Floridians know that there are still a few months to go in this heat and humidity of late summer, but it doesn’t have to weigh us down through to the end of the season. Traditional Chinese Medicine has a lot to say about this “summer heat” and humidity, or “dampness” and how we can manage it!
If you have been feeling any of the following symptoms of excessive heat/dampness recently, you aren’t alone:
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Heaviness in the arms and legs
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Ear fullness, brain fog, dizziness
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Mild nausea, loose stools, aversion to heavy foods
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Headaches like a damp towel wrapped around your head
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Low motivation, lethargy, fatigue
Here are a few nutrition and lifestyle tips to balance that heat and dampness:
- Eat watermelon, preferably to the rind, on days when you have to be out in the heat! Watermelon is actually considered an herbal medicinal (called “xi gua”) in Chinese medicine and is known for its cooling and hydrating properties. The white fleshy part close to the rind especially acts as a diuretic to clear heat as well.
- Mung Beans help clear heat and toxins from the body and are a great addition to a summer minestrone soup or a rice and bean dinner.
- Mint and mint tea is cooling to the head and chest and makes a great iced tea if that is your thing too!
- Avoid fried foods, high sugar foods, dairy products.
- Move your body gently and early or late in the day. Getting outside early in the morning and late in the evening is a way to move your body’s energy or “qi” that may have stagnating through the day due to either being cooped up inside avoiding the heat or from excess humidity weighing it down.
- Even though its still very hot and humid, we are moving closer to autumn and deeper into the season of yin where we transition into more grounding and restorative practices. Consider ways that you can start to slow down from the big, yang type summer fun. More on grounding and slowing down in the next newsletter!