy tadka, as it is one of the lightest foods. Bottle gourd works in pacifying pitta because it is light, cooling, and mildly sweet.
Additionally, Lauki supports weight management, flushes toxins, and calms acidity that reduces excess heat in the body.
How Do I Consume? I prefer to prepare soft curry or blend it into a warm soup. At times, drink a green juice with added mint leaves, which can be a powerful seasonal detox.
9. Buttermilk (Takra)
Super light, probiotic-rich, cooling, and digestive drink with mild spices like cumin. Buttermilk has more water content as compared to the fat content, which does not cause heaviness in the body after consuming it.
How Do I Consume? Drink diluted buttermilk mid-day with a pinch of roasted cumin, mint, and a little bit of pink salt.
| Pitta-Pacifying Food Category | Say Yes To | Avoid |
| Fruits | Apples (sweet), Applesauce, Apricots (sweet), Berries (sweet), Cherries (sweet), Coconut, Dates, Figs, Grapes (red, purple, black) Limes, Mangos (ripe), Melons, Oranges (sweet), Papaya, Pears, Pineapple (sweet), Plums (sweet), Pomegranates, Prunes, Raisins, Strawberries, Watermelon | Apples (sour), Apricots (sour), Bananas, Berries (sour), Cherries (sour), Cranberries, Grapefruit, Grapes (green), Kiwi, Lemons, Mangoes (green), Oranges (sour), Peaches, Persimmons, Pineapple (sour), Plums (sour), Tamarind |
| Vegetables | Olives (black), Onions (cooked), Parsley, Parsnips, Peas, Peppers (sweet), Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes (cooked), Cabbage, Carrots (cooked), Cauliflower, Celery, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Okra | Beet, Greens, Beets (raw), Corn (fresh), Eggplant, Garlic, Green Chilies, Leeks (raw), Mustard Greens, Olives, Onions (raw), Peppers (hot), Radishes (raw), Spinach (cooked), Tomatoes, Turnip, |
| Grains | Amaranth, Barley, Cereal (dry), Couscous, Crackers, Granola, Oat Bran, Oats, Pancakes, Pasta, Quinoa Rice (basmati, white, wild), Rice Cakes, Sprouted Wheat Bread, Tapioca, Wheat Bran | Buckwheat, Corn, Millet, Muesli, Polenta Rice (brown) |
| Dairy | Butter (unsalted), Cheese (soft, unsalted, not aged), Cottage Cheese, Cow’s Milk, Ghee, Goat’s Milk, Goat’s Cheese (soft, unsalted), Ice Cream, Yogurt (homemade, diluted, without fruit) | Butter (salted), Cheese (hard), Frozen Yogurt, Sour Cream, Yogurt (store bought, or with fruit) |
| Oils | Coconut Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Ghee Olive Oil, Primrose Oil, Sunflower Oil, Soy Oil, Walnut Oil | Almond Oil, Apricot Oil, Corn Oil, Safflower Oil, Sesame Oil |
Pitta-Pacifying Lifestyle Changes
Below are comprehensive lifestyle recommendations for health seekers with Pitta imbalance that will help cool the body, calm the mind, and reduce the heat.
– To pacify Pitta, it is advisable to wake up early in the morning before 6 AM, which naturally cools and clams the heat. Also, start your day with cooling activities or gentle exercises like yoga, walking, or swimming. Practice Sheetali or Sheetkari pranayama (cooling breaths) to reduce internal trapped heat.
– Limit stimulants like caffeine or carbonated drinks that can irritate Pitta. Avoid spicy, sour, salty, and oily foods to avoid pitta-aggravating foods.
– Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep and avoid staying up late to prevent overheating of the nervous system. Avoid going out in excessive heat and directly midday sun between 10 AM to 4 PM. During hot summer days, wear loose, light, cotton clothes in shades like white, pastels, blue or more.
