Parul Kharod
By Parul Kharod
As the temperatures climb, the heat affects our digestion and our temperament. We need to eat food that cools the body.
Ayurveda offers an important concept called “Ritucharya” – a guide for creating a balanced routine according to the seasons. Just as each person has their own nature or dosha, similarly, each season is also associated with its own energy or dosha. During summer months, the Pitta dosha is prominent. Pitta is hot and sharp, so we need to balance those qualities with foods that are cool and bland.
A similar concept exists in traditional Chinese Medicine, where foods are categorized based on their energies. Foods are classified as either heating, cooling, drying or damp. Balancing these energetic properties is important for preserving health and preventing disease.
Let us look at some foods that are cooling, and thus beneficial during the hot summer months.
Tips for summer
• Eat more salads and raw vegetables
• Include more leafy greens and herbs
• Add foods that have more water content such as cucumber, celery, and bitter vegetables
• Include sweet & pulpy fruits such as watermelon, berries, pomegranate, mango, and banana
• Reduce hot foods and drinks, pungent spices, and fried and oily foods
• Limit excess salt and high sodium foods as they may make you more dehydrated
• Eliminate/limit chemical food additives and alcohol
• Include cooling drinks such as coconut water, and water flavored with lime/lemon, mint and basil
• Use spices such as cumin, coriander, and fennel, which are cooling
• Choose easier to digest and cooling grains like Barley (Jau/Jav), Finger Millet (Ragi), Sorghum (Jowar), Barnyard Millet (Sama). Millets can help protect from heat exhaustion, migraines and sunstrokes
• Choose easier to digest legumes such as mung and moth; choose more sprouts
• Drink room temperature or slightly cooler water, but avoid drinking ice cold beverages as that can disturb normal digestion
Fennel Mint Infused Water
Sip on this refreshing drink to beat the heat!
Directions
Start by heating 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Add a handful of mint leaves. Once the water comes to a boil, take it off the heat and let it cool.
In a jar or your water bottle, add 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds. You can add slices of cucumber and/or lime.
Strain the cooled water into the bottle. Add some fresh mint leaves for extra taste. Add a couple of ice cubes if needed.
Here are a couple more recipes to try during the hot summer months.
Jowar Khichdi
This is an easy to digest meal – great for dinners in the summer.
Ingredients
1 cup jowar (use the whole sorghum seeds, not the flour)
½ cup moong dal, split yellow or green with skin
1 tablespoon ghee, peanut or sesame oil
Whole spices – 1-inch piece cinnamon, two green cardamom pods, two cloves, 2 bay leaves and 1 ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
Vegetables – peeled/diced: 1-2 carrots, ½ lauki (dudhi), 1 green bell pepper, ½ cup green peas (you can also add fresh/frozen spinach)
1-inch knob ginger
½ teaspoon turmeric
Salt to taste
½ cup cilantro
Directions
Place the jowar in a bowl. Rinse and soak for 6-8 hours. Soak the mung dal for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse both daal and jowar before cooking. In an Instant Pot, start the Sauté mode, and add ghee or oil. Add the whole spices.
Sauté for a few minutes, then add the cut vegetables. Add the dal, jowar, salt, and other spices. Add 5 cups of water and stir everything. Close the lid and cook in pressure mode for 20 minutes. Let the pressure be released naturally. Open the lid and stir well. Add ½ cup chopped cilantro. Adjust consistency by adding water if needed.
Serve it with a dollop of ghee, yogurt or buttermilk.
Watermelon Salad
Great for lunches and picnics!
Ingredients
6 cups watermelon pieces
3-4 large tomatoes, cut into pieces
4-5 Persian cucumbers, cut into chunks
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
½ cup sliced mint leaves
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon roasted cumin seed powder
1 teaspoon chat masala (optional)
Mix everything in a large bowl and refrigerate. Eat chilled!
Variation – you can add other ingredients such as avocado or feta cheese.
Parul Kharod is a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist and works as a Clinical Dietitian. She can be reached at parulkharod@gmail.com
