Healthy Summer Foods According to Chinese Medicine

In Chinese Medicine, the summer corresponds to the fire element and is a time of joy, laughter, and togetherness. Unlike any other element, the fire has four organs associated with it, rather than two: the heart, small intestine, the pericardium or heart protector, and the triple burner (a concept that does not have a full Western equivalent, but encompasses the restorative and functional activities of the organs, perhaps similar to the mitochondrial function within cells). Given the physiological importance of these organs, and the tendency for their imbalance to cause symptoms such as indigestion, heartburn, small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), anxiety, depression, mania, and palpitations, it is key to eat foods during the summer that will counterbalance the heat of the season.

The following tips will help you eat in a way that will minimize indigestion and stay cool all summer long:

1. Eat in moderation, consuming smaller amounts of food than you might at other times of the year. We should always eat in a conscious manner and avoid overeating, but during the summer, consuming too much is more likely to result in digestive issues such as diarrhea, gas, or bloating. Keep your diet light and focused on fresh foods.
2. Add in more cooling foods. In Chinese Medicine, foods have energetic qualities, and one of those is cooling. If we spend a lot of time outdoors, we are prone to “invasion” of summer heat (which is similar to heat stroke in Western medicine). To prevent this, we need to add in cooling foods to our diet such as apricot, apple, watermelon, cucumber, mint, lettuce, mung bean, cantaloupe, pineapple, peach, pear, tangerine, broccoli, spinach, seafood, bok choy, tomato, seaweed, and dandelion.
3. Try bitter foods. The taste of the fire element and summer is bitter, so eating more of these foods will help support the heart and small intestine. Examples of bitter foods include dark chocolate, parsley, dandelion, collard greens, mustard greens, kale, arugula, celery, chamomile, papaya, corn, and bitter melon. Note that similar to the cooling foods mentioned above, bitter is more about the energetic of the food, rather than the exact taste.
4. Drink green tea or chrysanthemum tea. According to Chinese Medicine, green tea and chrysanthemum tea help to disperse summer heat, relieve irritability and insomnia, and detoxify the body. Green tea additionally increases alertness, improves mood, and clears the mind.
5. Stay hydrated. It is imperative to drink plenty of water during the summer months. Aim for half your body weight in ounces each day; for example, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water. Add in fresh fruit or herbs from the list above, such as cucumber, mint, watermelon, or pineapple for an extra-cooling kick.

During the summer, it is especially important to limit or avoid dampening foods such as dairy, fried foods, processed sugar, soda, or ice cream. An occasional treat is fine, but if you find yourself caving every time the music of the ice cream truck comes calling, start packing slices of melon or tropical fruits the next time you head to the pool, beach, or lake so you can avoid the temptation and still have something sweet. Dampening foods make it harder for our digestion to work and cause excess mucus and weight gain.

With the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer and the tips above, you should be able to beat the heat and have a blast in the great outdoors!

Note: This article was originally published in a local magazine for their June 2022 issue. For citation references, please contact Dr. Yocum at https://jenyocum.com/contact/