Welcome to Summer!

Long ago, Chinese medicine doctors studied the changes of the seasons. These observations of natural phenomena provided a framework for everyday living. Living in harmony with the natural rhythms of change provides one of the secrets of good health and long life. As long as one eats and sleeps in harmony with the seasons, disease could be held at bay and balance could be maintained, even preventing disease altogether.

A quote from the Neijing Su Wen (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine) states,

“In the three months of summer there is an abundance of sunshine and rain. The heavenly energy descends and the earthly energy rises. When these energies merge, there is intercourse between heaven and earth. As a result, plants mature and animals, flowers, and fruit appear abundantly.”

The Summer Solstice occurs this Thursday, marking the first day of Summer. During summer, the body’s Qi, like the Qi of our natural surroundings, enters into the yang. Summer’s natures is Yang; it is active, hot, and dry. It is a time for extroversion and activity. While it is a time to build internal energy, it is just as important to protect energy reserves for the remainder of the year. If you feel tired in the opposite season of winter, you are susceptible to colds and flu. This may indicate that you did not rest and recuperate enough during summer after intense periods of work and play.

The sun and warmth of the season draw us out to nature, either at the parks, the river, the country, or the beaches in the same way the sun entices the buds from the trees and flowers. Like the flowers, if we sit in the sun too long, we wilt and succumb to what Chinese medicine calls “summer heat.”

The syndrome of “summer heat” is characterized by fever, thirst, restlessness, absence or increase in perspiration, fatigue, dizziness, cough, constipation, and a sense of just feeling miserable. Since a high fever can damage the Qi and fluids of the body, rapid breathing may also occur along with a rapid pulse.

A second type of summer heat involves dampness. Damp heat symptoms would include fever, dizziness, a suffocating feeling in the chest, tired limbs, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. There would also be scanty dark urine and a thick, slimy feeling on the tongue. Sudden vomiting and diarrhea may occur if the condition becomes severe. How to prevent this from happening? Be careful about staying out in the hot sun for too long or even staying in a hot room that is poorly ventilated.

The affliction of summer heat is akin to what we in the west know as heat stroke. Any excessive exposure to the heat or the damp can leave us wilted, weary, and possibly nauseous. A few simple preparations can fend off any discomfort. Here are a few favorite tricks:

• Apply sliced cucumber to the eyes. You can peel the cucumber to get more contact of the meat to the eye area. The cucumber has been shown to contain anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce puffiness.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Watch out for the sodium content. Some of the carbonated waters pack a wallop of salt. Less than four ounces at a time will pass through the body more slowly than huge gulps.
• A cold compress to the head and face is an efficient and enjoyable way to quell heat fever.

The summer season in TCM corresponds to the fire element. In turn, the heart is the organ system associated with the fire element. An imbalance of the fire element can injure the heart, which can cause symptoms such as fever, heat stroke, insomnia, hot flushes, and other heat related syndromes.

One way to maintain balance and maintain harmony with the heat during summer season is to adjust your diet to include cooler, lighter foods. Consider eating foods that have an expelling effect or that move the Qi outward and are pungent or sweet in taste.

Examples of good food choices include white pepper, soybeans, bananas, watermelon, lemons, cantaloupe, bamboo shoots, apples, bitter endive, celery, cucumber, peppermint, and adzuki bens. You can also include salads, fresh fruits and vegetables such as broccoli and berries.

Inclusion in your diet of any foods rich in important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and silicon is highly advisable. These minerals have a calming action on the spirit (or Shen) which is associated with the fire element as well. Good examples of these foods are:

• Calcium: milk, seaweed, sesame seeds, almonds, greens
• Magnesium: kelp, almonds, legumes, dried fruit, greens, banana, potato
• Silicon: cucumber, lettuce, strawberry, dandelion, sunflower seeds

Peppermint and chrysanthemum tea are excellent choices to drink on hot summer days and nights.

Remember, the heart rules in the summer according to Chinese wisdom. Energies from heaven and earth merge leading to growth. It is the season of fire, so keeping extremes of emotion under control is vital. Get up early and allow yourself later nights. Because the Yang energy is plentiful, we can afford to stay up later and rise earlier. Nevertheless, if you are sleep deprived, afternoon naps are advised.

EMOTIONALLY: Tempers fray more easily as the temperatures rise. Step back and let anger ebb rather than getting involved. Do not hold grudges to allow energies to flow freely.

SEX: This is the time for it, according to the Yellow Emperor. Whilst he does not advise over-indulgence, he reckons the summer is the time to let the hair down a little.

EXERCISE: You can be active in summer, because there is plenty of energy about. Use this time for playing sports, dancing, climbing mountains, and generally sweating poisons out of the system.