Spring is born and summer grows. Spring and summer seasons are when the yang energy rises. The temperature is higher in summer than in spring, and it is a period when the yang energy continues to rise.
In summer, with the high temperature, pores expand and the body needs to release this yang energy. However, if one excessively seeks coolness and immediately drinks cold water, turns on the air conditioner, or takes a cold shower after sweating, it does not conform to the rising yang energy. It is equivalent to not adapting to the environment and trapping the yang energy in the body, which may lead to mouth sores and pimples, especially in autumn.
Health preservation emphasizes adapting to the qi phases and understanding one's constitution. Sleep nourishes yin, so it is suitable to sleep a little later and wake up a little earlier in summer, which conforms to the characteristics of yang flourishing and yin declining.
In summer, the focus is on "clearing heat, dispelling dampness, and relieving summer heat." It is important to pay attention to nourishing the heart and give special emphasis to mental well-being. Regulating the heart fire is essential because if the heart fire is strong, a person is prone to irritability and anger, which is detrimental to any illness. For those who are prone to restlessness, impatience, and "excessive fire," it is also important to choose a relatively quiet and soothing exercise and leisure method, maintaining a balanced state.
The variety of food in summer is very rich. In mid-summer, it is recommended to eat some bitter foods, such as mustard greens and bitter gourd, which nourish the spleen, benefit the liver, and nourish the kidneys. Green beans and winter melon are examples of foods that clear heat and detoxify the body. For example, the recommended diet is a soup made from Job's tears, winter melon, and lean meat, which also has the effect of removing dampness. For nourishing the heart in summer, you can use 10 grams each of Prince's ginseng, San Shi, Chinese yam, Solomon's seal, and lotus seeds, and cook them with glutinous rice to make a porridge to be consumed when warm. This porridge has the effect of invigorating the spleen, nourishing qi, and nourishing yin.
