Diet & Foods for Summer
Summer Foods
A preventive approach that harmonizes the body with the basic Yang nature of Summer, and a remedial approach that cools the body when there is over exposure to Yang/heat.
There are two basic approaches to eating:
Preventative Approach:
A preventive approach that harmonizes the body with the basic Yang nature of Summer.
The basic preventive diet for Summer is one that everyone can follow. In general food choices should include local and seasonal vegetables and fruit, trying to include as many colors as possible to represent all of the Five Phases. Since Summer is the season of utmost Yang, and Yang by nature is light and floating, diet should be lighter than in other seasons. In general meals should include only the minimum of salt since salt by nature is condensing and descending (i.e., the opposite of Summer).
Even though Summer is the time of heat, it is appropriate to use a small amount of mildly spicy food. Spicy flavors induce an upward and outward movement of qi in the body, and therefore mimic the movement of Summer. Mildly spicy foods also induce gentle perspiration to clear heat from the surface of the body. Thus a small amount is warranted. However, too much spicy food moves the body into an overly heated state and should therefore be avoided. Even though it may sound counterintuitive, Chinese medicine recommends sipping hot liquids during Summer.
Remedial Approach:
A remedial approach that cools the body when there is overexposure to Yang/heat.
The very nature of cold is to congeal and contract. This Yin movement is also the opposite of the Summer season. Consuming cold foods over time damages Spleen and Stomach function, and will lead to the accumulation of dampness internally. As previously mentioned, damp combines with Summer heat to be one of the major pathologies associated with hotter weather. Sipping warm beverages allows the body to stay hydrated while inducing mild perspiration along the lines of eating mildly spicy foods. To better balance warm beverages with hot weather, it is very appropriate to drink mildly cooling herbs or teas (in Chinese medicine a food or drink can have a “cooling” nature even though it is taken at a warm temperature). With teas, in general, green teas are mildly cooling in nature while dark teas (such as oolong, pu erh, or black teas) are mildly warming. One very famous green tea that is revered in China for Summer consumption is Long Jing Cha 龍井茶, or Dragon Well Tea.
Summer Diet
During the summer, consume foods that are mildly cooling. Especially when the heat is intense, or when people are exhibiting signs of overexposure to Summer heat. Most vegetables have a mildly cooling nature, another reason why their consumption is important in Summer. Foods to consider adding on a daily basis include all sorts of sprouts (e.g., mung bean or alfalfa), cucumbers, muskmelon, winter melon, tomato, and loofah. All of these have a mildly heat-clearing and gently moistening effect. In-season fruits such as plums and peaches are also heat-clearing and moistening. Plums, in particular, have a slightly sour nature so they benefit the fluids at a time when too much sweating can damage them.
Another very famous food remedy specifically for Summer heat is watermelon. Watermelon can be eaten fresh or can be juiced.
In addition to the actual foods eaten, the method of cooking should also be adjusted for the season. For the summer foods should be prepared using relatively light and quick methods, in other words cooking techniques that mimic the light and fast nature of Yang. Vegetables can be sautéed at high heat for short periods of time, or can be parboiled or steamed. Cooking methods should include more water and less heavy oil. Fruit can be served lightly chilled in the warmest of weather, but still be careful to avoid consuming large quantities of iced foods or beverages.
The foods and cooking methods to avoid are all ones that overly constrict the movement of qi. For example, very greasy or oily foods create stagnation and dampness, and thus are opposite to the Yang movement of Summer. These foods also damage the digestive function. Overly sweet foods also create dampness, and, as already mentioned, very salty foods create a Yin inward movement of the qi.
