Summer begins by nurturing the heart.
With the official start of summer, the weather is gradually getting hotter. Many people are eager to switch to lighter clothes, but as the saying goes, "don't put away your winter clothes until you've eaten the Fifth Month dumplings." The weather can still be unpredictable, fluctuating between hot and cold, and a slight carelessness can lead to a cold, damaging the body's yang energy.
Lixia (Start of Summer) not only signifies the imminent arrival of summer but also reminds us that our bodies will change accordingly. The "Huangdi Neijing" (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) advocates nourishing yang in spring and summer, and yin in autumn and winter. The heart, which is associated with yang, drives blood circulation in the body. In the Five Elements theory, summer corresponds to fire and the heart, so the focus of health preservation is also on nourishing the heart. This "heart" is not limited to the physical organ but also refers to psychological and mental factors, to avoid the irritability and anxiety that this season can easily bring.
To adapt to summer, the pores on the skin naturally open to dissipate summer heat and regulate body temperature through sweating. However, excessive sweating can deplete the heart's yang energy. If you experience excessive sweating, restlessness, and irritability in summer, you can brew five longans and five grams of sour jujube seeds with hot water for 15 minutes and drink it. This tea nourishes blood and calms the heart, relieving anxiety and烦躁.
Longan is neutral in nature and sweet in taste, entering the heart and spleen meridians. It nourishes blood to calm the spirit, replenishes qi and blood, and tranquilizes the mind. Sour jujube seed is neutral in nature, sweet with a hint of sourness, entering the heart, liver, and gallbladder meridians. It nourishes the heart and liver, calms the spirit, and helps with excessive sweating.
In addition, in summer, it's beneficial to eat more red-colored foods, which are associated with fire, to help replenish qi and blood. Examples include tomatoes, grapefruits, red beans, watermelons, cherries, red dates, and hawthorn.
Maintaining a cheerful mood, a peaceful mindset, and avoiding extreme emotions on a daily basis are also the best ways to nourish the heart.
Lixia (Start of Summer) not only signifies the imminent arrival of summer but also reminds us that our bodies will change accordingly. The "Huangdi Neijing" (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) advocates nourishing yang in spring and summer, and yin in autumn and winter. The heart, which is associated with yang, drives blood circulation in the body. In the Five Elements theory, summer corresponds to fire and the heart, so the focus of health preservation is also on nourishing the heart. This "heart" is not limited to the physical organ but also refers to psychological and mental factors, to avoid the irritability and anxiety that this season can easily bring.
To adapt to summer, the pores on the skin naturally open to dissipate summer heat and regulate body temperature through sweating. However, excessive sweating can deplete the heart's yang energy. If you experience excessive sweating, restlessness, and irritability in summer, you can brew five longans and five grams of sour jujube seeds with hot water for 15 minutes and drink it. This tea nourishes blood and calms the heart, relieving anxiety and烦躁.
Longan is neutral in nature and sweet in taste, entering the heart and spleen meridians. It nourishes blood to calm the spirit, replenishes qi and blood, and tranquilizes the mind. Sour jujube seed is neutral in nature, sweet with a hint of sourness, entering the heart, liver, and gallbladder meridians. It nourishes the heart and liver, calms the spirit, and helps with excessive sweating.
In addition, in summer, it's beneficial to eat more red-colored foods, which are associated with fire, to help replenish qi and blood. Examples include tomatoes, grapefruits, red beans, watermelons, cherries, red dates, and hawthorn.
Maintaining a cheerful mood, a peaceful mindset, and avoiding extreme emotions on a daily basis are also the best ways to nourish the heart.