Pitta season is usually when heat starts up in the summer, but sometimes that can be sooner.
We’re reminded of our planet. And we can celebrate with cooling foods like pineapple, cumin, and yogurts. A Hawaiian pizza with pineapple below.
Celebrating a brownie with pineapple, cherry, and Greek yogurt funfetti never gets old! 🎉
Heat, heat, heat. And more heat.
That’s what Pitta season is about. Along with the bloom and celebration comes heat that is deceivingly dangerous. The solution: cool moisture. And I have some reminder hydrating tips below.
You may not be a Pitta, but Pitta season is a scorcher. Jumping in a cooling pool will give you a few minutes of relief but won’t help you from leathering up or collecting sun-kissed freckles… that I probably don’t need to remind you, catch up with you in sunspots and wrinkles when you get to the mirror.
So in that vain, prevention is always the best and easiest method.
Especially when you’re on vacation, you may forget how much moisturizing love the skin really needs.
And if you’re like me and tend to forget the SPF before heading out, do it first thing and bring it with you.
We can’t get away with SPF 0 or 2 like we once did, especially if you want to look good at mid-life. Try 50 (or 52 😉).
And when you’re back home, revive your skin by washing off the layer of SPF skin protection not needed indoors.
Steam is going to restore you and your skin back. And your critical-minutes after shower routine minutes will set the tone.
The right moisturizing lotion after showering helps to embalm the moisture.
There’s no one-size fits all for products (and that’s probably one of the reasons why there are so many options available). And once you find your formula or brand that works for you, stick with that.
And, use a spritzing facial spray. I like rosewater (good for Pitta moods). If you don’t like the scent, you can choose a mint cooling spray.
That sets you on your merry way to start the second half of your day.
Mint btw, is also good for keeping away some flying insects that can really kick up the Pitta annoyed emotions.
Also, Witch Hazel has become a favorite oldie but goodie astringent that draws oil out that irritates (Pitta) heated and dry skin.
And if you like floral scents like jasmine, lavender, or rose, go with that which also helps the body cool or calm from a mind-body perspective.
It’s also a good reminder to: stop and smell the flowers.
Or magnolias in my case (known for symbolizing joy, love, and purity):
Look at this moisture-rich magnolia flower 💮
When you’re out, you also want to use an SPF lip balm. The higher SPF, the better.
At home, I use Burt’s Bees brand when no SPF is needed.
And a lip scrub, and then dab a little honey on the lips that moisturizes and keeps lips supple… trust me I’m all about the lip management with full lips. 🫦
I learned early on that lips don’t tan. 😅
And honey also has been used for centuries for skin inflammation as well as dehydration.
As you age, you notice the drier spots. The good news is your moisture-love efforts, accumulate.
Same with drinking water. If you use an aluminum bottle over glass, that can be super cooling.
And keep plenty of juicy fruits around as sweet snacks, such as healthy tropical fruits: pineapple, kiwi, and peeled-off skin grapes.
Remember to keep these quick reminders in mind during warm Pitta seasons. They could save you from dehydrating and provide easy-fix headache remedies… we don’t need to complicate the simple.
Moisturize if your skin is dry may be what’s needed for you in these climate changing times. And if you’re experiencing eczema skin or other dryness signs, you’ll want to drench yourself and let these tips soak in like I did when I first discovered an eczema flair-up due to global warming…
And if that’s you, you’ve come to the right place for moisturize tips…
With global warming and climate change (plus global cooling) on the reality fast rise, the outdoor dry air is becoming more dry, and this plays extra havoc on our affected bodies… down to the hypodermis and skin cells level.
In awareness, you can proactively moisturize (more), make healthy changes (10 tips below to check off), and not be blind-sided by your body’s need to adjust naturally.
You may find yourself needing more products as I did… and I ended up in the hospital emergency room because of a dry foot. Can you imagine!?
But I found I needed more than moisturizers and products with hyaluronic acid for soothing parched skin.
It was like a body heat rash sun burn, but was eczema.
I felt good drinking more water and eating 90% water fruits like melons which wasn’t enough, but it was a start.
And a watermelon sorbet helps as hydrating and cooling that can help restore your body temperature.
But if you feel like you’re drinking water like a camel and keep moisturizing like it’s already winter (and you’re still dry), there’s nothing wrong with you…
Climate change can affect sensitive skin with symptoms you may never have had before.
For me, I had good skin and there was no need to moisturize certain body parts regularly up until a few years ago when I learned about eczema as a diagnosis.
Eczema complicated my situation where I ended up in a hospital emergency room.
One good daily check is your home thermostat.
Another is your body thermostat. This will feel different despite our 98°F/36°C human bodies.
One of the first places to transition is testing the shower water temperatures you’re using based on outdoor temperatures and your body (balanced or imbalanced).
If it’s hot outside or you feel hot, getting used to the cooler shower water temperatures will do your body good.
You can start on cool and end on cool water temps if you’re high in Pitta or it’s summer.
Scalding hot will always be harsh on the skin even if you’re leaning into Vata and Kapha preferences that like the nourishing and comforting heat. And yes… feeling more anxiety or clingy in any way are related.
For Vata and Kaphas, you may already be on the cooler side, so a little warmer to start and end is good.
That’s one way of how knowing what your Ayurvedic body imbalances are now that can help you.
And you can restore them without intervention.
Self-care and prioritizing our prized bodies above our stuff keep us running optimally through the seasons.
And just like you change out your clothes from summer to autumn and winter, you want to change your routines and habits for your changing body.
Our skin, as our largest organ, acts as a barrier to our internal body organs we can’t see.
Your skin is constantly changing, and renewing and a great place to start.
Retinol (that I learned as the stronger Retin-A from youth) can help that process along if a little doesn’t irritate your skin too much.
10 Moisturize Self-Care Tips:
FOR SKIN AND SPECIFIC BODY PARTS
At the bare minimum, take care of the entry points on your body.
1) Eyes: Your eyes aren’t just the window to your soul, they are the gateway to how you see the world. And if you have dry eyes, that’s one fuzzy world!
Adding eye drops helps (and especially if you’re on your digital devices more than ever).
Blue light blocking UVB glasses are necessary as you never know when you’ll be walking in the strong sun and don’t want to end up with cataracts or eye diseases that’s a reality for aging people. I learned that from my mom.
As a society, we can seem to care more about what fashionable pair of specs we’re wearing and forget about our precious eyes.
Needing to moisturize our eyes when we wake up lets us know we’ve slept that swimming fish don’t need (not even the smart Dr. Seuss Goldfish ones 😉).
That could be a habit stack for us along with nasal saline drops (another main entrance into the body).
The Neti pot is a nasal cleansing habit I do weekly and when kept up with is effective to prevent nasty sinus infections.
2) Lips: Daily real self-care things can seem small (and sometimes inconvenient or annoying) but you’re naturally given your refined parts like tender soft lips so you can chew with your mouth closed (unlike a cute monkey-ape that happily spits out food in its company).
At home, I like to bring in outdoor local wonderment by using organic honey, a household-must in more ways than one.
One way you may not have thought about is using honey to moisturize dry lips. It’s better than Vaseline because it’s edible.
Glossy raw honey works better than a honey lip balm, especially if you’re about to eat or drink.
…Plus you get a ‘lil sweet taste in that’s always a plus for a sweet tooth 😉
Honey lips stay supple because the natural humectant locks in the moisture.
And even helps for little salty cuts on the sides of your lips in between the top and bottom lip, if that happens to you like it does for me.
Honey is also antibacterial. The B.C. Egyptians are credited for discovering honey as a secret medicinal ingredient.
They lived like the Kardashians and Queen bees.
Honey back then meant luxury. I wonder if the Queen Bee would’ve adapted to today’s changing climate.
We still know that nature provides the best sources and resources where natural solutions can be the best answers to our problems.
…And this is why our natural bodies intuitively know what we need (and that I’m super passionate about in Ayurveda).
Our bodies are connection points to our mind and spirit that make us above other mammals.
For honey, depending on your need, you can find a local raw honey source in your area or you use a good standby like Manuka honey (native to Australia/New Zealand) that has become the gold standard and is pricier.
If you buy processed honey fillers, those aren’t the same.
The sugar honey bear shows his age as he crystallizes. and is not one you want to add to your medicinal cabinet, as cute and wallet-friendly as a honey celebrity that he is. 🍯
3) Whole-body moisturize (before and) after showering for prevention.
If your skin feels raisin dry, steaming in the warm shower helps.
If right after exiting the shower, you moisturize right away, you can seal in the moisture on certain dry parts with a product like Vaseline lotion that has petrolatum (it’s like adding a protective wax or protective coat).
The rose pink Vaseline version is good for heated Pitta moments.
And then add your favorite lotion if you’re still feeling dry skin. That’s a good habit to get into.
We all have different skin so I mention a few good ingredients here that you can see what works for you…
In the evening, you can mix it up with shea butter, coconut or avocado oil, or Ceramide 3 lotions.
You may even want to moisturize a few times each day if you are super dry.
That’s what I do, as needed.
I use different unscented or fragrance-free moisturizers that don’t have harmful phthalates.
Phtalates are the skin ingredients that you want to avoid where you don’t see immediate effects to health.
I also keep natural, great citrusy scented hand creams close by.
Mixing it up (biodiversity) helps your body to adapt better to changing body and climate situations in the your environment.
When in doubt or confused of what to select… don’t let all the hoopla of different ingredients overwhelm you, but focus on 3 main things… moisturize, moisturize, and moisturize!
But if more severe and you need to soothe itchy skin inflammations, look for ingredients like aloe, colloidal oatmeal, vitamins C and E, and healthy oils (coconut, carrot seed, olive oils… if you can eat it, then you know it’s skin-safe and good food moisturizing ideas).
Don’t forget honey too… it’s sticky good!
For dryness around your scalp, you can try coconut oil and other moisturizers that you’re not allergic to.
The scalp isn’t as delicate as the face where you want to avoid oils.
Try to leave in after your shower (or let soak in before you shower). We’re so quick to get cleaned off from the greasiness, but that’s sheer bathing luxury for your skin.
4) Salve and sesame oil: for dryness on and around nails and cuticles. You want to let your nails breathe (if you usually have them polished or wear artificial nails).
Cooler weather is a good time to let your nails go au naturel for in between breathing days.
That also gives you a break from year-round time consuming and costly nail maintenance… that can be a huge breath of fresh air!
This is a moist salve (good for dry cuticles) and dry lips, essential oil spray for pillow or yoga mats, and moist lip balm almost as good as honey… PLUS a nice quote!
5) Shea Butter: For rough sandpaper hands or feet, an emollient-softening lotion with shea butter can feel rich and good.
Hands and feet tend to be the first places that can get very dry so take extra mani-pedi self-care measures.
Keep lotion by your computer, desk, and body so you can use throughout the day as needed or when you remember (and see it).
6) Aloe: Is another great skin quencher and is not fussy or sticky.
It’s naturally clear color like water (not the Kermit frog green dye color you may have seen that sells better).
And pure aloe is water to your skin. I never used to use aloe regularly. I only used it to quickly heal skin burns from kitchen heat accidents.
But now it’s a great non-greasy moistener for in-between moisturizing with lotions.
It’s like a sip of water to your skin, that is better than nothing when your skin is parched… it’s like drinking water on your skin, and it can tie-you over until you get a full moisturizer on.
It has saved me many times in the dry summer!
FOOD AND DRINKS
7) Water andCoconut water: Is super hydrating from the natural Super Fruit.
VitaCoco water is hydrolyzing, and can help if you’re not sugar-sensitive.
If you are, there’s nothing more pure than plain water.
Natural water like Voss and Fiji water are treats but skipping the cases of grocery plastic bottle filtered waters (stripped of minerals) are good ideas.
A replaceable Brita pitcher and filter or home water filter system from your fridge can work better for most daily water and is a better reusable water system.
To supplement water that can be boring, you can make smoothies and healthy beverages that have nutrients.
8) Substituting ingredients: Preventing inflammation caused by dryness helps to maintain a healthy balance in your body.
You can subtly do this with small replacements like fruit sugar over refined sugar, and a healthy fats list like EVOO, avocado, or coconut oil over poly fats (e.g. margarine, butter, vegetable oil, hydrogenated oils… and the stuff you and I grew up consuming).
9) Seasonal foods: Lean into what’s seasonally “in” by shopping at the local farmers markets or in the abundant seasonal bins in grocery stores.
You can often tell when there’s an abundance because the organic choice is also abundant.
You can see a variety of abundance from a distance in its bright colors and up close with unique PLU small stickers.
When I did party planning in Mediterranean cuisine restaurants, the menus were always seasonal, based on the available foods priced reasonably.
…So you wouldn’t see watermelon-inspired recipes in the winter and pumpkin or pomegranate dishes in the spring.
10) Spices: are a great way to balance food seasonality and keep your food and dishes interesting year-round with reliable seasonings.
Isn’t spice the variety of life!? …in my world, anyway, it is (and hopefully in yours!).
Oregano is healthy and one of my first favorites which goes well with red sauces and Italian dishes.
Then as spices evolved in the Western world, turmeric became a star.
Don’t let the turmeric drying and astringent texture to your tongue fool you into believing it’s drying you out. It’s body healing (and where you can get a glimpse of balancing wholeness through food).
Cumin is also great for soothing.
Plus, these spices are anti-inflammatory and good to eat for dry, irritated skin.
Until next time, take good self care! …And if you want to learn how to restore annoying imbalances (dry-related or something else), you can take my body balance quiz.
Spaghetti squash is an anti-inflammatory food. And if you’re trying to stay away from gluten or inflammatory foods for healthy eating, then squashes fit the bill. Spaghetti squash can even take the place of spaghetti carbs.
Make this spaghetti squash bowl easy from the recipe steps below 🍝
It also has more fiber. And you can count on A, B, and C vitamins.
Both vitamins A and C are antioxidants that help to protect against chronic diseases that can develop from chronic inflammation.
And your allergies and eczema skin symptoms can be telltale. It doesn’t always have to be an internal diagnosis as inflammatory warning signs.
I learned this firsthand when I experienced adult eczema in a nightmarish way during the world pandemic. It was a 3 month saga I’d love to forget. But then ended up in the hospital emergency room a year later for a related episode that had to do with food eating habits.
Before then, I knew common allergy foods from the outside as I planned parties and food menus working with thousands of groups with known food allergies and gluten sensitivities.
Gluten flour was a red flag for the chef foods prepared and I’d add a special label to food items on food tables that were gluten-free
For my preventing eczema better food habits, white flour and white table sugar are ingredients I try to use less of in my recipes and low-sugar desserts. That seems to do the trick (along with skin moisturizing often)!
Choosing gluten free flours for pasta is more healthy for most people and those with allergies.
Because white table sugar is a primary inflammatory food source. It raises blood sugar.
That’s probably no surprise as too much sugar can make your skin crawl (itch) and no research (other than asking your sweet taste buds 😋) has sanely suggested that sugar is good for you.
But that’s hard news to swallow when you’re a sweet tooth (and a Vata body like me).
But I’m happy to say that even though I love baking (and do it weekly), I’ve learned how to bake healthy and keep eczema at bay. And yes make bakes that are sweet tooth satisfying (otherwise why bother?).
…Boring rice crackers are not my cup of tea. I’m looking for the sweet childhood desserts I remember that leave no inflammatory memory.
Because I’m a foodie…
And when I started in catering management for upscale hotel chains, there was only a vegetarian menu option outside of what others ate.
Then common requests grew like “hold the onions” and “hold the garlic.”
And peanut and nut allergies cropped up.
When I dug deeper into creating menus for food allergy group requests, we found that guests who had some peanut allergies could sometimes eat tree nuts like pine nuts.
They even reported back they liked certain dishes with them.
And shellfish can be another tricky allergy area, but gratefully I didn’t work much with those foods.
An affected person who has even a trace of the shellfish can experience a life threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis shock. Like gluten to Celiac disease people, it can be a real issue.
Your body gives different health conditions signs as warning. But a warning is a warning..
Also corn, oats, and quinoa (pseudo-grain) meals are good ideas since they are naturally gluten-free.
Corn is actually the largest agricultural crop produced in the United States.
But what spikes the blood sugar of one person is different for another person in our biodiversity.
Testing food and exposing yourself to a variety of healthy foods helps the body function as you get more vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory nutrition.
Adding more organic plant-based 🌱 in nature when possible, and less plant based (factory) foods 🏭 help your entire body system run better.
Every little bit of our effort counts…
And adding more healthy food variety, and nutrient-dense plant-forward foods is a double-win, scoring points for our bodies and our earth. 🌍
Small switches can be as easy as exchanging pasta made from flour for a spaghetti squash bowl (steps below).
Also, focus on anti-inflammatory foods and include a Mediterranean Diet or Mediterranean-style diet. Many of the foods are found in both diets. Like spaghetti squash would be acceptable on both diets.
Changing your habits like a regular sweet one for a plant-based breakfast is doable. I’m living proof. 😊
And I take another page from my catering days where Crudite was a platter offered at almost every event.
That’s basically raw veggies like cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, and asparagus.
Those are good sources of fiber that your body needs to better absorb foods.
We often forget about the fiber as we’ve been primed to think of the macros (protein, carbs, and fat).
I discovered spaghetti squash as a meal substitute when vegetarians requested special meals when I was working in hotel catering planning. It's an easy anti-inflammatory food bowl or dish to prepare.
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine American
Total Time 1 hourhour10 minutesminutes
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Equipment
Bread knife or safer sawing knife.
Spoon
Ingredients
spaghetti squash gourd
extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Instructions
Score the gourd lengthwise. do not try to cut the hard gourd raw
Bake your spaghetti squash for about 20 minutes at 350°F or so. Then softened, you can cut where you scored. Tip: for the ends (like on pumpkins, take the firmly planted inside squash knife and twist to the right at the top and then at the bottom of the squash and that should do the trick break it open fully into two halves)
Face the two halves down on a baking sheet. You can add a ‘lil EVOO if you like.
Bake for 50 minutes or until you can scoop out strands easily with a spoon. You can test with a fork if you like. About half way through, when you see browning, flip the halves so they're facing up, and add a 'lil more EVOO drizzle.
Optional: keep the healthy seeds and enjoy them as snacks! Roast them along when you're baking the squash.
