Support for summer ailments

It’s officially summer, and after a long, cold, wet spring, it is so lovely to finally have warmer weather! To make sure we can fully enjoy the summer, I have some tips on managing summer-specific health challenges, which I hope you will find useful.

Heat is one of the six pathogenic factors in Chinese Medicine theory and it can have an intense impact on our health. Summer is often a busy part of the year with holiday travel, family time, and intense outdoor physical activity. The disruption to our usual routines combined with the impact of heat can contribute to imbalances, including fatigue, sleep disruptions, and digestive complaints, and here are some suggestions on how to manage each of these issues. 

Fatigue

Being exposed to environmental heat during long hot summer months can damage the body’s fluids. Excess sweating during outdoor physical activity is especially depleting to the body’s fluids, potentially causing "blood deficiency" which can lead to fatigue.

To manage this situation there is a wonderful Chinese herbal formula called Sheng Mai San, which nourishes fluids, stops sweating and benefits the lungs and heart. It is a great formula for both athletes who train during summer months or the ‘weekend warrior’ who isn’t accustomed to intense physical activity in warm weather. Making sure you hydrate is going to be very important to replenish fluids, but this formula adds a deeper level of replenishment beyond what drinking lots of water can.

Sleep problems

Another source of heat damage can come from internally generated heat: Being extra busy during the summer and perhaps feeling stressed because of this busyness, can leads to Qi stagnation, which can generate internal heat, causing sleep disruptions and mental fatigue.

The obvious way to manage this scenario is to cut back on activities and create a slower pace so that the nervous system doesn’t become so overwhelmed. However, when this isn’t an option, support can be found in the herbal formula Dan Zhi Xiao Yao San. It is designed to gently clear stagnation by soothing the nervous system and clearing pent up heat.

Digestive disruptions

Summer is the time for grilling and barbequing, but these heavier, protein-based meals can create digestive problems. Also, summer is often a time for celebrations and reunions where we might consume more alcohol than we normally do. From a Chinese Medicine perspective, grilling as a cooking method adds a lot of heat to our food, and alcohol is considered a ‘hot’ substance. Adding all that heat into our digestive tract can lead to food stagnation, acid reflux, heart burn, indigestion, and constipation.

There are many wonderful formulas in Chinese Medicine that support the digestive system, and some of them specifically address the issue of food stagnation. However, the main support you can give your body is through diet changes. Make sure you balance the protein-rich foods that can lead to stagnation with plenty of fresh vegetables. Things like cucumbers, watermelon, lettuce, and citrus fruit are all considered cooling and can be especially helpful during summer months. Also, try to limit alcohol consumption in favor of more hydrating drinks.

I hope that these suggestions will help minimize any health issues that might disruption your summer plans.