The summer solstice is the time when the yang energy is the strongest and the yin energy begins to emerge. From this day on, some creatures that prefer shade start to appear, while yang creatures begin to decline. The ancients said, "The summer solstice has three stages: the first stage is when deer shed their antlers, the second stage is when cicadas start to chirp, and the third stage is when the herb Banxia sprouts." This is the reason behind it.
For the human body, during the summer solstice season, the yang energy flows smoothly, and the qi and blood tend to move towards the surface of the body. The body's pores open up, fluids leak out, and sweating increases. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "blood and sweat originate from the same source", and since blood is governed by the heart, sweat is considered the "fluid of the heart". Because summer is connected to the heart energy, excessive sweating can easily disperse the heart energy. Therefore, it is crucial to preserve or replenish fluids during this time.
During this period, the high temperature and dryness can cause loss of appetite, restless sleep, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and even symptoms like nausea and vomiting. In order to stay safe during the summer, it is necessary to prepare some anti-heat and cooling medications at home, such as Huoxiang Zhengqi water, cooling oil, and chrysanthemum, as well as make some cooling drinks.
Dietary Principles for the Summer Solstice
In the summer heat, the function of the gastrointestinal tract weakens due to the stimulation of the heat. Therefore, it is important to ensure normal gastrointestinal function by choosing foods that nourish and strengthen the body to resist the heat. In terms of diet, as the weather gradually gets hotter, it is advisable to have a light and easily digestible diet that is rich in vitamins. According to traditional Chinese medicine, after the beginning of summer, the yang energy rises and the weather gradually warms up. If people still eat greasy or heat-inducing foods at this time, it can lead to acne, oral ulcers, constipation, and other symptoms. It is recommended to eat more soy products, chicken, lean meat, etc., which can not only replenish nutrients but also have a strengthening effect on the heart. It is also important to eat more vegetables, fruits, and coarse grains on a regular basis. This can increase the supply of fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin B complex, promote the excretion of "heat substances" from urine and sweat, and help detoxify the body. It can also prevent atherosclerosis.
Summer Solstice Dietary Customs
In some parts of China, there are some customs on the summer solstice, such as "eating noodles on the winter solstice and eating noodles on the summer solstice" in the northern regions. In other areas like Shaanxi, people eat zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) on the summer solstice and use chrysanthemums as ash to prevent wheat from being damaged by pests.
Summer Solstice Seasonal Tea Menu
Summer Solstice (June 21, 2017)
During the summer solstice, the yang energy reaches its peak, so it is recommended to consume bitter-tasting foods and focus on nourishing and cooling. Anhua Tianjian tea is sweet and mellow, refreshing and nourishing. It helps to generate body fluids and has various benefits such as aiding digestion, regulating fat metabolism, and enhancing gastric juice secretion. It can also help improve appetite.
Summer Solstice Dietary Health
Delicious Summer Dishes: With the arrival of summer, people's tastes change with the warming season, and they start to prefer light, fresh, and refreshing dishes, especially cold mixed dishes. These dishes have a wide variety of ingredients and simple preparations. Raw or cooled cooked ingredients are cut into thin slices, strips, or cubes, and then mixed with seasoning sauce. Common seasonings include soy sauce, salt, vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil, mustard, sugar, and ingredients like scallions, ginger, and garlic. Ginger and Garlic Green Beans, Eggplant with Ginger Sauce, and Radish and Cabbage with Peanuts are all excellent summer dishes.
Scientists have proven that the best drink for relieving heat and thirst is plain water. Plain water has unique physiological activities that can promote metabolism, increase the content of hemoglobin in the blood, and enhance the body's immune function. It is superior to many other fancy beverages. A healthy adult should drink 1800-2300 milliliters of water per day, which is about 10 cups of water per day. In hot weather, in high-temperature working environments, and for people who engage in a lot of physical activity, the water intake should be increased.
However, in the summer, the temperature is high and people sweat a lot. Sweat contains not only water but also various inorganic salts and other substances. Since sweat takes away salt from the body, the osmotic pressure inside the body becomes imbalanced. If water is simply replenished in large quantities at this time, the water consumed cannot stay inside the cells and will be excreted with sweat. Sweating also takes away salt, resulting in a vicious cycle where the more plain water is drunk, the more sweat is produced, and the more salt is lost. This can lead to hypochloremic alkalosis, muscle weakness, pain, and even seizures. Therefore, when drinking a large amount of water, it is recommended to add a moderate amount of salt, such as drinking diluted saltwater or salted tea.
Some scholars have pointed out that hot water contains more single molecules, which can quickly penetrate into cells and provide timely hydration to a dehydrated body. Therefore, drinking diluted saltwater when thirsty can quickly correct the dehydration and make a person feel comfortable.
Stay Hydrated Even If Not Thirsty: With the arrival of summer, experts remind people that even if they don't feel thirsty, they should still replenish fluids, especially for those with hypertension.
During the hot summer, due to excessive sweating, the blood can become more concentrated. Under conditions of sleep or rest when blood flow is slow, blood clots can easily form. Especially for hypertensive patients, the proportion of heart attacks and cerebral embolisms is significantly higher than in others. It is important to pay attention to replenishing enough fluids. Even if one does not feel thirsty, it is necessary to replenish fluids regularly, especially in situations where there is excessive sweating, in order to dilute the blood and reduce the risk of blood clot formation.
Summer Solstice Nutritional Meal
Ginger Wine
Ingredients: 300g ginger, 50-100g rock sugar, 500g wine (with an alcohol content of 35%-40%).
Instructions: ①Wash and slice the ginger, then dry it in the shade for one day. ②Place the dried ginger, wine, and rock sugar in a glass bottle and let it sit for 2 days. ③Strain the ginger using a sieve and pour the wine into a narrow-mouthed bottle. Store it in a cool and dark place. It can be consumed after two weeks. Drink 15ml in the morning and evening.
Benefits: It aids digestion, promotes intestinal peristalsis, diuresis, relieves fever, soothes coughs, and has antibacterial properties. It can also prevent gastric ulcers and has a calming effect.
Ginger Shredded Meat
Ingredients: 150g lean pork, 25g ginger, 25g green pepper, oil, soy sauce, salt, green bean sprouts.
Instructions: ①Wash the lean pork and cut it into thin strips. Mix it with soy sauce. Wash the green pepper and remove the stem and seeds, then cut it into thin strips. Peel the ginger and cut it into thin strips. Rinse the green bean sprouts and remove the roots. ②Heat oil in a pan, stir-fry the pork until 80% cooked, then remove it from the pan and set it aside. ③Add a small amount of oil to the pan, heat it, add the green pepper and green bean sprouts, stir-fry for a few seconds, add salt, and then add the ginger strips. Stir-fry for a few more seconds, then add the pork. Stir-fry until well mixed, add monosodium glutamate, and stir-fry a few more times before removing it from the pan.
Benefits: It strengthens the stomach and qi, and provides strength and vitality.
Lotus Leaf Rice
Ingredients: 500g rice, 75g vegetable oil, 2 eggs, BBQ pork, lean pork, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce, salt, sugar, spices, 2 fresh lotus leaves.
Instructions: ①Put the rice in a rice cooker with 500ml of water and 25g of vegetable oil. Steam it until cooked, then take it out and let it cool. Fluff the rice with a fork. ②Dice the BBQ pork, lean pork, and shiitake mushrooms, and stir-fry them with soy sauce, salt, sugar, and spices. Scramble the eggs separately. Mix the cooked ingredients and eggs together. ③Use the mixture as stuffing and divide it into two portions. Wrap each portion with rice and then wrap it with the washed fresh lotus leaves. Steam for 20 minutes and it is ready to serve.
Benefits: Lotus leaf rice is not only delicious but also has a cooling effect and relieves heat.
Vegetarian Three Treasures
Main Ingredients: 300g lettuce, 200g carrots, 200g white radish.
Seasoning: Green onion, ginger slices, raw oil, cooked lard.
Instructions: Wash the lettuce, carrots, and white radishes, peel them, and cut them into round balls with a diameter of about 2cm, 15 pieces each. Boil water in a pot, add 25g of raw oil, and then add the lettuce, carrots, and white radishes. Boil them until well-flavored, then pour in the cooked lard to finish.
Benefits: It strengthens the spleen and resolves stagnation, and widens the middle burner. Among them, lettuce promotes blood circulation, carrots improve eyesight, and white radishes detoxify and resolve phlegm. It is often used to treat symptoms such as food stagnation in the spleen and stomach, indigestion, or difficulty urinating.
