
07/25/2022
Sharing some seasonal tips to stay balanced and healthy in this intense heat posted by one of my favorite TCM accounts
“Major Heat is here. Welcome to the 12th seasonal point of the year 🔥.
The hottest days of the year are here. Now, more than ever, keeping your cool is essential for living well! Here are some of our TCM tips for cooling off and staying balanced.
Enjoy raw fruits and veggies (in moderation!). Fill up on fresh foods like watermelon, mung bean, fresh green leafy vegetables (some raw is ok), purslane, cucumber, sour plum, Chinese yam, tomato, sweet rice, winter melon, bitter melon, lotus root, yogurt soy milk, buckwheat, eggplant, okra, bean sprouts, pineapple, or any seasonal fruits and veggies in your region.
Balance with slightly warming herbs, it’s too easy to overdo it with iced drinks, swimming, or air conditioning during this time of year. If you notice signs of cold in the digestive tract (like fatigue, poor digestion, bloating), find balance by cooking (or making tea) wit a moderate amount of ginger, cardamom, or nutmeg.
Restore yin with bone broth. These hot days can lead to dryness and dehydration. Nourish you body with cooling and hydrating veggie “bone” broth made from soft tofu, mushrooms, bean sprouts, lotus root/jimcama/water chestnut, winter melon, and coin seeds. All hydrating and delicious!
Make medicinal porridge for breakfast. It’s tempting to want to sip a morning smoothie in this hot weather, but a medicinal porridge is just as cooling (and gives you a ton more energy). Choose millet, sweet rice, yi ren (coil seeds), or adzuki bean as your base. These are all neutral or cooling herbs and help to transform and drain dampness.
🤍 Check out their online store for more resources and info on how to eat in harmony with the seasons and use food as medicine.