The air is dry, and it's easy for people to suffer from "internal heat" (Shanghuo), even various "cooling teas" in supermarkets are becoming popular. However, health experts point out that due to different causes of "internal heat," different methods should be adopted to address the source of the "heat," otherwise it will have the opposite effect.
"Internal heat" has many causes
From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), "internal heat" can be divided into two types: excess heat and deficiency heat. Symptoms that are severe and acute belong to excess heat; symptoms that are mild, long-lasting, and recurrent belong to deficiency heat.
There are many causes of "internal heat." Besides climatic factors, emotional fluctuations, overwork, improper diet, indigestion, and other factors can also lead to various "heat" symptoms in the body, such as a sore and dry throat, red eyes, a hot sensation in the nose, a dry mouth, cracked corners of the mouth, nosebleeds, and toothaches. Experts believe that urban life can easily lead to "internal heat" for three main reasons: insufficient rest.
TCM theory suggests that insufficient rest causes the body's Yang energy to become hyperactive, leading to various manifestations of "internal heat." However, this type of heat is deficiency heat, not excess heat. In such cases, if one blindly uses cold-natured herbs or foods for clearing heat and detoxifying, it can easily make the "internal heat" worse.
Improper diet. For example, consuming fried, smoked, or grilled foods, excessive alcohol consumption, or eating too much greasy food. These foods are inherently heat-producing, and overconsumption can lead to indigestion. When food accumulates in the digestive tract, it can also cause "internal heat."
Emotional imbalance. Urban life is stressful, especially for white-collar workers. TCM has a theory that "the seven emotions can transform into fire," meaning that melancholy, anger, overthinking, etc., can disrupt the body's balance and generate "heat." Preventing "internal heat" is not difficult
1. Replenish water at any time: Drinking warm water can solve many problems, including cooling the body's internal dryness, promoting skin circulation, and flushing bacterial colonies in the mouth to inhibit their growth. Even for people who often stay in air-conditioned rooms where less moisture evaporates, it is recommended to drink about 1300cc of water a day, and even more when sweating.
When experiencing "internal heat," it is also suitable to drink lemon water and eat more sour fruits like citrus. If you find plain water tasteless, you can also drink more soothing herbal teas, such as mint, bitter tea, chrysanthemum, and honeysuckle.
2. Maintain a regular schedule: Many people who stay up all night partying or working overtime feel particularly tired the next day, with bad breath, and even general fatigue. These are all signs of "internal heat." In fact, insufficient rest at night is a major cause of "internal heat." Therefore, maintaining a regular schedule is an important measure to prevent it. If it's difficult to achieve, you can drink some nourishing and heat-clearing teas as soon as possible after staying up late, and not just cooling teas for clearing heat and detoxifying. According to TCM theory, staying up late easily depletes Yin, which leads to "internal heat." Drinking cooling teas that only have the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying is not conducive to the recovery of the body's Yin.
3. Improve sleep quality: Sleep is like shutting down a computer for rest. Poor sleep can cause the body to overwork and easily lead to "internal heat." Reversing day and night is a big taboo. Many people who work night shifts have serious problems with "internal heat." People engaged in intensive mental work have blood circulation concentrated in the head, leading to fatigue but unstable sleep. In this case, a foot bath can help draw the "heat" downwards and promote better sleep. The specific method is: first, soak in warm water (for women, the water should reach two-thirds of the calf near the Sanyinjiao acupoint; for men, it can reach the ankles). Then slowly add hot water until your feet are warm and you are slightly sweaty, then you can rest. Foot baths are very helpful for improving skin circulation. After a week, you will find that you sweat more easily, and your skin will not be dry even in an air-conditioned room.
4. Eat a light diet: Once you eat chili, green onions, or fried foods, or indulge in a feast, you need to consider how to deal with the "internal heat." In fact, diet should focus on balance and lightness. Try to have a balanced intake of meat, eggs, dairy, and vegetables, and do not overeat, as food accumulation in the gastrointestinal tract can more easily lead to "internal heat."
5. Dietary therapy: Drinking ginseng root tea can replenish Qi without causing "internal heat." A lotus seed soup that warms the lungs and benefits Qi, combined with tremella that nourishes Yin and reduces fire, can also help improve a dry mouth and throat.
6. Increase body surface heat dissipation: Often go outdoors for exercise or outings to sweat more, which can improve the body's metabolic rate for waste, making you feel refreshed and comfortable. Do not drink cooling tea indiscriminately for "internal heat"
Some people buy cooling tea to drink when they experience toothaches and swelling. However, health experts point out that cooling tea is not suitable for everyone, and drinking it incorrectly can affect health. The following groups are not suitable for drinking cooling tea.
1. People with Yang deficiency constitution: Many modern people have a Yang deficiency constitution. Many people sit in the office facing a computer all day, with reduced physical labor and outdoor activities, so the promoting function of Yang energy is not exercised. In addition, the use of air conditioners makes the body's seasonal changes less obvious than in the past, causing the body's Yang energy to become weak as it follows the seasonal rise and fall. Therefore, many people's constitutions are shifting towards Yang deficiency and can no longer withstand the stimulation of large amounts of cold substances. Some office workers often experience symptoms of being afraid of cold, cold limbs, pale complexion, loose stools, and clear urine. They should check if they are drinking too much cooling tea.
2. People with "bitter summer": People with "bitter summer" have a weak function of the spleen and stomach in promoting and transporting Qi. They eat less food and therefore have relatively lower resistance. In summer, sweat secretion is high. TCM believes that sweat is the "Yang fluid" of the body. Excessive sweating causes Yang energy to be lost with the sweat. If they then take bitter and cold cooling tea, it will damage the spleen and stomach, making the already weak spleen and stomach weaker, damaging the body's vital energy. This not only aggravates the symptoms of "bitter summer" but can also lead to many other diseases due to reduced immunity.
3. Children and the elderly: Children are considered "pure Yang" bodies, so they are especially prone to "internal heat." However, drinking cooling tea is not a good way to prevent children from getting "internal heat." Because the spleen and stomach's regulatory function in children is still in the process of being established and perfected, they cannot adjust to and adapt to the cold stimulation of foreign drugs in time. On the contrary, the drugs can directly affect the spleen and stomach, impacting digestion and absorption, leading to abdominal pain and diarrhea. The elderly have gradually weakening Yang energy and declining organ function. They can also develop digestive system disorders and a series of symptoms of significant Yang damage due to the stimulation of cooling tea.