Easy Summer Pitta-Pacifying Recipes

One of the delights of summer is the joyful abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables tumbling off the grocery shelves. According to Ayurveda, sweet fruits and bitter greens help pacify the pitta dosha. According to the scientific community (and our own common sense) fruits and veggies also help protect us from falling ill.

A recent international research study conducted by the University of Adelaide found that people who consumed a diet high in fruit, vegetables, and whole grains had a lower risk of developing a host of chronic health woes, including anemia, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, arthritis, hepatitis, coronary heart disease, asthma, stroke, bone fractures, and cancer. The study found that a high intake of fruit was associated with a lower risk of developing any chronic disease, while a high intake of vegetables may help people with one chronic disease avoid developing a second. Here are some delightful pitta-pacifying recipes to try this summer!

Cooling Mint Tea
1 cup fresh peppermint leaves
1 quart boiling water
1 quart room temperature water
2 teaspoons sweetener

Pour the quart of boiling water over the mint leaves. Cover and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain the tea into a pitcher or glass jar. Add a sweetener. If you are adding honey, make sure the water has cooled down first. This is a great drink for aiding digestion. Drink at room temperature for maximum assimilation. Remember that iced and chilled drinks dampen our digestive fires, making it difficult to properly digest our food.

Asparagus and/or carrots with lemon-herb sauce
Steam your chosen amounts of asparagus and/or carrots to the point where they are “fork-friendly.” This means a little less firm than al dente but not soft or mushy. Then pour the following lemon-herb sauce over the vegetables.

Lemon-Herb Sauce: Juice one lemon. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of honey (use only unheated honey). Mix together in a blender with a few leaves of fresh basil and mint. Puree until smooth.

Cucumber Raita
This side dish goes well with dhal, rice, curries, and other Indian dishes.
Combine in a mixing bowl:
1 cup fresh yogurt
¼ cup cucumber, peeled and diced finely
1 tablespoon ginger root, peeled and grated
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro (the leaves of the coriander plant)
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
salt to taste

Dandelion Salad
If your lawn is full of dandelions, stop complaining and start picking! Dandelions are one of the most nutrient-dense plants you can eat. Their leaves, when young and tender, have a slightly bitter taste like that of arugula. The older the plant, the more bitter the greens. Before you start picking, be sure that the yard in which the dandelions are growing has not been treated with toxic chemicals.
1 cup dandelion greens, washed and dried
8 large leaves of butter lettuce, washed and dried
½ cup feta cheese or goat cheese, chopped or crumbled

Dressing
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 cup olive oil
sweetener to taste (just a bit is needed)
1 tomato chopped
fresh basil
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Boiling the dandelion greens is better for older, larger leaves as it removes their bitterness. You may even want to boil older, tougher greens twice. If so, boil once for 2 minutes; then, drain and boil again for 2 minutes.

For information on consultations with Ayurveda experts or to take a dosha quiz and discover your individual mind/body type, visit us at our clinic or online.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

Yoga Tips for Pitta

Pitta types tend to have the best focus and determination of the three Ayurvedic types. As yoga practitioners, they’re  able to maintain a very disciplined practice once oriented correctly, due to their innate physical and mental qualities. First, however, pittas must understand their strengths and limitations. In general, pitta individuals tend to overheat and become irritable and may even lack the patience to begin a yoga practice. Because of their determination, they may overdo postures, becoming aggressive with themselves, and they tend stick to poses they can do well while ignoring the ones that they are most in need of developing further.

According to Ayurveda pitta types will do best with a practice that fosters equilibrium. Pittas should perform asanas that are cooling, nurturing, expansive, and relaxing. This type of practice requires slow, deep breathing and quiet sitting between strong asanas, releasing any stress that has developed. This doesn’t mean that pittas should totally avoid challenging poses, but if they do practice such poses, they should make sure to compensate for any heat created by ending with cooling postures and pranayama.

People with an imbalance in the pitta dosha tend to suffer from excess heat in their bodies. Poses that extend the solar plexus (where pitta resides) help dissipate heat, calming and cooling the body; however, it’s important not to fall for the temptation to cool pitta indiscriminately—our bellies should always be warm, but our heads, cool. Pitta types tend to be good at most asanas but their relatively compact bones make it hard for them to do some poses that rangy vata types find easy.

In general, a pitta person’s yoga practice should cool the head and blood, calm the heart, and relieve tension, fostering compassion, acceptance, and relaxation. It should achieve these ends through unforced effort. Pittas can cultivate this type of practice by following some basic guidelines: 

• Have fun in your poses. Do not take yourself or your pose too seriously. 

• Enjoy movement in your poses. 

• Soften your gaze downward, focus on the horizon, or even practice with your eyes closed. 

• Allow freedom and creativity in your practice. Change it up. Avoid sticking to one style or series of poses. 

• Practice in a moderately cool space. You do not want to get cold, but pittas should avoid practicing in overheated spaces. 

• Focus on the yoga experience in your body, not your brain. 

• Work at 80 percent effort. 

• Avoid being judgmental and critical of yourself. 

• Make sure you have plenty of practice space. 

• Remind yourself that yoga is not a competition. 

• Focus on your exhalation. 

• Use the exhalation to let go and release any built-up anger, frustration, stress, etc. 

• Be aware of your breath in the back of your body. 

• Practice plenty of twists and side-body openers. 

• Notice the position of your ribs; draw them back into your body. 

• Benefit from practicing at a moderate pace. 

• Remind yourself that less is more.

For more information on how to balance pitta email us. We have loads of information we love to share!

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.