Suddenly, it's the dog days of summer again. During this time, there are effective methods to eliminate the internal damp and cold in the body. How can we get rid of dampness during the dog days? Let's take a look together!
Diet therapy to dispel coldness
During the dog days, it is advisable to eat some warm foods to dispel coldness and avoid consuming cold foods. Lamb, carp, Chinese yam, and goji berries are all warm and nourishing foods. When cooking, you can also add some garlic and ginger as seasonings to warm the spleen and stomach and dispel coldness.
Tianfu plaster
"Tianfu plaster" is based on the concept of "correspondence between heaven and man," "treating internal diseases externally," and "treating winter diseases in summer" in traditional Chinese medicine. By applying Chinese medicine to specific acupuncture points, the medicinal heat stimulates the acupuncture points, adjusts the balance of yin and yang in the body, and achieves the effect of dispelling diseases and promoting health. Plaster application is generally suitable for people who are weak and susceptible to illnesses, asthma, rhinitis, diseases of the limbs and vertebral joints, and cold and painful menstruation. It can enhance the immune system, especially for those who frequently cough and catch colds or have cold-related diseases.
Soaking feet to dispel damp and cold
The feet have acupuncture points and meridians related to the spleen, stomach, liver, and kidneys. Soaking feet during the dog days can stimulate the meridians, warm the internal organs, regulate organ functions, improve blood circulation in the pores, and accelerate the elimination of body coldness. The soaking time should not be too long, and it should not cause excessive sweating. Excessive sweating can damage qi and blood, as the saying goes, "excessive sweating leads to the loss of yang." Therefore, it is best to use warm water at around 40°C for foot soaking, and the principle is not to sweat excessively.
Eating ginger
Ginger contains volatile gingerol and ginger phenol, which have the functions of promoting blood circulation, dispelling coldness, eliminating dampness, and inducing sweating. In particular, ginger has the functions of promoting bile secretion, improving digestion, preventing fishy smells, and reducing edema. Fresh ginger is moisturizing without damaging yin. When combined with honey, it is beneficial for the recovery of liver diseases. If you often feel stomach coldness and loss of appetite, you can frequently consume slices of fresh ginger to stimulate gastric acid secretion and promote digestion.
Moxibustion to dispel damp and cold
Moxibustion uses the heat and medicinal effects of moxibustion to stimulate specific acupuncture points, warm the meridians, promote blood circulation, strengthen the spleen and stomach, and dispel coldness. Moxibustion therapy can dredge the meridians, regulate qi and blood, invigorate the spleen and stomach, and warm yang.
Gua sha
Gua sha is generally applied only during the early and middle stages of a cold. It has the functions of expelling wind and cold, and dispersing wind and cold. The effect of gua sha is much weaker in the later stages of a cold. After gua sha, it is best to drink a large glass of warm water to help detoxify. The area where gua sha is applied should not be exposed to cold.
Drinking hot water
The dog days are the time when people's yang energy is at its peak. At this time, the human body is in a state of "strong yang on the outside and weak on the inside." The purpose of drinking hot water is mainly to induce sweating, which is the function of sweating and dispersing the surface according to traditional Chinese medicine. However, this is only a method of health preservation. Although it is feasible, it requires long-term adherence and cannot completely eliminate internal dampness and coldness in just one dog days.
Cupping therapy
Cupping therapy can eliminate cold and dampness, unblock meridians, and dispel stagnation. Many diseases can be improved with cupping therapy. The duration of cupping in summer is best controlled at around 10 minutes. For ordinary people, cupping should not be done on areas with broken skin or bony prominences, as it can cause infection and other consequences.
Eating lamb
During the dog days, the body accumulates heat. Drinking lamb soup while ingesting chili oil, vinegar, and garlic will inevitably cause profuse sweating, which can remove accumulated heat from the internal organs and eliminate toxins from the body, greatly benefiting health. However, "eating lamb" is not suitable for everyone. People with a hot constitution, who are prone to getting inflamed and developing boils and carbuncles, are not suitable for "winter diseases treated in summer," including "dog days tonic."
Preventing dampness and nourishing the spleen and stomach
Attention should be paid to the maintenance of the spleen and stomach. People with weak spleen and stomach should drink less cold drinks and eat fewer cold dishes. Pay attention to keeping the navel warm. The dog days are the season when digestive system diseases are prevalent. In terms of diet, bad habits such as irregular eating, unclean food, and excessive preference for certain foods should be changed. Excessive consumption of cold drinks and cold foods should be avoided. Everything should be done in moderation.
Exercising to dispel dampness
"Motion generates yang energy." Yang energy can warm the body and dispel dampness. People with a cold constitution especially need to improve their constitution through exercise. Walking briskly can stimulate the acupuncture points and meridians in the feet, dredge the meridians, regulate qi and blood, and dispel coldness.
Dog days health guide
Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
During the summer, the body is prone to accumulating damp heat. Excessive alcohol consumption will further generate heat and dampness, which is like adding fuel to the fire.
Avoid excessive drinking when thirsty
After heavy labor or intense exercise, it is not advisable to drink a large amount of plain water. Instead, it is recommended to replenish with a mild salt (sugar) solution. Excessive sweating causes excessive loss of salt in the body. If salt is not replenished in a timely manner, the water-salt balance in the body will be severely disrupted, leading to metabolic disorders.
Always have heatstroke prevention medicine on hand
During the scorching summer, the high temperature and dryness can cause loss of appetite, poor sleep, dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, etc. To safely spend the summer, families should prepare some heatstroke prevention medicines. Commonly used medicines and foods include: Shidisu, Huoxiang Zhengqi Water, Qingliang Oil, honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, lotus leaf, and watermelon.
Learn to take a good nap
During the summer, the days are long and the nights are short, and the weather is hot and stuffy, resulting in less sleep and poor sleep quality. If you can take a short nap in the afternoon, it is like recharging the brain, which is beneficial for physical recovery.
Moderate humidity exercise
"Life lies in movement." However, elderly and weak individuals and those who lack exercise should not engage in vigorous exercise, as it can be harmful rather than beneficial. The best exercise is walking, according to the consensus of the world.
Hot tea is better than cold drinks
Medical research has shown that hot tea is more effective than cold drinks for heatstroke prevention and cooling, and its effects last longer. Tea is rich in potassium. With increased sweating in summer, excessive loss of potassium ions can occur. Potassium and sodium work together to maintain normal osmotic pressure and acid-base balance inside and outside cells. They have an important influence on the normal functioning of nerves, muscles, and especially the heart. When there is insufficient potassium in the body, one often feels tired, weak, loss of appetite, decreased heat resistance, and may even result in heatstroke. Drinking tea regularly in summer can supplement the body with potassium, improve heat resistance, and effectively prevent heatstroke.
