Simply Eating "Bitter" Foods to Reduce Heart Fire in Summer Won't Do
Core Tip: In summer, it's easy to develop "internal heat." To reduce heart fire, it's not enough to just eat bitter foods. You should also pay attention to adjusting your mood, maintaining a calm and peaceful state of mind, and avoiding agitation. Avoid extreme emotions of joy or sorrow, as they can add fuel to the fire.
In our common understanding, the diet in summer should include more bitter foods to help reduce heart fire. However, from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, this is not entirely scientific. People often have the misconception that "eating bitter things clears internal heat." But clearing heat requires distinguishing the "source" of the fire. Different organs in the body can produce different types of fire. It's important to understand which type of fire a bitter food can clear, and not to eat them blindly.
In summer, heart fire is easily generated, leading to symptoms like insomnia, excessive dreaming, irritability, blood pressure fluctuations, a red tongue tip, or sores on the tongue tip. If you consume too many bitter foods at this time, it will instead fuel the already excessive heart energy. Therefore, it's not advisable to eat too many bitter foods in summer. For example, the bitter *ding* tea we often drink in summer is for clearing liver heat and improving vision, and bitter buckwheat tea is for clearing the stomach and intestines. Neither of them has the effect of reducing heart fire.
So, how should one reduce heart fire in summer?
Two foods for reducing heart fire in summer: Lotus seed cores, which can be used to make tea; Bitter melon, which clears liver heat and reduces heart fire. However, eating one bitter melon a day is too much. As a cold salad, eating it 2-3 times a week is sufficient.
In addition to dietary adjustments, you should also focus on regulating your mood in summer. Stay calm and peaceful, and do not be agitated. Avoid extreme emotions of joy or sorrow, as this can add fuel to the fire. Furthermore, maintain a regular daily routine and avoid staying up late.