How is the heatwave impacting you?

Has the increased heat at nights caused you to sleep more fitfully? Some people have noticed changes in digestion with occasional heartburn or hyperacidity in the stomach. Others have commented on their skin becoming more parched, or have an increase of acne or skin rashes. What effect has the extreme heat had on you?

A heatwave can also affect your mind and emotions causing an increase of fiery or controlling tendencies.

Are you more easily frustrated or find yourself short-tempered?
Do you become irate more easily?
Have you had an increase in feeling aggression?

If so, the aggression may be more easily identified when driving as impatience, anger or feeling critical of other drivers, or in the extreme expressing criticism, anger or road rage.

Fiery Heat Within and Without

As the quality of heat increases outside our internal thermostat works to help maintain balance for us. When high levels of external heat are maintained for a number of days or weeks your body’s capacity to maintain balance of Pitta dosha can become challenging.

We all have some Pitta qualities within us as the fiery Pitta dosha guides all kinds of transformation and governs, in particular, all things heat-related, including the fires of your digestion and metabolism. Consider the following characteristics of balanced Pitta dosha:

Do you have robust health, with excellent digestion, strong immunity and if you do get sick find you are resilient once recovered?
Would you say you have strong energy?
Have you been told you have a strong sense of what is right for you and can be strong-willed?
Do you have a sharp intellect?
Are you naturally determined when working towards a goal?
Are you passionate about what you care about?
Do you regularly experience joy?
Does an attitude of gratitude come easily to you?
Are you courageous, ambitions and a natural leader?
Do you naturally have a glowing radiant skin?
Do you like order and being organised?

When Pitta becomes imbalanced during heat waves or an unusually warm summer season it can be time to consider how to cool Pitta dosha to support wholesome digestion and a healthy glowing complexion!

How to Nourish your Skin during Hot Weather

Ayurveda considers food to be medicine and look towards the fruit and vegetables grown during summer along with the use of Ghee to help balance and nourish us at this time. Thus the sweet, juicy fruits of summer along with salads, wok-style vegetables using ghee and plenty of seasonal vegetables are key choices when wanting to cool and nourish your skin.

See Pitta balancing food list here

Original Ayurveda Bio Ghee

This golden liquid made from butter gently heated until it becomes free of milk proteins and lactose is highly praised in Ayurveda. It is considered one of the greatest of foods and has been used for a very long time to prepare wholesome nourishing foods. Include Ghee into your daily diet and cooking this summer instead of butter, oil or fat. It is known to have a cooling effect which helps to balance fiery Pitta within helping to form healthy glowing skin. Plus it adds a lovely flavour and enhances the taste too!

Support Skin Formation from Within

Behind glowing skin is a skin-building process that starts well below the top layer of skin. The Radiant Skin Collection consisting of Radiant Skin tablets (MA926) and Radiant Skin Oil work together to nourish from the deepest levels of skin formation, while also protecting and caring for the outer layer of skin. It’s a winning combination.

Radiant Skin (MA926) tablets

This precise blend of 14 rare herbs works in a synergistic way to provide high-quality nutrition for the skin while reducing internal toxins from poor or improper digestion. Key ingredients include Indian tinospora and Neem to help eliminate impurities and promote skin health. Radiant skin tablets:

Help detoxify the liver and the blood
Help purify blood cells
Promote balance of skin moisture and temperature
Help remove toxins from all parts of the body and promote healthy kidney and liver function
Help to open the pores of the skin for healthy elimination

Radiant Skin Oil

This Certified Natural Cosmetic (COSMOS Natural) contains pure oils from almonds, wheat germ and sandalwood which is very cooling to help revitalise and nourish your skin. Just one to two drops of this beautifully smooth oil is rich in Vitamin A which is known to promote skin regeneration. Radiant Skin Oil is nourishing for the skin of both women and men.

Handy Tips

A spritz of rose water over the face and neck is delightfully fragrant, soothing and cooling during hot weather.
To soothe the eyes and fine skin around the eyes place a slice of cucumber over each eye while lying down. Rest in this way for 10-15 minutes.
If feeling very hot, avoid taking ice-cold drinks or applying ice cold packs to the body as they cause a shock. Instead take sips of room temperature to cool water and sip Cooling Pitta tea, which can be taken cool or can be added to sweet juices of summer fruits.
Cool the body down by running water over the wrists or placing a wet cloth over the back of the neck and forehead.
Be sure to wear clothes that ‘breathe easily’ such as clothes made from cotton or natural fibres.

The combination of internal and external support suggested above is very helpful during extreme heat as it helps to protect and nourish from the inside and outside.

Food as Medicine

Try this tasty Courgette Supreme which is a mix of Courgette with cooling and tasty Coconut Cream and Pitta Mild Seasoning to enhance digestion without overheating it. Perfect for summertime!

Courgette Supreme

4 Courgettes
1 cm of Turmeric root
1.5 cm of Ginger root
200 ml of Coconut Cream
1 tsp Pitta Mild Seasoning
2-3 tsp of Ghee
¼ tsp of Rock Salt
Coriander for garnishing

Method

Cut the courgettes lengthwise into halves. Heat your oven 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4. Put the courgettes in a roasting dish in a single layer. Melt the ghee and pour over the courgettes. Sprinkle the rock salt over the courgettes. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking until they are nice and crispy.

Grate the Turmeric and Ginger root finely. Add Coconut Cream, Pitta Mild Seasoning along with the grated Turmeric and Ginger root into a pot and warm.

Serve the courgettes on plates covered with the Coconut Cream sauce and garnished with Coriander.

Enjoy! Wishing you the bliss of balance

Linda Sinden, Maharishi AyurVeda Consultant

Linda Sinden has been a practising Maharishi Ayurveda Consultant since 1990 and is a regular contributor to our health articles. She has a practice in Auckland, New Zealand and also provides phone or Skype sessions for those who need assistance, but don’t have a consultant in their vicinity.
Email: lindasinden@orbislife.co.nz
Mobile: +64 212237525
Skype: Linda.Sinden

DISCLAIMER: The information in this document is presented for the sole purpose of imparting education on Maharishi AyurVeda and neither the information nor the products are intended to diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure or prevent any disease. If you have a medical condition or are pregnant or lactating, please consult a health professional and it is recommended that you speak with your physician before making significant changes to your diet or routine.