Stay Cool: Good Foods for the Summer Season and Sun Tea Recipe!

 

We are fully into Pitta season!  I hope you are finding ways to stay cool to release the heat and intensity of the summer. 

 

In order to pacify or calm the hot, bright, and sharp qualities of Pitta we want to eat foods that are cool, dry and slightly heavy.  Favor the tastes of Sweet, Bitter and Astringent.  Sweet taste includes sweet fruit, dates, ghee, rice, wheat, coconut, cucumber, zucchini and summer squashes. Some examples of bitter taste are lettuces and most greens like kale, collards and swiss chard. Some foods with the  Astringent taste are most beans,  broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, artichokes, celery, and green beans and okra (they both also have sweet taste).  During Pitta season is when our digestion is strongest, and it is therefore the best time to eat raw vegetables and salads, as they are harder for our bodies to digest than cooked foods.

 

Good spices and seasonings for the season include cilantro/coriander, mint, fennel, dill, saffron, turmeric, cardamom, vanilla and rosewater (Rosewater spray is also great to spritz on our faces, neck and wrists when over heated).

 

Yesterday I made my favorite summer drink:  Hibiscus Mint Sun Tea.  I have posted the recipe before, click on recipes, and you will find it.  If you do not have a gallon jar, you can use a smaller one and adjust the quantities of the ingredients accordingly.

 

Enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions!