By Dr. Lauren Dulberg DACM, L.Ac
Summer has two parts in Chinese medicine ; Early and Late Summer. According to Chinese astrology and the art of Yang Sheng ( Nourishing Life by Living in Harmony with Nature ) we have two separate parts to summer as well as two separate organ channels associated with it.
Early Summer
Early Summer actually starts in May and goes to about late July. This time of the year is focused on the Heart channel and Small Intestine channel. Our heart is represented by happiness excitement, red hot colors, and the element of fire, passion and movement. It is the best time for fun and enjoyment.
Fire is the element associated with Early Summer and with this element, the energy and temperature of Heat. The element is also associated with the heart, pericardium, small intestines.
Emotionally, this element is associated with the mind and it’s stability. The heart is the “seat” of the mind and therefore, its highest expression is love. Enthusiasm, warmth in human relationships and conscious awareness. Joy and happiness are also associated with the heart.
When imbalanced, we may either lack joy (depression) or have an excess of joy (maniac condition). Fire is symbolic of maximum activity or greatest Yang; nature at its peak of growth, and the motion is upward. Agitation, nervous exhaustion, heartburn and insomnia are other indicators of imbalance in this area.
Physically, when the fire element is balanced, the heart properly governs and circulates the blood and insures proper assimilation of the beginning breakdown of food in the small intestines.
Emotionally, when the fire element is balanced, sensitivity and expression, true fulfillment and the equilibrium between heart and mind are our greatest rewards.
Food Therapy & Early Summer
Eating in accordance with season has been a tradition of Oriental culture and medicine for thousands of years – this idea comes from the root of preventative medicine which is simply- how you live within one season will greatly affect the outcome or lack of disease in the seasons to come.
In summer we experience the natural feeling of heat. We find ourselves seeking refuge in the air conditioning, drinking ice cold drinks and eating ice cream ( how can we not! ). When in fact according to Chinese medicine going from very hot air into very cold air, drinking an ice cold beverage or eating cold delicious ice cream, can actually damage our health. Cold stagnates, so when introduced to a body that is experiencing a greater than normal heat, can cause major digestive issues and effect sickness in the months to come.. A happy and healthy belly = a better general health. Especially because ( spoiler alert) Late Summer is all about the Digestive system.
Each season comes with its own temperature disease patterns so to speak- In summer we can experience “Summer Heat ” which clinically manifests with a high fever, dizziness, skin rashes , excessive thirst, constipation, irritability , excessive sweating and weakness consuming the yin and Qi of the body- sometimes we may just get one or a few of these symptoms. Another pattern we typically see in summer is “Summer Heat Damp”. Usually Summer heat damp manifests with nausea , vomiting, diarrhea accompanied occasionally with a fever, general body weakness and fullness of the chest; which is why we tend to see more “stomach viruses” in the summer months.
Exuberant summer heat is seen as excess Yang in the body. In order to balance the Yang we need to nurture or enrich the Yin. Ultimately like everything in nature, our bodies are always in a constant ebb and flow of yin yang , trying to achieve the ultimate balance. Luckily Chinese medicine has understood this for centuries and through acupuncture, diet and herbal medicine this it is possible to achieve this balance.
In Chinese Medicine , we use “flavors” to help create medicinal reactions through our herbal medicine and foods. So the flavor of food can be just as important when eating for the season or treating a certain ailment. Food is considered to be just as powerful as herbs and diet is looked upon as the source of health, as it creates the Qi, Blood, Yin and Yang we need to thrive on. According to the ancient text , the Huang Di Nei Jing – sour foods go first to the liver, bitter flavors go first to the heart, sweet goes to the spleen, spicy to the lung and salty to the kidney. Its thought that when we crave a certain flavors, it is actually our bodies being out of balance and a certain organ calling out to get back into balance through a particular craving of flavor or taste.
The “flavor” associated with summer in Chinese medicine is bitter because of its ability to clear heat. As the medicine is a reflection of nature itself, we tend to categorize seasons into their elements. Summer being the element of Fire and its associated organ being the heart. The bitter flavor is also connected with the heart , since bitter herbs are used to treat conditions of the heart in herbal medicine, from actual cardiology ailments to emotional “shen” disturbances.
Bitter foods to help calm the heat
Mustard Greens
Alflafa
Papaya ( Bitter & Sweet)
Turnip
Asparagus
Quinoa (bitter& Sweet)
Cooling foods to help the cool you down :
Cucumber
Watermelon
Apples
Lemons
Salads! ( which we do not recommend in colder months)
Tips for a healthy Summer season :
Drink A LOT of water!
Try not to eat to many heavy foods or too much alcohol
When exercising , its best to not overdo it i.e keep sweaty Bikram style yoga for the winter months
The most yang time of the day is noon, so make sure to being doing a more yin activity since summer is full yang
Eat seasonal fruits and vegetables!
Drinking hot teas can actually cool the body
Late Summer
Late Summer is associated with the Spleen/ Stomach and the color Yellow as well as the emotions of overthinking and worry when out of balance. This is the time of the year when the Yang Qi is full and nature is about to burst into Harvest time. We can think of it as a time that we are fully ripened like a fruit and nature herself is as well!
All organs channels in Chinese medicine have their own properties, emotions, time of season, foods, tastes they crave and so on. The Spleen is the element of Earth and is associated with the end of the summer. In Chinese Medicine the Spleen is known as a cold and wet organ who is in charge of making our body's Qi + Blood, which is what we need to stay healthy. The Spleen keeps various organs in the body such as the bladder and uterus, from prolapsing, holding the blood and most importantly, it transforms the food we eat into energy and transports that energy into nutrients to other parts of our body. It is also associated with the emotion of worry and overthinking. Meditation and keeping the overthinking at bay, trying to not stress the little things, and calming the mind are also very important for spleen health.
The spleen when out of balance it is connected to various health imbalances from digestive to gynecological to emotional. Diabetes, hypothyroidism, muscular issues, fatigue and chronic immune problems are also connected to an unhealthy spleen. In Chinese medicine, a happy and healthy spleen can be nourished and helped via Chinese medicine and diet. Nutritional therapy related to the Spleen is key for maintaining good and balanced health.
How To keep The Spleen Healthy + Happy According to Chinese Medicine
Regular acupuncture treatments, along with herbal treatments formulated for specific to conditions and symptoms related to weak Spleen Qi or Spleen Damp and Spleen Yang Deficiency, can greatly enhance and change the health of the spleen and digestive system. Diet which is another aspect of Chinese medicine is one of the most crucial modalities for Spleen health.
What we advise is contradictory to modern day health trends since one of the most important things we stress not to eat or drink are cold, raw foods and beverages. Salads, smoothies, juices and yogurt are all viewed as healthy dietary options in Western culture since the 1970’s but in Chinese medicine, they actually can cause a lot of damaged if consumed often, especially in women.
Human beings for millennia have been eating very consistent diets. Cross culturally we can find certain traditional diet trends that stand through the test of time. Some sort of grain, animal stock or vegetable stock soups, animal protein, ( in some cultures just eggs + butter), and then lightly cooked or steamed vegetables. In Asia, Chinese medicine has been ingrained in the diet for 5000 plus years, so you would never see anyone eat anything but something warm for breakfast. Eating a salad for a meal or drinking a green juice is basically unheard of.
In Chinese medicine, cold raw food creates dampness in the Spleen which will then lead to a slower and colder spleen and ultimately leading to a sequela of health events but the spleen can not function nor produce abundant Qi or Blood when it is not healthy. Maintaining warmth in the Earth center of the body is very important. Gut health has been a key part of Chinese medicine since the beginning. Not only do we see foods such as wheat and sugar, that may not be good for you as negatively affecting the digestive organs, we also understand each organ has its own properties. We must live in accordance with those nuances, especially when nourishing our center and healing through our diet.
Food The Spleen Does Not Like
Iced Beverages
Smoothies
Juices ( yes even green juice )
Raw vegetables as a meal ( a little on the side is ok )
Yogurt, Cheese, Milk
Wheat
Sugar
Foods That Make the Spleen Happy + Healthy
Warm soups
Warm food in general
Steamed and lightly cooked vegetables
Orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potato, and squash
Rice, Barley, Oats
Legumes
Turmeric, sage, black better, ginger, nutmeg
Bone broth
Lemons, strawberries, cherries and in season fruits
Here are a few Traditional Chinese Medicine Tips for Summer Health
Awaken earlier in the morning, to take advantage of the full YANG energy of daytime.
Go to bed later in the evening. There is plenty of time to rest in the winter darker shorter days.
Rest at midday, where possible, it is a time of year that if we are holiday our digestive system can also rest. Between 1pm and 3pm is our natural biological clock´s time for our small intestine.
Drink plenty of fluids; if you forget to drink put an alarm on your phone.
Eat more YIN foods, which are light and less-greasy
Eat “Cooling” foods; these tend towards the green end of the spectrum such as lettuce, cucumbers, and watercress, generate healthy body fluids
Fish and seafood are also good for you, in TCM we refer to these foods as having cooling property, therefore best eaten in hotter seasons.
In the summer eat with moderation; we tend to get more indigestion in the summer months.
When we live in harmony with the seasons and learn about ways to create balance and health in the body in one season, it can affect how our immune system responds in the seasons ahead. Fall is the season of the Lung and this is when we to see a lot of colds and flus starting as well as allergies. Keeping the spleen healthy in late summer contributes to strong and healthy lungs in Fall.
Preparing for the seasons ahead is one of the oldest forms of preventative medicine. Know the clouds before the storm.
