"Summer drowsiness" has a professional term in medicine called "summer asthenia". It is caused by the increase in temperature during the summer, which leads to increased blood flow and supply to the skin, resulting in reduced blood flow to the brain and insufficient supply to the brain tissue, causing fatigue and drowsiness. In addition, the increased oxygen consumption in the summer can also cause drowsiness due to cerebral hypoxia. Furthermore, the high summer temperatures cause people to lose a large amount of potassium through sweating, and the lack of potassium in the body can also cause drowsiness. Therefore, as long as we have targeted and reasonable dietary adjustments in the summer, we can effectively solve the problem of "summer drowsiness".
1. Dampness dispelling and spleen nourishing
In traditional Chinese medicine, the summer is characterized by heavy dampness, and once the "dampness evil" takes hold, it can cause spleen deficiency and damp obstruction, leading to mental fatigue, loss of appetite, and drowsiness. Therefore, to prevent and treat summer drowsiness, it is necessary to first dispel dampness, nourish the spleen, promote digestion, and open the appetite.
In terms of diet, during the summer, it is recommended to eat porridge, soups, and other semi-liquid foods that can nourish the spleen, dispel dampness, and stimulate the appetite. Ingredients such as Chinese yam, honey, rice, glutinous rice, mung beans, sweet potatoes, and shiitake mushrooms can be used in these soups and porridges to nourish the spleen and stomach. Additionally, foods such as lotus leaf, chrysanthemum, lotus seeds, cassia seeds, and mung beans can be added to help dispel dampness and heat. Examples of nourishing spleen and stomach dishes for the summer include yam glutinous rice porridge, lotus leaf rice porridge, and lotus seed mung bean soup.
2. Potassium supplementation
Potassium is an essential substance for maintaining life. Potassium deficiency can reduce the excitability of muscles, making muscle contraction difficult, resulting in fatigue. Especially in the summer when a large amount of potassium is lost, replenishing potassium becomes the main way to alleviate the symptoms of "summer drowsiness".
When supplementing potassium, it is important to not wait until it is too late, but rather be proactive. Before the summer arrives, the body should be supplied with enough potassium through dietary means, and continuously replenished during the loss process. This can effectively prevent "potassium deficiency" from causing "summer drowsiness". There are many foods in daily diet that contain potassium. Grains such as buckwheat, corn, sweet potatoes, and soybeans are rich in potassium. Among fruits, bananas have the highest potassium content. Vegetables such as spinach, cilantro, purple cabbage, oilseed rape, onions, lettuce, potatoes, peas, edamame, as well as seaweed and kelp, contain abundant potassium. By incorporating these foods into our diet, we can effectively supplement the potassium content in our bodies.
3. Nutrient supplementation
During the summer, the body's metabolism accelerates, energy consumption increases, and nutrient consumption also speeds up. Lack of nutrients and insufficient energy can cause fatigue. Therefore, it is important to consume adequate amounts of nutrients daily in order to replenish the body's expenditure and relieve fatigue. Generally, a person should consume about 30 grams of dietary fiber per day, which can be obtained from grains, whole grains, and stem leafy vegetables such as celery and spinach. High-quality protein should also be obtained from fish, duck meat, and lean meat.
