Summer 1995

The Traditional Chinese Medicine applied the elements seen in nature to our seasonal characteristics. The summer is the season of fire.

It is easy to relate summer to fire. The summer is hot, and June 21st is the longest day of the year. The fire element is Yang, whose characteristics are light, outward, hot and dry.

The areas of the body considered to be fire-ruled are the Heart, pericardium, Triple Heater and Small Intestines. The heart is more active in the summer. As we move and exercise more, the heart muscle is used. The heart is protected by the pericardium, which is the covering of the heart.

The small intestine needs the warmth of the body to receive, digest and assimilate nourishment. The small intestine separates the pure from the impure.

The triple heater organ system is the hardest for us to understand. The function of the heaters is to produce heat and provide energy for respiration, digestion, and elimination. All these functions need a regulator to keep them working. The triple heater provides the balance for the body to work in synchrony.

The traditional Chinese have given many other attributes to each element: they each have a color, fluid, indicator, tissue, taste, climate and emotion.

Fire: Color - red; Fluid - sweat; Indicator - complexion; Taste - bitter; Emotion - joy/sorrow; Climate - heat.

These can all make sense when we think of our bodies responding to the summer heat. The red of sunburn with a sweaty brow, the bitter taste of greens in the garden, and the joy of being in love from the heart. The heart can also break, leaving us in sorrow.

The foods of summer correlate to the heat. We gravitate towards the cooling foods or yin (fluid) foods. Plenty of water and fluid-filled fruits like melons and apples are important to add to our diet. Reduce the fat and meat in the diet, which are hot foods. Add the cool foods; vegetables, fruits, cooked grains, as they are important to balance the heat of summer. The yang (heat, dry) of summer must use the yin (water, dark, night) to stay in harmony.

The animals have no problem with balance. They naturally seek the shade or a lake. Their appetites are decreased and they drink more water.

During this time the conditions we see at the clinic have a positive correlation to the season. The heart and digestive systems are under stress. But with proper care everything can be kept in balance.