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Staying Healthy in Summer
Seasons change, and your body and mental outlook change with them. And because human beings are a part of nature, our bodies react to the season in predictable ways. Oriental medicine combines knowledge of seasonal characteristics with your unique health situation to balance your energy (chi) to help you adapt and thrive during this season of luxurious growth. Here are some things to consider for staying healthy as you enjoy summertime.
In this episode of ‘Seasonal Health Tips’ Kitty talks about the Fire element of summer, and what to do to stay healthy during this season of ‘luxurious growth.’ (To get the most out of what Kitty has to say, refer to the Five Element Theory Chart while listening.)
Length 04:15, Size 4.9 MB
The Fire Element
Every season is associated with one of the Five Elements, and for summer, the element is ‘Fire.’ Summer weather is typically hot, and relatively damp. For example, the muggy feeling you experience during summer comes from heat causing dampness to condense and rise as it gets hotter. As on the outside, so on your inside: in summertime, there is a tendency for dampness to accumulate within your body.
Summer Health Problems
During summer, some typical heat-related problems are: rashes, headaches and feelings of irritation. For example: Blood pressure may rise from too much heat trapped in the body; damp-induced blister rashes, or boils can erupt on the skin; and if you have eczema, you may experience more occurrences of it in the summer.
Summer Health Tips
It’s important to drink enough water and eat the right foods to ensure you’re meeting your body’s summertime needs.
- Drink more water. Because it’s hot and you perspire a lot during the summer, the average amount of water you should drink in a 24-hour period is 48 ounces — this includes all fluids, such as, juice, soda, and other beverages. (Note: 48 ounces is the equivalent of 6 eight ounce glasses.) When you are sweating more than usual — as on some days in the summer — drinking more is advisable. It’s important to pay attention to how you feel, and drink more when you’re thirsty.
- Monitor your intake of salt. An imbalance of salt in your body — too much, or too little — can readily occur when temperatures are hot. You will know you’re getting too much salt if you find that rings you wear get tighter, and socks or shoes that fit you comfortably during cooler weather, leave lines or wrinkles on your feet or ankles because of too much fluid in those areas.
- Eat cooling foods. Cucumbers, mung beans, and watermelon are particularly good foods to eat in the summer. They help to keep your body cool, and because of their diuretic properties, they also help to offset excess salt intake.
Stay Healthy
So enjoy your summer and help ensure your health by being conscious of a few simple things you can do for yourself and your family:
- Drink enough water.
- Monitor your salt intake.
- Eat cooling foods.
If you experience any heat-related symptoms that don’t clear up quickly, call a qualified Oriental medicine practitioner for an appointment to get a prescribed formula of medical herbs to help alleviate your symptoms and address the problem — before it becomes more advanced.
Detoxify and Tonify Your Liver
During the Spring season are you, or people you know more irritable than usual? Or surprised by unexpected surges of anger?
If so, then Oriental Medicine can help you become more calm and balanced in your body and mind.
According to the 5 Element Theory, Spring is the season of the ‘Wood” energy, and the energetics of ‘Wood’ directly affect your Liver. Since the Liver affects the nerves, if your Liver isn’t balanced you’ll be more prone to irritability and anger in Spring than during the rest of the year.
Tonify and Detoxify
Because the tendency towards irritability and unexpected anger are directly related to Liver imbalance, if you tonify and balance the Liver, you should feel calmer and less frustrated. ("Anger management” techniques are always useful, but if you detoxify your Liver, you’ll have to rely on them less often.)
When your Liver is out of balance you’re more prone to irritability and anger.
How do you know if your Liver is “toxic” — assume that it is! With the amount of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides all around us — in the air, water, food, and other products we use, you should assume your Liver is somewhat toxic, and start doing some simple things to detoxify it.
Spring is Stirring
March is a “transitional” month: cold and windy when it arrives; warmer, with a tinge of mildness—mixed with a feeling of relief at Winter’s passing—at its end.
As nature’s energies shift from winter to spring, important changes are happening outside—and inside of you—that affect your health.
The Sap Is Rising
As Spring arrives the “sap” begins to rise, and so must the question: “What do I need to do to prepare myself to process the surge of energy that Spring floods through my body?”
The Liver is the primary organ of the body affected during Spring, so it’s important to make sure it’s strong and balanced. The primary organ system affected during winter was the Kidneys, so now is the right time to help them replenish the energy that was expended throughout the winter.
Oriental Medicine at BIOM combines very effective medical herb formulas, acupuncture, acupressure, and Chi Kung techniques for replenishing the energy of the Kidneys, strengthening and balancing the Liver so that it’s ready to spring into action as the Water season turns to Wood, and the Kidneys pass the baton to the Liver.