Wish everyone good health and all things go well for you!
Today is the last day of the Midsummer!
The Midsummer is the last of the three midsummer periods. It’s a peak period for many diseases and also the last chance for treating winter diseases in the summer.
At this time, do not take it lightly, follow these health tips, maintain good health, stay away from the busy autumn, and end the midsummer season well. After reading, don’t forget to share and save it for yourself and your family.
The “Four-word Formula” for Health Maintenance in the Midsummer
1. Sunbathe your back frequently to replenish yang energy
You can bask in the sun outdoors before 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. for about 1 hour. It’s best to feel warm and breathe smoothly when sunbathing.
While sunbathing your back, you can practice deep breathing, Eight-section Brocade, gentle walking, Tai Chi, and other exercises for better results.
2. Soak your feet in hot water: dispel dampness and pathogenic factors
Many people have misconceptions about foot soaking, thinking that soaking feet in winter can warm the body and help with sleep. However, from the perspective of adapting to natural laws, foot soaking in the midsummer is more beneficial for health.
It can help invigorate the spleen, eliminate dampness, enhance metabolism, and promote circulation, among other benefits. Ideally, soak your feet in hot water at around 40°C for about 20 minutes each night, inducing slight sweating.
3. Prevent autumn fatigue by drinking tea for refreshing
Due to excessive heat exposure in summer and overindulgence in cold drinks, plus excessive sweating, the lingering “evil energy” may accumulate in the body, leading to autumn fatigue. Drinking tea like American ginseng tea and chrysanthemum tea can help invigorate the qi, nourish the spleen, moisten the yin, generate body fluids, and relieve thirst.
Preventive Measures against Three Common Conditions in the Midsummer
1. Catching a cold due to dry winds
Transitioning from summer to autumn, the weather shifts from hot and humid to dry. The period leading to fall is prone to catching colds due to dry winds, causing symptoms like headaches, stuffy nose, dry mouth, and sore throat. Stay hydrated, consume fresh fruits and vegetables, and ensure adequate intake of vitamin C-rich foods such as tomatoes, cauliflower, leafy greens, and peaches to boost the immune system and prevent illnesses.
2. Pneumonia
During the midsummer, with the seasonal transition and high temperatures, the body’s immune system weakens. Factors like indoor air conditioning, hot outdoor temperatures, and significant temperature differences can lead to respiratory discomfort and pneumonia. Consuming foods that nourish the lungs and moisten dryness, such as grapes to nourish yin and relieve annoyance, pomegranates to nourish the lungs and stop coughing, and pears to moisten the lungs, generate body fluids, stop coughing, and resolve phlegm, can support respiratory health.
Especially for the elderly and children, extra attention should be given to diet management, protective measures, and lung health preservation.
3. Heat stroke
Although autumn has arrived, precautions against heat and cooling are still necessary as prolonged exposure to sunlight, high temperatures, and inappropriate cooling methods can lead to heat stroke. Mild symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, while severe cases can result in fainting and heat stroke. Avoid prolonged sun exposure, especially during midday when temperatures are high. Wear light-colored, breathable clothing when going outdoors and maintain indoor air circulation to prevent heat build-up.
Drinking green bean soup and green tea can help disperse heat and dampness, replenish fluids, prevent dehydration, and support fluid balance.
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“Winds sweep a leaf, all things are startled by autumn.”
Time flies by, seasons change, and now it’s the time of the midsummer. During this transition from heat to cold, it’s essential to seize the opportunity, follow the principles of health maintenance, protect mind and body, prevent diseases, and ensure worry-free good health.
Unlike last year, this year’s midsummer is different. In the year 2024 of wet soil, there’s still abundant rainfall. The combination of dampness and heat generates damp-heat pathogenic factors. Moreover, modern habits like consuming cold drinks and ice cream, having oily diets, and extensive air conditioning use lead to the stagnation of the spleen with dampness, causing digestive issues.
Experts also remind us that from the beginning of autumn to white dew, there is a special period known as “extended summer.” During this time, the body experiences both dampness and dryness, so one must not be careless! Seize the opportunity to remove dampness, as it can transform into cold dampness by autumn and winter, causing a variety of illnesses!
The midsummer is the most challenging period for:
The Heart
To protect the heart during the midsummer, three things must be done:
First, maintain a regular lifestyle to protect blood vessels. Timely meals are crucial for vascular health. A diet consisting of mainly plain foods, low in fat and sugar but high in foods cleansing the blood vessels like leafy greens, legumes, and oats is recommended.
Second, ensure adequate sleep, preferably with a short nap.
Third, minimize consumption of raw and cold foods to protect the gastrointestinal tract while safeguarding blood vessels.
In addition to the heart, the midsummer period highlights the importance of:
Stomach and Spleen Protection!
The Four Major Disciplines!
And Several Attention Points!
The First Major Discipline of Midsummer:
Eat Foods that Cleanse and Nourish!
During midsummer, focus on foods that invigorate the spleen and eliminate dampness. Consuming foods like Poria mushroom to enhance spleen and stomach functions, Coix seeds, Chinese yam, and millet for nourishing the spleen and stomach, and various beans such as adzuki beans, yardlong beans, and red beans for spleen strengthening and energy enhancement is recommended.
When eating adzuki beans, ensure thorough cooking until the green color fades to avoid food poisoning.
Healthy foods for spleen and stomach invigoration
The Second Major Discipline of Midsummer
Moxibustion on Acupuncture Points
After the beginning of autumn, the weather remains hot with increased rainfall. The combination of dampness and heat generates damp-heat pathogenic factors. During this time, if the spleen is affected by dampness, symptoms such as poor digestion, a sense of fullness in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, appetite loss, and fatigue may occur, potentially laying the groundwork for respiratory conditions like cough and asthma.
Chinese medicine emphasizes that “dampness in the spleen causes health issues,” thus spleen invigoration is crucial for midsummer health maintenance.
To nurture the spleen and stomach during the midsummer, moxibustion on acupressure points like Ren-12, ST-36, and SP-9 can help eliminate dampness, strengthen the spleen and stomach, tonify Qi, and promote circulation.
The Third Major Discipline of Midsummer
Avoid Greed for Cold Foods to Protect Gastric and Spleen Yang
During midsummer, daytime temperatures are still high, but morning and evening temperatures drop noticeably, leading to increasing temperature fluctuations. To maintain health, moderate cooling measures are advised. Avoid excessive use of air conditioning and consumption of cold foods to prevent damage to gastric and spleen yang, both critical for overall health. In addition, moderate outdoor exercise can invigorate yang qi, promote the proper functioning of the spleen, and improve appetite.
Remember! Outdoor exercises should induce light perspiration, avoiding excessive sweating. Following this pattern aligns with the traditional Chinese medicine principle of “nurture yang in spring and summer, nurture yin in autumn and winter,” ensuring harmony between humans and nature.
The Fourth Major Discipline of Midsummer
Regulate Air-Conditioning Usage Appropriately
Elderly individuals, children, those with weakened immune systems, and office workers spending extended periods seated must remember:
Regulate the usage of air conditioning appropriately after the beginning of autumn, as the weather remains hot and stifling. While using air conditioning, electric fans, or cooling mats is advisable to counteract heat, it’s essential to maintain a balance!
Precautions against summer air conditioning illnesses remain relevant. Avoid excessive cold exposure, set the air conditioning temperature between 25°C to 26°C, avoid direct airflow, and minimize frequent transitions between air-conditioned and outdoor environments. Reduce screen time when working on computers.
“Head into summer with dumplings, embrace summer’s end with noodles,
Finish off the midsummer with flatbreads and fried eggs!”
Make sure to have flatbreads and fried eggs today!
But why flatbreads and fried eggs in the midsummer?
Eating “flatbreads and fried eggs” during the midsummer is a way of replenishing nutrients. In the midst of the midsummer, the period can be quite lengthy. By the time the end of the midsummer approaches, the body has already experienced a certain level of depletion. It’s a good time to provide additional nourishment. Flatbreads and fried eggs, with oils and high-protein eggs, are ideal for individuals at this stage.
Remember, “One summer without illness means three parts weakened.” At the onset of autumn and the midsummer, despite the cool evenings, the daytime sun is still scorching. At this time, following health principles and nourishing the body becomes imperative.
Remember! The Four Treasures of Midsummer Health Maintenance
The “miracle fish” perfect for midsummer!
Do you know what it is?
Carp
Carp can remove dampness, stimulate the appetite, promote water metabolism, and reduce swelling, making it particularly suitable for consumption in the humid and warm climate of the midsummer. Nutritionally, carp is rich in high-quality protein, minerals, and vitamins, easily digested and absorbed, making it a suitable choice for various groups like children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
During the midsummer, adding moisture-removing ingredients like tangerine peel, winter melon, and white part of green onions to carp dishes is recommended. Patients with coughs can cook carp soup with a small amount of fritillaria bulb. The red bean carp soup is a classic therapeutic recipe that can alleviate nephritis edema, enhancing the carp’s diuretic and anti-inflammatory effects.
The “Focus of Midsummer Health”
1. Midsummer: Choose Fruits Over Melons
There’s a saying that goes, “Autumn melons harm the stomach.” After the beginning of autumn, many delicious melons have a cool nature and if consumed excessively can harm the spleen and stomach, hence should be eaten in moderation. However, fruits like pears, apples, longans, and grapes can be eaten more frequently.
2. Choose Honey Over Spices
Traditionally, it’s advised to avoid eating ginger during autumn. Eating habits follow a seasonal rhythm, and in autumn, sour foods are recommended. As the folk saying goes, soothing one’s thirst with plums, sour foods stimulate salivation, helping combat dryness. Honey nurtures yin, moisturizes the lungs, and nourishes the lungs in autumn, which is essential for protecting lung yin.
Focus on having
