In this blog:
- What does TCM recommend for Summer?
- Summer food guide according to TCM
- How summer nutrition can negatively affect your digestion
- Summer Food Guide: Cooking Methods
- A list of cooling summer foods and herbs
- Summer Food Guide Recap
What does Traditional Chinese Medicine recommend for summer?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we use Yin and Yang to represent different seasons, temperatures, and symptoms in the body. Summer is the Yang season, which is a time of growth, expansion, lightness, brightness, outward activity, and creativity. Summer is also a time of growth, so we see nature blossoming and thriving.
It is recommended to wake early in the morning and get outside in the sunlight first thing for nourishment. This will also help regulate your circadian rhythm, which affects your sleep, increases Vitamin D levels, supports your immune system, and can boost your mood positively. Summer is also a time to play, travel, be joyful, and grow in acts of service.
As you can see, summer is a great time to spend outside, be active, and connect with loved ones but what are the best foods to eat during the summer? Let’s dive in to you summer food guide!
Summer Food Guide According to Traditional Chinese Medicine
When you think about summer, you might think of fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables from the garden which is exactly what this TCM summer food guide is all about! It is recommended to eat small light meals throughout the day to prevent a heavy, tired feeling.
Raw fruits and vegetables are naturally cooling and hydrating during the hot summer days. This is the perfect time to incorporate beautiful salads, fruit and vegetable platters, and try this watermelon spritzer!
It’s important to eat a variety of colors to balance the nutrients these beautiful foods provide! Variety will also replace minerals lost through sweat.
When exposed to excessively hot weather, you can consume fresh, cooling foods such as salads, sprouts, cucumber, watermelon, and teas like chrysanthemum, chamomile, or mint. Fruit like apples, watermelon, lemon, and lime are the best fruits. Add them to a meal, drink water, or eat them as a snack.
Add SMALL amounts of spicy food to warm the internal body and release internal heat to the surface. Red and green hot peppers, ginger, horseradish, black pepper, and cayenne are all ideal spices. If you consume too many hot spices, you will weaken your digestive system, and you may lose your ability to stay warm and healthy during the cooler seasons so keep spicy food to a minimum.
Make sure to drink enough water throughout the day. When exposed to the hot summer days, you will sweat more to naturally cool down. It’s important to replenish your body by drinking extra water. I also recommend adding electrolytes to increase hydration (I love this brand).
In general, it is recommended that you drink half your body weight in ounces daily (example: you weigh 100 pounds = drink 50 ounces of water daily). Other options to keep you hydrated include bone broth soups and non-caffeinated tea which are rich in vitamins and minerals!
If you are outside sweating or consuming caffeine, drink extra water. It is important to stay hydrated to maintain blood volume, regulate blood pressure, aid digestion, absorb water-soluble nutrients, transport oxygen to cells, and the list goes on! Proper hydration will also prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, muscle cramps, headaches, and bladder infections. I cannot stress the importance of hydration enough in the summer food guide.
Now, let’s discuss the possible negative aspects of this TCM summer food guide!
Eating too much raw food can hurt your digestion- this is very important!!
Summer heat combined with too much cold, raw food weakens your digestion. Since cold causes things to contract or constrict, heat can get stuck in the body, making it harder to sweat. This can lead to a bunch of other symptom, such as constipation, diarrhea, headaches, irritability, acid reflux, and heartburn, just to name a few.
It all comes back to balance… I recommend eating and drinking room temperature (not cold out of the fridge or freezer) raw foods and beverages during summer. This is especially important if you are experiencing “cold symptoms” such as runny nose, diarrhea/ loose bowel movements, bloating, gas with no odor, and/or feeling cold in general.
Also, take into consideration how much heat you are ACTUALLY exposed to. If you are mostly inside exposed to the cold air conditioner, you are coming into contact with more cold than heat! If you work outside or playing at the pool all day, you are being exposed to more heat. Does that make sense?
In general, most people are not exposed to hot summer temperatures on a daily basis for more than a few minutes to an hour. If you come in from working in the garden, playing outside, or running errands, consider snacking on some cucumber and watermelon to replenish electrolytes and cool you off. If you are sitting in a frigid, cold office all day in a sweater, you would want to AVOID anything cold and raw and consume cooked vegetables and roasted meats.
Please, take all of these factors into consideration when creating your summer menus!
Summer Food Guide: Cooking Methods
While eating raw foods are encouraged during the summer season to cool off during the hot summer days, it is advised to cook the majority of your foods in order to optimize your digestion and immune system. It is recommended to cook foods at higher temperatures for very short periods of time. This way foods maintain a raw element while being easier to digest.
Recommend summer cooking methods:
- Saute/ Stir-fry
- Steam
- Boil
Grilling meat is popular during summer, but in TCM it is considered a hot cooking method which increases the warmth of meat and may not digest well. Pair grilled foods with cooler side dishes such as potato salad, mung bean salad, coleslaw or mixed fruit to balance the meal.
Summer Food Guide According to Traditional Chinese Medicine
Summer Food Guide Recap
- Cooking Methods: sauté on high heat for a very short time; steam or boil foods as quickly as possible
- Avoid: too much raw, cold food–> Cold causes constriction and contractions, especially in the stomach, causing digestive issues and holding in internal heat/ sweat. Avoid iced drinks and ice cream**
- On very hot days consume: salads, sprouts, cucumber, mung beans, flower and leaf teas such as chrysanthemum, mint, and chamomile, fruit- apples, watermelon, lemons, and limes
- Small amounts of spice: red and green hot peppers, cayenne red pepper, fresh ginger, horseradish, and black pepper **Beware: too much spicy flavor can disperse and weaken the qi, causing the loss of yang and the ability to stay warm and vital during cooler seasons
- Minimum heavy foods (which cause sluggishness): meat, eggs, excess nuts & seeds, and grains.
- Best practice: Eat less and lightly on hot, bright days
Summer recipes you will love!
THE BENEFITS OF MUNG BEAN SALAD FOR SUMMER HEAT
HOW TO STAY HYDRATED IN EXTREME HEAT WITH WATERMELON SPRITZER
