august in your body
summer is beginning it’s final hoorah and august signifies the beginning of vata season (dry, cold, light, mobile, etc). the arrival of august signifies a biannual shift in temperature as the weather starts to lean towards the cool darkness of fall and eventually autumn. perhaps you notice how the storms of august usher in cooler air much more readily than those of july. thus begins a time of delicately balancing our preparation for the cooler/darker months and the considerations for the heat and activity that we’ve been in the throes of for a few months.
lifestyle & routine
after the warmth of the earlier summer months have sweated out all of our moisture, august is a vital time to replenish electrolytes and moisturize so that we aren’t taken off guard come the turn of the season (just a few weeks away). take time to maintain solid oil massage routine (abhyanga) and hydration practices (aka this morning bev).
august ushers in a new routine as back to school season begins and vacation season winds down. regardless of where you are in life, this transition time means more traffic (with busses shuttling kids around and people firmly situated back in their work routines). inevitably, this change in energy asks for a change in routine to factor in new commute times, new weather patterns, and proper sunlight exposure. our circadian rhythms begin to fluctuate and these fluctuations lead to insomnia and poor recovery/rest.
the big take away from this time of transition is to dress properly for the weather (layer up for the cooler mornings/evenings), keep our bodies a bit warmer at bedtime (to counter the insomnia of late summer), and continue to prioritize a solid bedtime (and bed time routine) to keep the nighttime repair cycles on track and efficient.
diet staples
as within so without, and, as the season shift slides into place, our bodies start to crave the sweet and nourishing foods of autumn. coming off of the heatwaves of july, we are easily depleted, so building/fatty foods will lay a solid foundation for our pre-fall preparation. some examples of these foods include yogurt, beans, nuts, fish, root veggies, avocado, oils.
it’s also vitally important to continue staying hydrated with the summer heat still on and the body sweating throughout the day. hydrating with just water actually often turns into dehydration so liquid foods are a great opportunity to both hydrate and nourish. foods such as grapes, cucumbers, melons, peaches, tomatoes, and squashes are a great fit with their juiciness keeping us fueled with vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies running properly.
what’s next
summer is winding down and the days are getting shorter, so now is a good time to restore your energy and soak up the last bit of sun as you begin to lay the groundwork in your body for what’s to come. as always, reach out to your friendly neighborhood lifestyle consultant if you need a hand getting started.
morning marg
makes 32oz of electrolyte goodness
what you’ll need
32 oz glass jar
1 lime
a healthy pinch of salt
1/2 tbsp cilantro
how you’ll prepare it
mix it all up and refrigerate.
ways you can consume it
add a dash to some tequila in the evening
consume with psyllium husk in the morning
dessert rice
makes a week’s worth of breakfasts
what you’ll need
1 c dates, chopped
1 1/2 c basmati rice
1/2 c almonds
1 tbsp poppy seeds
cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, any warm and sweet herb
1 tbsp ghee
how you’ll prepare it
melt ghee on stove top (in pan, preferred)— add rice and mix til fully coated and aromatic.
add water and bring to a boil.
add chopped dates, almonds, and poppy seeds— bring to a simmer.
leave covered and toss seasonings in when water begins to reduce.
ways you can consume it
add a drizzle of maple syrup or honey w/ some craisins.
plate w/ cottage cheese and a drizzle of honey for a robust brekkie.
have for dessert with a scoop of ice cream.
tastes great cold or warm.
you are what you eat
as the saying goes— you are what you eat. but what does that mean and how does that happen? how does our full plate of dinner transform into the building materials that we use to heal and nourish our bodies daily? in ayurveda, there are a handful of theories to explain how we become what we consume— for the purposes of this blog post, we’ll focus on one: the irrigation theory. before we can fully dive into that, let’s back track a bit to understand the picture of what our digestion is from this eastern perspective.
agni
ayurveda uses qualitative understanding of the world around us as a framework to perceive our imbalances and simplify our solutions. building on a basic understanding of the five main elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether), we can begin to categorize concepts, such as bodily functions. as it pertains to our digestion, ayurveda refers to our digestive fire as agni. the qualities of fire are the same qualities that we see in our body as we digest that which we consume: related to energy and light. there is a transformative power in fire that we can also see in the transformation of the food stuffs we consume. so what does this transformation process look like?
irrigation theory
one theory of digestion is the irrigation theory. our food stuffs hits our agni (or digestive fire) and, much like a train route, makes stops at 7 stations (our tissues) letting passengers off at each stop til it hits the final destination and all remaining passengers hop off.
the nutritive path runs along the most prevalent to least/most subtle tissues in the body so think: rasa (lymph), rakta (red blood), mamsa (muscle), meda (fat), asthi (bone), majja (nerves), shukra (reproductive tissues). each tissue takes about 5 days to assimilate the nutrients it needs before the next tissue gets it’s pickins. this process lasts about 35 days (give or take).
what does this mean
in a world full of instant gratification, having a framework that offers some form of timeline to keep in mind is extremely useful. when you make dietary or lifestyle changes, it’s hard to maintain patience with the process after a few weeks with hard-to-notice shifts.
the value of this theory of metabolism offers us a timestamp to check back to see how things really have changed. circling back to the elemental understanding of the universe, when we experience what appears to be a hot imbalance (rashes, headache, bleeding), giving a cold quality intervention the proper time to take effect is vitally important to keeping consistency.
TL;DR— the real saying goes “you are what you eat and assimilate”, so eat for how you feel and continue to dial into your intiutions.
july in your body
now that summer is in full swing, july brings in cookout season, summer camps, and longer days for socializing and getting sunlight. the heat continues to build up after the warmth of late-may and june and it starts to settle in your tissues. tissues associated with heat include the blood, the digestive tissues, and the nervous system— so finding cooling and balancing practices this time of year are pivotal for maintain systemic equilibrium.
lifestyle & routine
because like increases like, the sunny and warm aspect of the summer months motivates us to get outside, get active, and get involved. during july, it’s useful to counteract some of this heat by taking time off to do nothing. movement creates heat and heat creates life. with the long days comes the insatiable itch to go outside and play, so having time of inertia is particularly useful around this time.
it can sometimes be hard to find right time to squeeze in time for yourself or create space for even a moment of luxury. excess heat creates irritability and agitation, leaving our nervous system fried and fatigued. taking the time to cool off with something simple and cooling like a hydrosol/face mist helps to reduce the build up in our head.
at the end of the day, a cool shower or spending time in the moon (moon bathing) helps to get our bodies cooled off and ready for a night of restful slumber. continuing to prioritize getting in bed at or before 10pm aids in support the healing of the liver tissues after a day of heat build up, as well. with our skin being the biggest organ on our body, a light layer of coconut oil (called abhyanga) before a cool nighttime shower will boost the cooling process of the body.
the sun is hottest in the midday, so keeping our bodies nourished with something light but nutritive (like a smoothie), will keep your engines running without bogging you down and turning the mood sluggish. over all, our priority remains in maintaining stable meal times and honor our bodies hunger (or fullness) signals.
diet staples
along the same trend as may or june, early july warrants cooling and hydrating foods that are substantial enough to help maintain electrolyte balance. cucumbers, berries, bitter greens, tropical sweets, and melons will all quench your thirst and satiate the dry heat in the mouth. cilantro, fennel, coconut oil, quinoa, fish, and citrus add a splash of flavor to your meal without adding the weight/strain on your digestion.
towards the end of july, though, too much of these hydrating foods will lead to diuresis (or depletion through flushing), triggering dehydration. end of july signals a flip of the switch into late summer, a time to prepare for fall. so late july menu items will include demulcents (think cool and gooey like chia) and sweet taste (which is building and cooling) for nourishing the tissues. menu items begin to include peaches, grapes, chia seeds, white rice, quinoa, sweet potato, carrots, fish, and egg whites.
what’s next
summer is at it’s peak, and cooler days are just around the corner, so continue to rest, relax, recover and then repeat so that you’re time out in life is most fulfilling instead of depleting. and, as always, reach out to your friendly neighborhood lifestyle consultant if you need a hand getting started.