Feeling HotHotHot

Summer time is in full swing in the United States and we are feeling the heat. It’s no surprise that Summer is represented by the Element of Fire in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and other Eastern philosophies.

 For some, the warmth of the summer is just what your body needs and for others, the heat can be too much. How your body responds to summer heat depends on your individual body constitution.

You may find your personal fire is out of control. This will present itself as:

Anxiety

Heart Palpitations

Easily perspiring

Night sweats

Insomnia

Overdoing

Emotionally

Enthusiam for life (too little or overly enthusiastic)

Mental confusion

Mental Illness (fire rising)

 Spicey foods contribute to this heat. Today it is so common for people to coat their food with hot spice. I am convinced people don’t taste actual food because they are addicted to spice.

And in your body, spice creates heat, which leads to inflammation.

If you experience spontaneous sweating or lots of heat or any of the above symptoms, what can you do? For one, you can make some easy, yet subtle adjustments to your diet: 

 No hot spicey foods.

Less red wine (sorry, it’s very warming!)

Less coffee (also warming!)

Less ginger

Less garlic

Less onions

Enjoy seasonal foods that are light and refreshing:

 Fresh salads

Cauliflower

Celery

Watermelon

Melon

Lemon water

Electrolyte water

 While asparagus has a warming constitution, it has the ability to moisturize the body and pull out heat. Take notice next time you eat asparagus, not only does your urine have a funny smell, it also feels warm. That’s the heat leaving your body.

 Now, if your body constitution is cold, meaning even during the heat of the summer you need to be bundled up in a blanket or wear a sweater while everyone else is sweating that is an entirely different conversation! It is also a sign that your body needs support in other ways.

xoxo~beth