Summer offers many opportunities to step outside of our normal routine. We might travel to new places, visit family and friends, eat different foods, and have meals at unusual times, virtually spending our days more free and unstructured ~ but all of this change can wreak havoc on our digestion.
Ultimately, Irregularity in food patterns and meal times creates irregularity in the digestive system.
To boot, Summer is a time when our digestive fire is less robust, and therefore appetite typically decreases. All the excess heat in the environment tells our body to dissipate our core internal heat away from the digestive organs and into the extremities to help keep our system cool, thereby cooling off our digestive fire.
Then how do we find balance in the digestive system in the Summer?
We are circadian beings, so our systems work best when our daily habits are in a rhythm and in alignment with the season and the natural flow of the day - namely the light/dark cycle.
Eat at regular meal times - WHEN we eat is just as important as what we eat
Make sure to get your meals in during daylight hours when your metabolism is at its best
Avoid heavy dinners and late-night snacking, some could even skip dinner
And bottom line, ~ let your appetite help guide you. If you have no appetite, that's your digestive system saying it is not ready to process food.
For more on the importance of a balanced digestive fire, including several practical and powerful tips on how to boost digestion, see here.
Click here for more Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle tips on staying balanced in the Summer.