Now it’s the hot month of June, every summer seems to be a rather “difficult” period, so summer is called the “bitter summer.”
Chinese medicine says “treat winter diseases in summer,” doing well in health preservation in summer can lay a solid foundation for autumn and winter health. We hope everyone must develop good living habits and dietary habits, peacefully endure, and make the body stronger.
In June health preservation, remember: “two sayings,” “three don’t eat,” “four adhere to,” may help peacefully see through the summer.
“Two Sayings”
The first saying: sweating a bit is better than using air conditioning excessively
There is an ancient saying, “No stove in winter, no fan in summer.” In simple terms, don’t get too close to the fire stove in winter to avoid damage to yang qi; don’t keep fanning in summer, let the body sweat naturally.
Many people work in air-conditioned rooms all day long in summer, wanting to stay in air-conditioned rooms all the time, but frequent use of air conditioning can prevent normal excretion of sweat inside the body.
In hot weather, the body’s pores are open, metabolism is accelerated, and the circulation of qi and blood speeds up; it is a good period for the body to expel toxins.
The sweat glands in the body help dissipate heat, acting as a “natural air conditioner.” When the temperature is above 30℃ or during exercise, the sweat glands start working to dissipate heat and maintain a constant body temperature.
Staying in an air-conditioned room for a long time, away from hot environments, will gradually reduce heat tolerance. When exposed to high-temperature environments, if the sweat glands do not function properly for an extended time, heat cannot be dissipated, leading to heatstroke.
The second saying: Drinking hot tea is better than cold drinks
In summer, many people like to drink cold beverages and dislike hot tea, but this practice can lead to imbalance in the body’s spleen and stomach functions, affecting the generation of yang qi.
Actually, to quench thirst, you should drink more hot tea, especially those that clear heat and detoxify. Ancient people have long understood the use of hot tea to cool down and expel internal heat.
After drinking tea, the skin gradually sweats, which helps dissipate body heat. Tea can improve the digestive ability of the spleen and stomach, transporting water throughout the body. While cold drinks are popular in the summer and provide instant relief from heat, they may cause greater harm to the body.
“Three Don’t Eat”
First: Don’t eat raw and cold food to reduce malaria risk in autumn
Due to the hot weather in summer, many people like to eat cold and cool foods. Most people think that consuming raw and cold foods only leads to diarrhea, but it’s not so simple.
The “Inner Canon” says: “Summertime harm from heat will lead to malaria in autumn.” Simply put, eating raw and cold foods in summer can cause heat-related diseases, which may lead to malaria in autumn.
Humans are not cold-blooded animals; the human digestive system prefers warmth over cold. In summer, avoid consuming large amounts of cold drinks, raw vegetables, fruits, as these can lead to the condensation of chill inside the body, threatening health.
Although fruits like melons are naturally cooling, it’s advisable to consume them in moderation after the heat wave has passed for their diuretic benefits. However, artificial cold foods like ice cream and chilled beverages should be consumed sparingly.
Second: Avoid hot and dry foods to prevent chronic diseases
Consumption of hot and dry foods worsens chronic conditions. Therefore, summer diets should pay more attention to avoiding hot and dry foods, such as mutton, durian, ginger pieces. The ingredients themselves are warm in nature, and cooking methods like frying, roasting can create heat. Since summer temperatures are already high, consuming these hot foods can cause dryness and heat accumulation, leading to digestive and urinary tract diseases.
Overconsumption of hot foods can cause constipation, hemorrhoids, reduced urine output, urinary pain, oral ulcers, pharyngitis, heatstroke, etc. Thus, in summer, it is essential to stay away from hot and dry foods.
Third: Avoid fatty and greasy foods to prevent blockages and tumors
In traditional Chinese medicine, sweet, greasy, heavy foods belong to sweet and oily foods. Clinical research shows that excessive intake of sweet foods and starchy sugars can lead to gastric lesions.
Frequent consumption of fatty and greasy foods can lead to the accumulation of dampness and phlegm in the body, increasing the body’s burden. Therefore, in summer, dietary health should focus on avoiding or reducing the intake of fatty and greasy foods, emphasizing light and clear foods to reduce harm to the body.
“Four Adhere to”
The first thing: Adhere to heart health
In summer, the qi circulates in the heart; summer is the golden season for heart health. The high temperature and humidity in summer easily lead to irritability, anger, restlessness, poor sleep quality, which are very unfavorable for heart health.
Therefore, it is crucial to pay attention to protecting the heart in summer, ensuring adequate sleep every day, and having proper rest at noon can help strengthen the body, relieve fatigue, and alleviate discomfort.
The second thing: Adhere to dampness expulsion
In summer, the hot and humid weather with frequent rainfall tends to invade the body, damaging health. The influence of dampness and heat leads to deficiency of spleen and stomach qi, disorder of gastrointestinal function, further exacerbating internal dampness.
In summer, attention should be paid to clearing heat and dampness to prevent diseases. First, avoid excessive pursuit of coolness in diet; do not consume fatty, sweet, greasy foods, but focus on light diet. In daily life, develop good habits, adhere to physical exercise, accelerate metabolism, expel damp and cold from the body, and maintain the stability of the internal body environment.
The third thing: Adhere to preventing internal heat
In the hot summer, people are prone to develop internal heat. Coupled with high external temperatures, internal and external heat together can easily lead to symptoms of constipation, oral ulcers, and throat pain.
Extra attention should be paid in summer to prevent internal heat; consume bitter foods that clear heat and detoxify, such as cucumbers, bitter gourd. Drink plenty of water daily, supplement adequate nutrients, ensure sufficient sleep, which will help maintain stability in summer.
The fourth thing: Adhere to exercise
Adequate exercise is very beneficial for enhancing immunity and protecting overall health. Walking is the best aerobic exercise in summer; you can take a walk after dinner anytime, anywhere, which has great benefits for health.
Swimming is an excellent exercise in summer; it not only exercises the limbs but also benefits the internal organs, especially the blood vessels, known as the “vascular gymnastics.” Choose the exercise that suits your body condition, help better care for the body, strengthen the physique, reduce the risk of diseases, and calmly endure the summer.
