In India most households eat according to season, when its winter you feed your body warming food like corn roti, green leafy vegetables cooked in spices, rice, lots of dal, in summer it's the opposite you feed what's cooling for your body so fruits like mango, watermelon etc, one stays away from tart things, eats veggies like sweet potato, beetroot, nuts etc, stays away from too much processed food.
Our home food habits are so entwined with season that one doesn't need an ayurvedic degree to eat according to ayurved, its just the way of life. One of the benefits of eating seasonal food is it gives the right kind of minerals, energy, vitality to your body, just what your body craves. Since we are in summer season right now I thought I'll write a few things that you can incorporate to eat better and keep your immunity strong.
1. Foods to eat in summer to increase alkaline gut and reduce acidic levels- Green leafy veggies like spinach, rainbow chard, silverbeet, etc, fruits mostly high in water content, cooked grains like rice, millet, barley, wholemeal flour.
2. Drinks for Summer that'll help cool your body - Aam Panna (Green Mango drink), Coconut water, Watermelon juice, berry juice, Cucumber Juice, Lime water, Yogurt based drinks like chaas, lassi and of course Water!
3. Herbs for Summer to add flavour and decrease pitta (fire element in ayurved)- Coriander, MInt
4. Spices to use in summer - Cumin seeds, Ajwain (Carom Seeds), Fennel, Cinnamon
5. DIshes to eat in Summer - Salads like papaya salad, noodle salads etc, Dal, RIce, Khichdi (lentil and rice dish), veggies cooked in little bit oil, simple pasta dishes with minimal sauce.
6. Foods to avoid - Cheese, Processed meats, eggs, Heavy dense food like bread, processed food like chips etc, oily, deep fried, overly spicy foods.
Summer is the time when our body is in its fire element and so its necessary to give it food that's opposite to outside environment, this kind of eating keeps diseases away, keeps mind sound and builds immunity.
Let me know what you like to eat in Summer? :)
Supriya xx
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