So you’re Pitta is out of wack.

And you’re experiencing one or all of these symptoms:

Pitta is out of wack in the mind:

• frustration, anger, irritability
• judgment, impatience, criticism, intolerance
• Feeling’s hurting sarcasm
• excessive perfectionist tendencies

Pitta is out of wack in the body:

• red, inflamed rashes or acne,
• inflammation in body or joints
• acid reflux, gastric or peptic ulcers, heartburn
• nausea or discomfort upon missing meals
• loose stools
• Your body feel like a burning hot tamale
• light-sensitive eyes

But wait Tej, how do I know if I’m #PittaImbalancedAF again?

Check out this blog to discover your dosha and what kind of stress imbalance you currently have and then come back to this blog if you find you are Pitta Imbalanced.

Pitta is highest during those hot summer months and to make it tad bit more complicated, during the puberty to age 50 mark, pitta is more susceptible to being out of wack. That’s why us mamas all struggle with patience, tempers and keeping our cool.

Glad to know it’s natural to go coo coo for Coco Puffs with my kids during this phase of life.

Some famous Pitta mamas are Bethany Frankel, Theresa Guidice, Tamra Judge – basically any super fit, short-tempered and argumentative Real Housewive.

BALANCING YOUR PITTA

Pitta Mamas are prone to Emotional Stress.

To decrease pitta, Ayurveda and yoga has given us dietary, lifestyle, herbal treatment, meditation, and breathing strategies.

Remember the mind and body are connected so you might experience Pitta imbalance in the mind, body or both.

Pitta is hot, sharp, sour, pungent, and penetrating. To balance pitta, make choices that are cooling, sweet, and stabilizing.

SECRET TO BALANCING PITTA IS : COOLING || SURRENDER CONTROL|| BALANCE

cooling

Be Cool. Keep cool.  Eat cooling foods. 

These are 3 rules to live by:

1. Think before you speak, recognize the consequence of your words and speak in a respectful tone.

No one likes a bossy pants that talks down to them (esp your kids ) or says things to hit below the belt. That is the quickest way to lose trust, respect and connection from your kids.

2. AC, cold water and coconut oil are seriously your BFF’s.

Your body always feels like a hot tamale.

Where cooling clothes and anytime you feel yourself overheating head to the bathroom, and splash cold water on your eyes, forehead or run cold water on your wrists and forearms if you don’t want to screw up your makeup.

Favor essential oils that are cooling and sweet. Sandalwood, rose, jasmine, mint, lavender, fennel, and chamomile are recommended. And self-massage (Abhyanga) with coconut oil is a must! 

3. Hanger is a real emotional state for you.

Do everyone a favor and don’t skip meals. Your short-temper comes out when you’re hangry.

Keep water with you, and eat cooling and water rich foods in the summer- like cucumbers,  watermelon, green juices and smoothies (but don’t make with frozen fruit, make with fresh fruit)

Avoid hot temp foods and foods that cause heat in your body. Coffee, red wine, garlic, raw onions and spicy foods are absolutely NO bueno for you. Like increases like so I’m pretty freakin’ sure if you feel like you can’t live without these- it’s your pitta playing mind-tricks on you to stay out-of-wack.

surrender control

Surrendering yoga poses: Yoga poses that require you to surrender control and just let go is your jam. Rag doll and mountain pose are my favorite.  Let your hair flow down and just release it down for 2 minutes. Be still and let your excess energy out.  Not sure how to do rag doll or mountain pose? Google it.

Stop being a control freak. Pitta mamas like to be in control, and obeyed at all times. Anytime our child says “no” or acts fresh we take it as an invitation to duke it out. To avoid the power struggles, try to surrender rather than feel like you are the parent and therefore superior and need to be listened to at all time.

Remind yourself you and your child are part of the same team. You are spiritual partners learning and growing from mistakes and each other . Your role as a parent is to be the “guide from the side, not the sage from the stage.” – Post that on the bathroom mirror and remind yourself everyday.

Things won’t go to shit if you take others suggestions and you’ll find your kids and partner will be more willing to do a give-and-take if you give a little once in awhile

BALANCE

Pittas impressively have their time-management and organization shit together. Pitta mamas have a sharp mind and love everything pre-planned and when in balance can get more stuff done in one day than any Vata or Kapha can do in a week.

The problem is you don’t know when to stop pushing and can easily head towards burn-out city.  Be careful not to create unnecessary time pressures. You have this inherent clock tickin’ within you that reminds you that hours of the day are limited and life is short so you light your own fire under your butt to accomplish all you can. And even then you keep pushing yourself.

But remember you aren’t worthy and important because of what  you do and how much money you make. You are worthy because of the beautiful soul that you are. Period.

Your goal is to slow down each day to have fun and play and not overwork yourself every second of the day.

GOALS:

1. 1. Practicing balancing rest and activity and allow some free-time everyday to spend with your family. Laugh a lot, every day.
   2. Leave plenty of “space” in your schedule between appointments and due dates. Pittas tend to overschedule themselves and then become stressed by the time pressure. Whenever you find yourself feeling pressured or irritated, focus your attention on taking three slow, deep breaths.
   3. Stay away from competitive exercise when you are imbalanced like Orange Theory or Crossfit, Soul Cycling or intense boxing classes. And hot yoga is a def no-no. Instead of getting hot and sweaty get cool and relaxed. Try pilates, barre class, restorative yoga, walking out in nature or light jogging.
   4. Avoid overly exciting, dynamic, or intensely concentrated work in the evening. Begin winding down for sleep at least 30 minutes before you intend to go to bed. And do NOT get on social media before bedtime.
   5. Take some cooling deep breaths or meditate before bed. That will help you wind down.
   6. Aim to be in bed with the lights off by 10:30 p.m. If you stay up past 10 your Pitta will reignite and you’ll get a second wind and you’ll miss the restorative rest you get between the hours of 10PM-2AM.

PITTA PACIFYING DIET

There’s a lot you can do to get yourself back to balance, and what you consume daily can help you offset an unbalanced Pitta.

Since an excess of Pitta dosha overheats the mind and body, favor cool foods and liquids. Foods with sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes are best. Reduce foods that are pungent, salty, and sour.

Eat Fewer Warming Foods

While increasing cooling items in the diet, limit your intake of foods that create warmth—namely foods and drinks that are salty, sour, or spicy.

Modify your intake of:

• Alcohol (especially red wine)
• Pickled foods
• Soy Sauce
• Garlic
• Cayenne
• Hot peppers
• Hot sauce
• Chocolate
• Nightshades (onions, tomatoes)
• Sour dairy (sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt)

EATING TIPS: 

Dairy can help balance the heat of Pitta. This includes milk, butter, and ghee. Sour, fermented products such as yogurt, sour cream, and cheese should be used sparingly as sour tastes aggravate Pitta.

All sweeteners may be taken in moderation except molasses and honey.

The best oils to pacify Pitta are olive, sunflower, avocado and coconut. Use less sesame, almond, and corn oil, which are more heating.

Wheat, rice, barley, and oats are the best grains to reduce Pitta. Eat less corn, rye, millet, and brown rice.

Stick to sweeter fruits such as grapes, melons, cherries, coconuts, avocados, mangoes, pomegranates, fully ripe pineapples, oranges, and plums.

Reduce sour fruits such as grapefruits, apricots, and berries.

The vegetables to favor are asparagus, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green leafy vegetables, pumpkins, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, okra, lettuce, green beans, and zucchini.

The vegetables to avoid include tomatoes, hot peppers, carrots, beets, eggplant, onions, garlic, radishes, and spinach.

Pitta types should use seasonings that are soothing and cooling. These include coriander, cilantro, cardamom, saffron, and fennel. Hotter spices such as ginger, cumin, black pepper, fenugreek, clove, salt, and mustard seed should be used sparingly. Very hot seasonings such as chili peppers, and cayenne are best avoided. Chew on fennel seeds after meals to cool down acid in the stomach.

There you have it.

Ayurvedic lifestyle practices to balance out your Pitta. But this is only half of the tools. You also need yogic lifestyle practices as well to experience a quicker shift and balance.

YOUR NEXT STEPS…

LOOKING FOR PITTA-PACIFYING YOGIC TOOLS LIKE IN-THE-MOMENT BREATHING AND MEDITATIONS?

Check out my 7 Day Stress Detox Course where you will learn simple Ayurvedic and yogic resets you can do in 3 minutes or less to balance any stress imbalance. 

These are  necessary for ALL modern mom wants to stay calm and control her responses in the face of challenges and become the most present, patient and peaceful parent.

If that’s you, def check out this simple and easy course.

For Clarity’s Sake: The information in this article is intended for your educational use only; and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking any diet, supplement, fitness, or other health program.