Finally, summer has arrived and it’s warm and sunny. We rise earlier and the sun will already be up. We spend more of our hours outdoors, with the sun rising high in the sky and beating down hotter than ever,  setting even later in the day.

All of the heat, sun and warmth feel so good after a long rainy spring season. Overdoing it though can tax our systems – heat exhaustion, sunburn, heat stroke and hyponutremia are all common ailments from spending too many active hours in the hot sun.

You can easily counteract the warm, dry effects of summer by making a few simple changes:

Eat cooling foods – in Ayurveda, the ancient Indian holistic health system, cooling foods are those that have a cooling nature (not necessarily cold). The flavors that cool are sweet, bitter and astringent foods.

Sweet foods include summer fruits (peaches, plums, melons, berries, cherries, pears), coconuts, dates, and sweet rice pudding.

Some bitter foods include bitter melon and dark leafy greens like broccoli rabe and dandelion.

Astringent (drying) foods include beans, lentils, turmeric, cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage and cilantro

Keep cool – stay out of the sun during the peak hours  (10 am – 2 pm) or try to limit your sun exposure. If you exercise outside, try to do it in the early morning or evening if possible.

Drink cool (but not cold) liquids – we tend to lose more fluids in the heat of summer. Drinking cold water can help replenish them. But don’t drink ice cold water all of the time – this can put out your internal digestive fire. Opt for cold, but not iced, water instead.

Want to learn more tips on staying cool? Sign up for my free teleclass!

Stay cool this summer

When: Thursday, June 30
Where: On the phone
RSVP: e-mail me if you want to attend and I will send you the details

• Delicious Life at Omala
• Recipe: Fall Cleanse Kichadi
• Recipes: Warming Kichadi