The traditional Chinese medicine believes that the spleen and stomach are the foundation of the acquired body. The symptoms of bitter summer, such as fatigue, weight loss, irregular bowel movements, and irritability, are directly or indirectly related to damp-heat invasion, sluggish spleen and stomach function, and insufficient digestion and absorption. To prevent bitter summer, it is important to focus on invigorating the spleen and opening the appetite, and scientific lifestyle adjustments will have good effects.
1. Emphasize diet therapy.
Diet is the most direct and effective method to invigorate the spleen and open the appetite. The types of food should be varied, and attention should be paid to the combination of color, aroma, taste, shape, and quality to stimulate the appetite. Eat more fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals, such as pears, apples, bananas, kiwis, peaches, tomatoes, etc., to meet the nutritional needs of the body. You can also make homemade cooling teas or medicinal porridges, and add appropriate amounts of lotus seeds, goji berries, Ophiopogon japonicus, lotus leaves, loofah, jujubes, hawthorn, and Amomum villosum, which invigorate the spleen, nourish qi, and aid digestion, according to personal taste preferences. Take a small amount daily for long-term use, and the spleen and stomach function will gradually recover.
2. Exercise moderately.
Those experiencing bitter summer can choose some light and comfortable sports activities based on their physical condition, health status, and interests. Examples include walking, playing tennis, practicing tai chi, and doing aerobics. Exercise can not only improve the overall coordination of various physiological functions in the body, enhance adaptability to high temperature and high humidity environments, but also improve the function of the central nervous system in the cerebral cortex, regulate and improve the dysfunctions of the autonomic nervous system that cause bitter summer, promote gastrointestinal motility, increase appetite, and boost energy. However, exercise should be done within one's capabilities.
3. Enjoy gentle and soothing music.
In a gentle music environment, people's psychology enters a calm and peaceful state, the dominant role of the parasympathetic nervous system strengthens, and the disordered functions of the organs are adjusted and re-integrated. The nerve function that dominates the spleen and stomach is restored. After nutrient and energy loss, the brain sends signals of demand for food, causing gastric secretion and increased appetite.
4. Keep emotions stable.
A calm and peaceful mood can keep the inner and outer yang qi flowing smoothly. Avoiding imbalances in blood flow caused by extreme joy or anger helps maintain stable and balanced fluid distribution in the body under the influence of high temperature and high humidity. Control the impact of bitter summer on weak patients to the minimum.
5. Avoid seeking excessive coolness while sleeping.
During the hot summer, sweat is abundant, pores are open, and it is susceptible to cold wind invasion. If you pursue immediate comfort and use a fan for a long time, keep the air conditioning at a low temperature, or sleep near a ventilation port, damp and cold pathogenic factors may enter the body, sweat pores may become blocked and unable to discharge, making it difficult to get rid of symptoms such as colds and loss of appetite, increasing physical energy consumption, and lowering immunity.
