The summer season brings heat. Of the 5 elements (space, air, fire, water and earth), it is the element of fire that dominates this season. For those of you who have a healthy dose of fire or Pitta in your constitution, it is a time to be careful, because your internal fire is amplified by the heat of summer. The summer is also a time of weakness in the body. So pay attention to what your body is asking for and don't push it beyond its capacity. I often give up my intense weight training for cooler options like hiking and swimming.

Think cool. Think alkaline. Think gentle. 

Here are my favourite tips. 

• Eat more fresh, sweet, juicy foods. Natural fruit sugars are cooling and a great option - watermelon, blueberries, peaches and cherries are some of my favourites. 
• Along with sweet, favour the tastes of bitter and astringent. Easy bitter and astringent foods to add in are leafy greens and green vegetables (what's growing seasonally and locally is likely your best bet). For more pure astringent, go with fruits like pomegranate, apple and cranberries. 
• Stay out of the midday sun (from about 11 am to 3 pm). Take in the early morning or late evening sun instead. If you do go out in the sun, dress in loose full sleeved cotton clothes. White natural clothing is the best sun protection, and the only chemical-free sunblock!
• Replace alcohol with non-alcoholic drinks as much as possible. Though it may feel initially cooling to sip on a cocktail, the after effect of alcohol is very heating. Alcohol is like liquid fire in your system! Try mock-tails that use cooling agents like aloe vera juice, lemon, mint, cucumber, lavender, rose petals. ​

​​ My favourite summer beverage
Juice from 1/2 a small lemon
Pinch of rock salt and cumin
Jaggery or maple syrup to taste
Sparkling water and ice to make up one glass.

Yes, I know... life is full! If your life is anything like mine, then the appropriate word may be
"relentless". There is work, and children, and making lunches and dinners, and deadlines, and uninvited sickness, and did I even mention sleep?? 

So if you feel like you need a cleanse, but the idea of a detox this spring is unfathomable, then try these 4 steps to give your body some basic support. They may sound simple, but they will go a long way in helping your body release and reset. You should be able to add them into your regular day without too much restructuring.

My family has recently gotten into granola in a big way. Its a nice, hearty breakfast for those days when we need something snappy.

From the Ayurvedic perspective it is a bit dry for some people (such as myself) whose bodies predominate in cold and dry energies, and so I eat mine in warm almond milk to make it more nourishing for my system.

In the spring, however, as the weather warms, and the ice in the mountains starts melting into gushing streams, our body also starts to release the heaviness that has accumulated in our tissues from the winter. Impurities within the tissues melt into streams and flood into the micro channels inside us.

Growing up in India meant being out everyday in intense sun, eating grass-fed meat, and living the relatively relaxed life of a child. I realize now how it must have been fantastic for my Vitamin D levels as all three of those things are important contributors to our Vitamin D stocks.

Then I moved to the Pacific Northwest. I also slowly turned vegetarian.

In my last post I went into great detail about the value of synchronizing our lifestyle to nature's rhythms on a daily basis. We talked about how each section of the day is governed by a certain energy and how we can benefit from using those times/energies for specific activities. I would like to finish that idea with these two thoughts:

- what an ideal daily routine would look like (adapted to today's world, a bit)

- why Ayurveda believes routine to be one of the most effective tools in preserving health
​
Here is an ideal Ayurvedic daily routine:

Nourishing food, proper rest and regular exercise are commonly recognized health principles. We all agree, and do our best to abide by them. What I found unique to Ayurveda is the strong emphasis on a daily routine based on the changing energetic qualities of the day.

So in this post, I would like to explain how three overarching energetic principles in nature act on us in a daily, 24-hour cycle of work, rest and nourishment.