Beat the Summertime Heat with These Five Steps

The warmth of summer can feel great, especially after a long Chicago winter.  However, some people feel worse in the summer heat and humidity because it can worsen certain health conditions.

One central aspect of Chinese medical diagnosis is the differentiation between illnesses caused by cold in the body, and those caused by heat and damp. Many people feel much, much better in the summer; everything from joint pain to depression to menstrual cramps eases in the warm weather. People with internal heat and dampness often struggle with the hot, humid season. Common conditions that may be affected by heat and damp include hot flashes, skin rashes, irritability, and excess sweating. People with a warmer constitution may also notice an increase in other symptoms such as headaches, digestive issues, insomnia, body pain, or fatigue.

 To cool down your system and restore balance, try these 5 things:

 1) Adjust your Diet for Summertime
 Check out the list of cooling foods below, and incorporate them into your diet (watermelon is actually listed in ancient texts as a medicinal substance for a condition called “summer heat,” which is similar to sunstroke or heat exhaustion).  Alcohol is considered liquid damp-heat in Chinese Medicine.  Even though an ice cold beer may be cold in temperature, the chemical properties of the alcohol and hops in beer engenders dampness and heat in the body.
Cooling foods for summer include:

• Apricot 
• Watermelon 
• Cantaloupe 
• Lemon
•  Peach 
• Orange
• Pineapple 
• Asparagus 
• Sprouts 
• Bok choy 
• Broccoli 
• Chinese cabbage 
• Corn
•  Cucumber
•  Mushroom
•  Snow peas
•  Spinach
•  Summer squash 
• Watercress 
• Seaweed 
• Shrimp and Seafood
• Cilantro 
• Mint 
• Dill 
• Salads
• Aromatic spiced ethnic foods like Indian cuisine (India has heat and humidity year round)

 2. Drink plenty of fluids especially water. If exercising in the heat, use an electrolyte replacement beverage in addition to water

 3. An ice pack behind the knees can do wonders to cool the whole body; one of the main acupuncture points for clearing heat is located there

 4. Limit skin exposure to sun with sunscreen, hats and shading the body

 5. Get up earlier, stay up later, slow down and rest at midday (the most intense sunshine of the day) if possible.

 
 Chinese medical texts suggest this as a way of living in harmony with the season. If you’re still having trouble, there are great herbal formulas and acupuncture points to release heat and restore a more neutral body temperature. Summer can be the best time to treat heat-related conditions, both for immediate relief and lasting effect.