Cooling Remedies: It Starts with Your Daily Diet
Introduction: Every time we see the scorching sun outside, we can't help but think in our hearts that avoiding the summer heat is the top priority. Reducing our time in the sun and lowering the chances of getting sick is very important for us. This is especially true when it comes to diet, as many illnesses are caused by what we eat! So, how can we properly prevent summer heatstroke?
On a scorching summer day, after escaping the hot sun and hiding in an air-conditioned room, having a large, ice-cold drink would surely make many people want to shout "refreshing!" from the bottom of their hearts! However, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctor warns that constantly treating your stomach like a refrigerator can be risky. Instead of staying slim, you might end up with a "blocky" refrigerator-like figure, significantly increasing the chances of obesity, and even your skin can easily become dry.
According to the clinical experience of veteran TCM practitioners, many young girls today have grown up constantly consuming ice products and cola, disrupting their body's natural temperature regulation. The result is a host of ailments.
How important is the temperature of your food? A TCM doctor explains that the human body is nature's most exquisite design, yet most people rarely appreciate its importance. They eat whatever they crave, following their feelings, but this can actually harm their health due to improper food temperatures and eating habits, laying the groundwork for future diseases.
Improper food temperatures can be a silent killer of health. For example, the low-carbon lifestyle is popular now. Everyone knows we should no longer use energy that harms the Earth and should instead utilize the natural energy from the sun, wind, and tides to avoid polluting the Earth and causing secondary or tertiary harm. The human body is no different. The destruction of the Earth is caused by its rising temperature. Similarly, if the human body's temperature fluctuates too much, it can lead to the destruction of health and give rise to numerous diseases.
Fluctuating body temperatures, alternating between hot and cold, are only harmful and have no benefits. For instance, in summer, the outside temperature is high. To cool down, the body constantly sweats. When sweating, large amounts of fluid from the blood and subcutaneous tissues are lost. Naturally, one would want to replenish fluids, but a cold beverage is not the best choice. Li Shenpu emphasizes that once a cold drink enters the stomach, it is not easily absorbed and utilized by the body to replenish fluids. The low temperature only causes blood vessels to constrict, which has the opposite effect, making the blood thicker and the skin drier.
Furthermore, the long-term habit of drinking cold beverages to quench thirst can make the body feel as if it's in a refrigerator, worsening the nutritional and metabolic function of the gastrointestinal tract. The body, fearing a lack of sufficient nutrition, will react like a polar bear in an icy environment. To "survive the winter," the brain will order the storage of more fat, blood sugar, and heat, leading to weight gain and even symptoms of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol.
So, how should you drink to quench your thirst in the summer? Room-temperature water is the perfect remedy. Cooling down shouldn't rely on frozen products. The body's temperature regulation must be gradual and gentle to not disrupt its natural rhythm and avoid causing illness.
Summer Dietary Therapy Key Points:
TCM considers summer heat as a pathogenic yang factor that easily invades the upper焦 (jiao), specifically the heart and lungs. Excessive sweating can damage fluids and deplete qi, leading to difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and limb weakness. Therefore, specific teas and acupressure points are recommended for self-care.
When the weather is hot and humid, one can easily get heatstroke. In fact, heatstroke is divided into "yang heatstroke" and "yin heatstroke," with very different symptoms. TCM requires differentiated diagnosis and treatment, along with teas and acupressure points for self-care.
TCM believes that summer heat is a yang pathogen that easily affects the upper jiao (heart and lungs). Heatstroke often presents with symptoms of body heat, excessive sweating, irritability, red face, thirst for cold drinks, reduced and dark urine, a rapid pulse, and a very red tongue upon inspection. In severe cases, convulsions, loss of consciousness, and cold limbs may occur, requiring immediate medical attention.
Due to summer heat and excessive sweating, it's easy to damage fluids and deplete qi, leading to symptoms of both qi and yin deficiency, such as a heavy head, dizziness, inability to concentrate, fatigue, dry mouth and throat, and a pale face.
High temperatures and humidity often cause gastrointestinal discomfort, disrupting the spleen and stomach function, leading to symptoms like abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, chest tightness, nausea, loss of appetite, and bloating. A thick, white, greasy coating may be visible on the tongue.
The following are some health-promoting teas and acupressure point massages to prevent heatstroke, allowing you to easily drink tea and massage points to expel summer heat!
Cooling Teas for Summer Refreshment:
1. Jin Yin Cui Yu Yin (Gold and Silver Jade Drink)
Ingredients: 20g of watermelon rind (the white part), 1 qian of honeysuckle, 0.5 qian of mint, 1 qian of raw licorice root.
Method: Wash the ingredients, place them in a filter bag, and put them in a thermos. Pour in 800cc of boiling water, let it steep for 20 minutes, and then drink as tea.
Effects: Clears the mind, cools summer heat, and reduces heat. However, it is not suitable for individuals with a deficient cold constitution or those with cold/flu symptoms.
2. Jin Qi Sheng Mai Yin (Fluid and Qi Pulse-Generating Drink)
Ingredients: 3 qian of American ginseng, 2 qian of ophiopogon root, 1 qian of schisandra berry, 0.5 qian of bamboo leaves.
Method: Wash the herbs, place them in a filter bag, and put them in a thermos. Pour in 800cc of boiling water, let it steep for 20 minutes, and then drink as tea.
Effects: Cools summer heat, replenishes qi, nourishes yin, and generates fluids. However, it is not suitable for individuals with a deficient cold constitution or those with cold/flu symptoms.
3. Xiang Ru Xiao Shu Yin (Mosla Summer-Heat-Relieving Drink)
Ingredients: 1 qian of mosla herb, 1 qian of perilla leaf, 2 qian of dried tangerine peel, 2 qian of Poria cocos.
Method: Wash the herbs, place them in a filter bag, and put them in a thermos. Pour in 800cc of boiling water, let it steep for 20 minutes, and then drink as tea.
Effects: Relieves summer heat, expels the exterior, transforms dampness, and harmonizes the stomach. It is not suitable for those who suddenly faint from heatstroke.
Acupressure Points to Expel Summer Heat
Apply a cold compress to the following points with a wet towel for 5 minutes each, then combine with massage and deep breathing. Massage each point 20 times. These points have the effects of clearing heat, cooling summer heat, and reducing heart fire.
1. Du Meridian - Dazhui Point (GV14): Located on the back of the neck at the highest point of the cervical vertebrae when you lower your head. When heatstroke-like symptoms appear, tapping this point can help dispel accumulated internal heat, clear wind-heat, and replenish qi.
2. Pericardium Meridian - Neiguan Point (PC6): Located 2 cun (3 finger-widths) directly above the center of the wrist crease. It can calm emotional tension, stabilize the mind, improve chest tightness, and reduce nausea and other gastrointestinal discomforts.
3. Lung Meridian - Chize Point (LU5): Located at the elbow crease, near the biceps tendon in the direction of the thumb. It can clear lung heat and expel summer heat.
4. Bladder Meridian - Weizhong Point (BL40): Located at the center of the popliteal crease on the back of the knee. Regular massage can clear heat and cool the blood.