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.
Your best bet is to moisturize throughout the day when you get a break. And if you get heat rashes or inflammation.
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.
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.
