Happy summer everyone! I apologize for the lack of blog posts lately. Work has been super busy, which hasn’t allowed me any time to blog, but I promise I have a lot of practical and useful information coming your way! Summer is finally here and I wanted to share some tips on how to stay healthy during the summer season.
Summer Basics
Summer, like spring, is also a yang season and represents tremendous abundance, energy, and growth. It is a time for activity, movement, expansion and creativity. Nature also reflects this activity where plants continue to grow from the spring season and flowers are blooming more than ever. It is a light and bright season. To keep in harmony with the summer season, it is still important to wake early, but it is also a season where you can go to bed later. The days are longer, giving us more time to get things done. It is really a time to work, play, travel, and be happy!
With regards to the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water), summer is represented by the fire element. Do you remember which element pairs with Spring? (Read here to review Spring basics.) The fire element governs the heart and small intestine. It also controls our ability to feel love and joy. When the heart is in harmony and our emotions are in balance, this joy should translate to an overall enthusiasm for life. However, an excess of the fire element and an excess of joy can cause restlessness and hyperexcitability, while a deficiency in fire may cause decreased joy and even apathy or depression. In Chinese medicine, the heart not only regulates blood circulation but controls our consciousness, spirit, sleep, memory, and houses the mind. Hence, it is also very much related to the nervous system and brain. We will talk more about how to tell if your fire element and heart is in balance.
The following are basic concepts to remember about the Summer Season:
- Five elements: Fire
- Organs: Heart/Mind and Small Intestine
- Sense Organ: Tongue/Speech
- Tissue: Blood vessels
- Emotion: Joy
- Voice Sound: Laughing
- Fluid Emitted: Sweat
- Paramita (Way to correct imbalance): Wisdom and Concentration
- Enviromental Influence: Heat*
- Development: Growth
- Color: Red
- Taste: Bitter
- Direction: South
*Note: We have discussed the external pathogenic factor of wind associated with Spring here, but we have not talked about Summer heat yet. Summer heat in the body is caused by extreme heat during this season that can later manifest into heat signs and symptoms in the body.
Summer Foods and Preparation
Foods to cook during summer should be brightly colored fruits and veggies. Cooking should be light and short while regularly adding a small amount of spicy and pungent flavors to the food. Spices and pungent flavors can induce sweating, which help to cool the body, especially if you are prone to being hot. The key is not to overdo it with the spicy foods. In the same vein, don’t eat too many cold foods either as it weakens the digestive organs and causes contraction which can hold in sweat and heat. Similar to spring, foods should be sauteed as quickly as possible and also steamed and simmered in a short amount of time.
When it is really hot, the best cooling fresh foods to eat are salads, sprouts, fruit, and cucumber. Cooling teas include chrysanthemum, mint, and chamomile, while common cooling fruits are watermelon, apples, lemons, and limes. As I mentioned above, dispersing hot-flavored spices are also considered appropriate for hot weather, as long as you don’t overdo it. While the initial effect is to increase warmth in the body, the spices should ultimately bring body heat to the surface (our skin) to disperse as sweat. Examples of dispersing hot foods to include in the diet are red and green chili peppers, cayenne red pepper, fresh (and not dried) ginger, horseradish, and black pepper. Again, I can’t stress enough, eating too many dispersing foods will result in body weakness and actually a loss of yang, decreasing your ability to stay warm during the cooler seasons. This is why hot and spicy foods should usually be added in smaller quantities.
It’s best to minimize or avoid heavy foods during hot summer days as this can cause sluggishness. These foods include excess meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, and grains. In general eating less and eating light on a hot, bright summer day will keep you healthy and energized through the season.
Cooling fruits, veggies, and herbs to keep in mind during the summer:
- Apples
- Apricot
- Cantaloupe
- Lemons/LImes
- Orange
- Peach
- Watermelon
- Asparagus
- Bamboo
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Chinese cabbage
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Mung Beans
- Seaweed
- Snow peas
- Spinach
- Sprouts
- Summer squash
- Watercress
- White Mushroom
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Mint
- Peppermint
Summary of tips for the summer season:
- Wake up early.
- Rest in the middle of the day.
- Go to bed later in the evening.
- Stay hydrated with water. Drinking water infused with lemon and cucumber throughout the day will keep you cool.
- Add pungent flavors to your diet.
- Eat in moderation as overeating, especially during the hot weather can cause indigestion and sluggishness.
- Avoid heavy, greasy foods such as dairy and fried foods.
- Try not to get angry or irritated over things and instead stay calm and even-tempered. (Anger and frustration can also increase heat and stagnation in your body).
Enjoy your summer!
In health and wellness,
Dr Elain
References:
Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford