Playing With Fire
Chinese Medicine proposes that we will feel our best if we live according to the seasons. In the Summer, it is our fire that wants to come out and play! As the ninety days of ninety-degree weather continues, it’s not always easy to keep your cool here in the South.
With the appropriate diet and lifestyle adjustments, we can cultivate a healthy fire element, a happy spirit, and a healthy heart. Regardless of where you live, you can follow these principles of Chinese Medicine to help you stay happy and healthy this summer!
Enjoy life to its fullest
The hot, sunny, long days of summer invite the Fire in us to come out and play. In Chinese Medicine theory, every element has an associated season, organ system, sound and emotion. The Fire element, which corresponds to the Summer season, is the most Yang element of them all and relates to activity, liveliness, extroversion, and vibrance. Nature is at its peak, and now is the time to enjoy its abundance! Relating to the Heart organ system, the Fire element seeks warmth, connection, relationships, and intimacy. The emotion of Fire is joy, and its sound is laughter. Hanging out with friends and family, throwing backyard bbq parties, going to the beach or to the ball game supports the social inclination of the Fire element and encourages a happy heart. Get a healthy dose of laughter by seeking out some comic relief with a movie, book, or good friends. A sense of humor, having fun, and a good laugh just might be the best medicine!
Be Cool As A Cucumber
Our summertime diet should be light, cooling, brightly colored, and hydrating. For most of the year, Chinese Medicine prefers our diet to be mostly cooked and warm in nature. However, because this is the hottest time of year we can include more cooling and raw food into the diet. There are so many tasty fruits and vegetables that are in season and help balance the heat of the season, including cucumbers, lettuce, melons, beans and berries.
Red is the color of the fire element, so red foods such as tomatoes, strawberries, red peppers, and beets will also support heart health. Foods that are especially indicated for common summertime symptoms such as edema, swelling, difficult urination, irritability, thirst, and fever include watermelon, mung beans, adzuki beans, and lotus root. Be aware that a meal plan consisting only of “cold foods” like salads and smoothies will put out your “digestive fire” and cause indigestion and loose stools. So be sure to include lightly cooked or steamed vegetables and grains as well. Adding a bit of warming ginger to your smoothies and juices will help to support your digestion.
Balance Fire with Water
In the summer, we are naturally inclined to be “more fiery”: we want to play, we want to sweat, we want to socialize and connect with people and stay up late with the longer days. This time of year, it is easy to push our fire element to its limits. Fire is erratic, it can spread quickly, and it’s h-o-t HOT. These characteristics are an expression of yang. Too much yang can lead to dehydration, feeling overheated, insomnia, anxiety and irritability, and these are signs that the fire element needs extra attention. The job of the five elements in Chinese Medicine is to keep each other balanced and in check. In the summer, it becomes especially important to balance the hot, active, yang energy of the fire element with its polar opposite: the cooling, still, yin energy of the water element. In between the BBQs, baseball games, and beach parties, slow down and with yoga or meditation. Or more literally, find water! Get into the ocean, hang out by the pool, swim in a lake. Connecting with the water element is grounding and helps to keep your fire from flaring and burning out.
If you’d like support with incorporating diet and lifestyle adjustments to help you stay happy and healthy this summer, check out our acupuncture, herbal medicine and health coaching services. Call at (843) 937-6890 or book online.
