---

This article appeared in Yoga Aktuell, June/July 2017 issue

 

Summer is finally here - and the temperatures are rising. Staying cool is now the order of the day! With the right Ayurvedic spices and herbs, you can stay in balance and keep a cool head even in the hot season.

 

Summer is many people's favorite season. Vata and Kapha types in particular love the long, warm summer days and feel the beneficial effects of the sun and light. From an Ayurvedic point of view, however, summer also has its pitfalls - especially when it comes to skin, hair and digestive health. To compensate for this, there are special summer spices and herbs that give us a soothing coolness and also ignite the digestive fire.

 

Living in harmony with the rhythm of nature is very important in Ayurveda. The individual seasons have a great influence on physical and mental well-being and reinforce seasonal tendencies to illness. It is interesting to note that Ayurveda describes not four, but six seasons (Rtus) and provides very sophisticated nutritional and health recommendations that are tailored to the specific qualities of the doshas and agni.

 

For example, summer is divided into early summer (May to June) and late summer (July to August), which differ specifically in terms of their different Agni power: Early summer (Grishma-Rtu) is characterized by warmth and dryness, which generate strong Pitta with good digestive power (Agni). Everything that cools - such as sweet, cold, liquid and slightly oily foods and drinks - is particularly recommended now. The favorite spices for this time of year are coriander, turmeric, cardamom and rose petals.

 

Dos

• cold and oily, moist food, e.g. ghi, milk
• nourishing liquids such as fruit juices or buttermilk
• Mangoes and pomegranates
• Desserts with milk, ghi

 

Don'ts

• Alcohol
• salty, sour and spicy foods
• dry, hot and fermented food
• Lamb, beef and pork

 

In late summer (Varsha-Rtu), the rising heat further increases Pitta, which leads to a weakening of the digestive power and an increase in Vata. To balance out the sensitivity and weakness of the body, Ayurveda recommends the consumption of honey, fresh leafy salads, cold-pressed oils and metabolism-stimulating herbs such as basil, rosemary and mint.

 

Dos

• Honey on the daily menu
• Barley and wheat
• Drink warm water
• Milk, ghi, simple butter
• Freshwater fish with aphrodisiac effect

 

Don'ts

• Dry, cold, heavy food such as cheese, kefir, yogurt, curd (consume only in small quantities)
• Chickpeas, peas and other legumes in excess
• fermented, old, stale food
• cold drinks in excess

 

Coriander, the perfect summer spice

 

One of the favorite summer spices in Ayurvedic cuisine is coriander. The fine, aromatic taste of coriander seeds and coriander herb promotes the balance of the fire and water elements in the body and thus has an appetizing and skin-therapeutic effect and activates the digestive and cell renewal process. This makes coriander the ideal metabolic regulator, balancing the opposing qualities of pitta and agni. Just half a teaspoon of coriander seeds in the curry mix helps to reduce excessive Pitta and increase weak Agni in the hot summer months. Coriander seeds also have a positive influence on the psyche (medhya) and regulate vata. Coriander is therefore not only effective against flatulence, but also against lack of concentration, irritability and exhaustion. Used externally, ground coriander seeds can be mixed with turmeric and ghi to make a paste and applied to irritated areas of skin. The mix of coriander seeds with fresh mint, cucumber, fennel