On May 5th, "Lixia" marks the beginning of summer, which is the first solar term of the summer season.

 

With the arrival of the Beginning of Summer, the hot summer season begins. As temperatures rise and humidity increases, the body's organs are also affected by the change in seasons.

 

In the face of changes in the natural climate, our health maintenance strategies must also be adjusted to adapt to nature.

 

After the Beginning of Summer, there are three key points to health preservation:

 

1. Nourish the Heart and Protect Yang

 

According to traditional Chinese medicine, "nourishing yang in spring and summer" is the key to summer health. "Yang" is the foundation of life, and nurturing yang in spring and summer helps to prevent illness.

 

Nourishing yang primarily involves nurturing the heart. The high temperatures after the Beginning of Summer easily lead to emotional agitation, causing excessive heart fire and triggering various diseases. This is particularly common among the elderly, who are affected by emotional fluctuations and external climate factors, often resulting in conditions such as arrhythmia and high blood pressure.

 

Therefore, special attention should be paid to mental conditioning, strengthen heart maintenance, avoid extreme emotions, maintain a cheerful mood, and keep the spirit clear and calm.

 

2. Nourish the Spleen and Stomach

 

After the Beginning of Summer, the hot and humid climate often leads to poor appetite, which is actually due to the accumulation of damp heat inside, and the lack of digestive power in the intestines and stomach.

 

However, if the spleen is weak, the food consumed cannot be smoothly transformed into nutritional essence of grains, or the essence that has been transformed cannot be effectively transported to various organs of the body. In summer, it is easier to develop symptoms of spleen-stomach disharmony and spleen deficiency. For example, consuming cold food can often damage the spleen and stomach first.

 

3. Pay Attention to Dampness Expulsion

 

After the Beginning of Summer, there is an increase in rainfall, and all things grow vigorously in the rain and sunlight. The human body also enters the period of its most vigorous metabolism and individuals should pay attention to invigorating the spleen and expelling dampness.

 

The air is humid, making it easy for the body to become damp. Therefore, special attention should be paid to preventing dampness and heat from affecting the spleen. There is a saying, "summer heat carries dampness," which means that the heat of summer is most likely to invade the human body together with dampness.

 

Add some acid to your diet in the Beginning of Summer.

 

After the Beginning of Summer, as the weather gradually heats up, it is easy to feel irritable and develop excessive internal heat, leading to decreased appetite. Therefore, dietary adjustments are necessary.

 

The dietary principle after the Beginning of Summer is to "increase acidity, reduce bitterness, nourish the kidneys and assist the liver, and regulate stomach qi." The diet should be light, focusing on easily digestible foods rich in vitamins.

 

Some ingredients that dispel dampness, clear heat, and relieve summer heat are particularly suitable for summer consumption, such as coix seeds, cucumbers, water spinach, lettuce, lotus seeds, and winter melon.

 

In addition, incorporating Reishi mushrooms into daily diet can help maintain health. In the "Shennong Ben Cao Jing" (Classic of Herbal Medicine), Reishi mushrooms are classified as a "superior medicine" that can nourish the five internal organs. Reishi mushrooms have a sweet taste and enter the spleen meridian, promoting the normal absorption of nutritional essence of grains by the spleen and stomach. They also enter the liver meridian, assisting in the elimination of toxins, and enter the heart meridian, helping to calm the mind and soothe the spirit.

 

Reishi, Lotus Seed, and Lily Congee

 

 

[Ingredients] 20g organic Ganoderma sinense slices from GanoHerb, 20g lotus seeds (core removed), 20g lily bulbs, 100g rice.

 

[Instructions] Clean the Ganoderma sinense slices, lotus seeds, lily bulbs, and rice. Add them to a pot along with ginger slices. Add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until well cooked.

 

[Medicinal Properties] Long-term consumption can calm the mind and soothe the nerves, and it also has a certain auxiliary effect on the complications of diabetes.

 

After the arrival of spring, it is the long summer with dense shade from green trees. With mature leaves and sweet fruits, the fragrance of fruits fills the air. The splendid prosperity of early summer is quietly blooming.