Survive the Summer With Traditional Chinese Medicine

We take a look at some TCM methods for staying cool and healthy this summer.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the key to staying healthy and comfortable in the summer - or the season of fire - is to avoid imbalances in your body's yang energy.

According to beliefs that stretch back thousands of years, yang energy is what makes us warm and energized, and yin energy is what makes us cool and calm. In the summer and spring seasons, yang energy is the dominant energy, and the body requires yin energy to cool us down. In autumn and winter, the energies are reversed; yin is dominant, and we need to strengthen yang energy to keep us warm and nourished. Simple, right?

Each season is also related to different body parts, and in the summer, the related body parts are the heart and small intestine. The heart is mainly associated with mental processes and emotional well being. Joy is the emotion that relates to the summer season, and having an imbalance in yang energy will lead to an imbalanced emotional state. A deficiency of joy will lead to depression, but an excess of joy will lead to mania.

The small intestine, on the other hand, is believed to be important during the summer season, and an imbalanced yang energy can lead to profuse sweating, excess body heat, dryness, redness, fever, headaches, weakness, diarrhea, bloating and inflammation.

So how do you keep your yang energy in balance? TCM suggests that the best way to accomplish this is not only through herbal medicine and acupuncture, but also by sticking to a lighter, balanced, healthy diet.

Diet

While in the Western world, paying attention to diet usually means paying attention to calories, in TCM, it also means paying attention to the cooling properties of the food you’re eating. Although the reasons behind the diet differ from those of Western medicine, the recommended food itself is remarkably similar.

What not to eat: Just because it's the season of fire doesn't mean that it's the season of excessive barbecuing; it's actually recommended that you eat less meat, especially when it comes to dark or red meat.

TCM also recommends that we avoid greasy or oily foods. Too much oil creates toxic imbalances in the body, leading to oily skin and breakouts, sweating or 'dampness', and grogginess and lethargy.

What to eat instead: As a rule of thumb, it's best to eat foods that take the least amount of time to grow (such as vegetables) and the least amount of time to prepare (like salads).

The recommended list of healthy summer foods includes avocado, aubergine, asparagus, bamboo, banana, barley, broccoli, celery, crabmeat, egg whites, lemon, lettuce, kiwifruit, millet, peppermint, peach, potato, radish, soybean, strawberry, tofu and watercress.

The foods and spices that are specifically recommended for cooling you down are apple, alfalfa, cucumber, lemon, lemon balm, mung bean soup, peppermint, pineapple, summer squash, spinach and zucchini.

Lastly, make sure to chew your food, especially with whole foods. Not chewing your food enough will result in your body having to do more work in the digestive process, thus raising your body temperature.

Other Tips

In addition to diet, here are some other handy TCM tips for staying healthy in the summer.

Sunburn: Tea tree oil mixed with olive oil, lavender, or coconut oil acts as a great antiseptic, cooling sunburns and relieving pain. Aloe vera gel is also effective for treating sunburns.

Hay Fever: Sipping chamomile tea throughout the day helps alleviate symptoms of hay fever. Just don't drink too much - 3 to 4 cups a day at most. Since it's from the same botanical family as other pollen-producing plants, drinking too much can lead to allergies.

Mosquito Bites: Huā lù shuǐ works as a great mosquito repellent. Aloe vera and lavender also help mosquito bites feel less itchy.

Sleeping Schedule: In the summer, it's recommended that you wake up earlier in the morning, go to bed later at night, and rest midway through the day.

Mint Oils: In TCM, mint is known as a yin herb, whereas most others are yang herbs. Applying mint oils to the skin will help you feel cool throughout the day.

Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of fluids is important during the summer months. You should carry a bottle of water at all times, which will allow you to drink periodically throughout the day, keeping your temperature regulated.

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