Summer: Our Season of Abundance
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient medicine that follows nature’s clues as to how we must behave for our bodies to remain balanced and free from illness.
Summer marks the maximum energy, or most yang season in TCM. Peak yang is expressed through growth, vitality, activity, motivation, creativity and joy. Ruled by the element of fire, summer is a time to balance the heat within our bodies. Fire correlates with the Heart and Small Intestine organ channels, and these should be given additional attention during this time.
When fire is balanced within the body, the heart circulates the blood optimally and the intestines properly digest food. In TCM, the heart is also where the soul (called Shen) dwells. Therefore, the heart is also responsible for spiritual well-being, mental functions, memory, the awareness of being, and our unconscious mind- active with daydreaming and during sleep.
Indicators of an imbalance in the fire channels of Heart and Small Intestine may include:
Insomnia
Palpitations
Excessive sweating
Vivid dreaming and waking exhausted
Irritability, anger, anxiety, restlessness,nervousness, lack of joy
Restless thoughts/mind
Depression alternated with states of mania
Speaking or murmuring excessively
Stuttering
Inappropriate laughter
Heartburn
Acid Reflux
To remain in harmony with the environment of summer, ancient Chinese physicians advised:
Awaken earlier in the morning, go to bed later in the evening, and rest at midday
Drink plenty of fluids
Add pungent and bitter flavors to your diet
Refrain from anger; keep calm and even-tempered
Food is another key tool to balancing our bodies. Eating with the seasons plays a key role in our health. In summer, indigestion can easily occur, so a light, less-greasy diet, low in dairy and fried foods is strongly recommended. It is the perfect season to introduce some cool, yin foods into your diet (yin is opposite to yang and helps to balance the summer heat from the inside).
Chinese nutrition classifies food according to its energetic qualities of temperature, taste, and ability to moisten and strengthen the body. Food with cool and cold properties can clear heat/inflammation, reduce toxins, and generate body fluids.
In general, cooling foods tend towards the green end of the spectrum. Few vegetables are warming. Fish and seafood are also cooling, while most meats are warming. Generally speaking, a diet full of vegetables, fruits, and seafood would be a great summer option. Additionally, the end of summer is the perfect time to do a cleanse.
Here are some suggested foods to keep your yang in check throughout the summer season: watermelon, apricot, strawberries, rhubarb, cantaloupe, lemon, peach, orange, chia seeds, asparagus, sprouts, bamboo, bok choy, broccoli, corn, cucumber, lettuce, endive, escarole, celery, cabbage, tomatoes, mushrooms, mint, dill, coriander, spinach, watercress, mung beans, wheat, barley, and various seaweeds.
