…the most alert to change of your Common Senses. Summer means heat, changes to your routine because of vacations and spontaneous changing of plans because of weather. A very uncomfortable season for this kind of body.
They melt in the heat and aren’t naturally spontaneous. They like their surroundings cool and their lives scheduled .Summer means a change in everyone’s regular schedule. Plans change with the weather. Vacations change normal routines. Staying flexible is important for avoiding stress. Stress makes the heat feel worse.
There are lots of ways to keep your cool in the summer.Keep on as much of your routine as you can. Same meal times, same bedtimes every day. Use more lemon in your every day life. A slice in your water will help replace vitamins and minerals lost from sweating. Lemon in your food cools you off. Use it at least once a day in your snacks/meals on a hot day. Lemon air freshener or candles is aromatherapy to help cool you off. Having a small bowl of lemons on your counter brightens and calms your mind every time you see it.
Brew a quart of mint tea every evening. I like spearmint, but it can be any variety of mint that you are fond of. Chocolate peppermint is a really fun flavor on a hot day. Orange mint with a slice of fruit is also a wonderful change of pace. Make it fun. See what fresh varieties you can find at the farmers market.
How to make strong mint tea…It takes a small fistful of fresh mint leaves, or two tablespoons of dried mint, per quart of water. Bring the water to a boil, take it off the heat, stir in the mint, cover and let sit for twenty minutes. Strain out the herb, put your tea in the fridge overnight. In the morning, add either honey or maple syrup to the sweetness you prefer. Drink all of it during a hot day. Per person in the house.
I learned about mint tea when I lived in the south. Yes, it’s a very tasty way to stay hydrated. It is also self-care in the heat at it’s finest. Mint brings your body temperature down considerably in just a few minutes. Perfect just before going to bed on a hot, sticky night.
Wear a hat and sunglasses whenever it’s sunny. Keeping heat off of your head cools your whole body. Glare stresses your eyes and your mind. Stress of any kind makes you feel hotter. Keeping your cool means not stressing your body, mind or spirit.
Make sure your feet don’t get hot in shoes and socks that are too heavy for the heat. Your feet need to release excess body heat. Nobody wears their winter snow boots in July for a reason. The same kind of heat build up happens in any shoe that makes your feet sweat. Non-breathing sneakers and boots combined with heavy socks equal heat stroke.
Calming activities are hiking in shady woods, playing in water, doing puzzles of any kind, flower arranging (use cool colors of green, blue, violet and white), playing cards with at least one other person and writing of any kind.
Symptoms of being overheated can come from your body, mind or spirit. If you ignore them, they will get worse. Time to cool off if any of the following are happening: Over critical, trouble letting go of an issue, rashes, eczema, dry cough with a tight chest, sinus headache, dry hair, dry skin, not enough sweat, stiff spine, constipation, dry/cracked nails, scanty urine, dry nose/throat and tight muscles.
Cooling foods include: Apples, applesauce, fresh apricots, asparagus, avocados, bananas, fresh basil, beans, beet greens, sweet berries, cooked broccoli, brussel sprouts, cooked carrots, cooked cauliflower, chard, mango chutney, cilantro, coconut oil, fresh corn, cucumber, dandelion greens, dill, dulse, egg white, mild flavored fish, ghee, grapes, grape leaf, leafy greens, green beans, kale, lemon, lemonade with honey or maple syrup, lentils, lettuce, maple syrup, mushrooms
Oats, cooked onions, fresh parsley, parsnip, pear, ripe sweet peppers, fresh plum, pomegranate, saffron, spearmint, sprouts, spaghetti squash summer squash, black or green tea, cold tea (no ice, it stops digestion), fresh tomatoes, watercress, watermelon, wintergreen, zucchini
Foods to avoid, or use in balanced moderation: Dried beans, beef, yeasted bread, carbonated beverages, raw carrots, dairy of any kind, duck, oily fish, grapefruit, ham, ice cream, icy drinks, sour cherry juice, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, orange juice, papaya juice, tomato juice, V-8 juice, kiwi, lamb, lemonade unless sweetened with honey or maple syrup, mayonnaise, melon, most milk varieties (only goat milk is okay), miso, molasses
Nuts in moderation (no more than a fistful a day, total), black olives, green olives, oranges, papaya, pickles, pineapple, sweet plums, pork, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, psyllium seed, pumpkin, rhubarb, rice, safflower oil, salt, sesame oil, white sugar, sour cream, soy sauce, soy products, winter squash, tahini, tamari, dark meat turkey, vinegar, walnut oil
