Summer is here! In Chinese Medicine this is the time of year that is considered most yang. To learn more about yin and yang click here.

High yang means heat, maximum activity, and moving outward with our lives and into nature.

In Chicago we’re right in the middle of our ‘high yang’ summer, so I’m going to write about how this season is perceived in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

In TCM, every season has an element associated with it. Fire is the element of summer.

Associations with the fire element and Chinese medicine:
*The color red
*The emotion of joy
*Bitter tasting foods
*The body organs are the heart, small intestine and it relates to the tongue.

When the fire element is in balance, your heart is strong and healthy, your mind is calm and your sleep is sound. On the other hand, when the fire element is not balanced, you may either lack joy (depression) or have an excess of joy (mania).

Because summer is the hottest season, to balance the heat, you need a diet that is cooling in nature. Fresh fruits and vegetables are great choices. Below I offer some suggestions to optimize your diet during the Summer.

Eat more cooling foods, such as watermelon, strawberries, asparagus, sprouts, corn, cucumber, spinach, and mint.

Summer is a poor time to overdo spicy foods, alcohol, or caffeine because all of these foods heat you up rather than cool you down.

Have a wonderful Summer!!