Summer is a time for kids to enjoy the great outdoors, play in the sunshine, and make lasting memories with family and friends. However, it’s also a season when children are vulnerable to various health problems, from heatstroke and dehydration to skin rashes and insect bites. As parents, we must take precautions to protect our little ones and ensure they stay safe in the summer heat.
Summer Safety Tips With Ayurveda
Fortunately, Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine, offers a wealth of wisdom regarding summer wellness. By incorporating some simple Ayurvedic practices into our children’s daily routines, we can help them stay healthy, happy, and energized throughout the season.
In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the top Ayurvedic tips for summer safety for kids. From foods and herbs that cool the body and prevent heat-related illnesses to natural remedies for common summer ailments, we’ll cover everything you need to know to keep your children safe and healthy this summer. So, let’s dive in and discover how Ayurveda can help us enjoy a safe and happy summer with our kids.
To help children survive the summer heat, here are some Ayurveda tips:
- Embrace Pitta-Calming Foods
Eating meals that help you stay cool and relieve overheating is crucial. Stock up on fruits like melons, pears, apples, plums, grapes, and prunes high in water. Choose vegetables like cucumber, asparagus, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.
Provide children nutrients that help our bodies stay calm and provide comfort from the extreme heat. All green vegetables, melons, pears, apples, berries, prunes, and plums are excellent summertime foods.
- Steers clear of foods that produce heat.
Avoid eating anything that makes your body hot. To lessen the heat generation in your body, avoid foods like citrus, beets, carrots, garlic, chillies, tomatoes, salty cheese, and sour cream. Increase your salad consumption and steer clear of dark meat.
- Eat promptly.
The best time to eat is midday when one’s digestive fire is at its peak. During the summer, skipping lunch can aggravate pitta dosha, making kids irritable and grumpy.
- Use coconut oil.
The skin is calmed, cooled, and soothed when coconut oil is applied to the body before the bath. Sunflower oil is an additional option. Massage your kids with coconut oil before the bath to help them relax.
- Avoid hot beverages and water.
Once more, consuming hot beverages like water or other hot liquids will disrupt your pitta dosha. During this time of year, drinking liquids at room temperature is recommended.
- Early morning workout
Daily exercise, even for kids, is essential to a healthy lifestyle. In the summer, it is best to let the kids exercise in the morning when the temperature is slightly lower than at other times of the day. Cycling is a great way to start a day.
- Use calming oils.
Jasmine, sandalwood, and khus oil can be used because they have cooling effects and a calming scent.
- Don’t consume icy “cold drinks.”
Drinks that are served ice cold hinder digestion and produce toxins. The digestive fire, that turns food into energy, is extinguished by drinking cooled beverages. Health problems can result from this. Prepare room temperature, preferably homemade drinks for kids to cool them down.
Reminders for the future
Many Ayurveda treatments, home treatments, cooking techniques, and lifestyle choices will undoubtedly be helpful as children mature. Ayurvedic medicine is a tried-and-true ancient system of knowledge that promotes health.
Most Of Ayurveda medications are safe for children and helpful for adults. Here are a few cures that have been around for a while.
- Typical cold
The standard treatment for any signs of illness is turmeric and honey paste. Mix equal parts of raw honey* and turmeric powder with a dash of black pepper for optimal absorption.
Give kids a teaspoon every two to three hours until their symptoms disappear.
Put them in steam showers and utilize aromatherapy in the bedroom if they have dry coughs. Breathing was made easier by eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, cinnamon, and tea tree oil in any combination. Honey should not be given to infants or toddlers under two.
- Seasonal allergies and the sniffles
Chyawanprash is a sweet, delectable herbal jam that children like. With a spoonful or on a cracker, it is simple to feed them and offers a variety of vitamins and minerals. The primary component, Indian gooseberry, or Amalaki, is the world’s highest source of vitamin C and is used to strengthen the immune system.
Teach kids to use a Neti pot by mixing a little salt in warm distilled water and squirting it into their blocked nasal passages. To lubricate the tissue, add a drop of Nasya oil to each nostril after this.
Nasya oil is sesame or olive oil infused with Ayurveda herbs and essential oils, such as Gotu kola, calamus, and skullcap (eucalyptus).
Young children should avoid Nasya and should instead use cold-pressed sesame oil.
- Earaches
Warm ear oil is a good way to relieve ear pain. You can attempt to create your oil or buy it in pharmacies and health food stores.
In a dropper bottle, combine cold-pressed sesame or olive oil with a few drops of tea tree oil and garlic. Stir thoroughly.
The oil should be warmed by submerging the bottle in warm water. Put a few drops in each ear while warm but not hot to ease earaches and stop ear infections.
- Sleep
Make drinking “Golden milk” a nightly ritual. In Ayurveda, milk is considered a superfood, and milk with added herbs and spices has therapeutic benefits. Oat, coconut, hemp, and almond milk are other acceptable non-dairy products.
Mix one cup of milk with one-fourth of a teaspoon of each of the following: ginger, turmeric, and Ceylon cinnamon. Or you could also include a dash of vanilla, nutmeg, clove, or cardamom. Add a teaspoon of ghee and a half teaspoon of raw honey after bringing the spiced milk to a boil and turning off the heat.
- Tummy Pain
For kids, herbal teas are claimed to have magical properties. Fennel tea can be used for colic, bloating ginger for motion sickness and constipation, and mint for upset stomach and diarrhea. Prepare chamomile tea to relieve stomach and intestinal pains and CCF tea (cumin, coriander, fennel) to enhance digestion. Frequently, symptoms can be alleviated with a cup of herbal tea and a warm water bottle applied to an aching stomach.
Take Baby Steps
Summer can be a fun and exciting time for kids, but it’s important to prioritize their health and safety during the season. Following the Ayurvedic tips and practices discussed in this blog post can help our children stay cool, hydrated, and protected from common summer ailments.
From staying hydrated with coconut water and eating cooling foods like watermelon and cucumber to using natural remedies like aloe vera gel and neem oil for skin issues, Ayurveda offers a holistic approach to summer wellness that can benefit both children and adults alike.
Remember to encourage your children to take breaks from the sun, wear protective clothing, and apply natural sunscreen to prevent sunburn and other skin damage. Incorporating these Ayurvedic tips into your children’s daily routine can help them enjoy a safe, healthy, and happy summer season.
As always, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare professional before trying new remedies or practices, especially if your child has a pre-existing medical condition or is taking medication. Stay safe in the summer heat with your little ones!
