Managing Heat-Related Effects on Health

By Dr. Devetara Holman, DACM, L.Ac, and Dr. Evan Shepherd Reiff, DACM, L.Ac
Valley Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine

Skillfully and Effectively Navigating Hotter Temps

It’s time to be alert to the physiological effects of hotter weather. High temperatures can lead to discomfort, dehydration, and heat-related illnesses. By understanding the fundamental Laws of Nature, as explained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we can manage heat-related effects through balance, prevention, and natural remedies.

Summer Means Special Care for the Heart and Small Intestine
The Heart can easily be overtaxed by heat, leading to agitation, insomnia, dizziness, palpitations, and fatigue. The Small Intestine is affected when eating too much sweet, raw, spicy, or greasy food. They can lead to a wide variety of digestive disorders, inflammation, and infections. 

Understanding Heat in Traditional Chinese Medicine
In TCM, health is viewed as a balance between Yin (cooling, calming) and Yang (warming, activating). Excessive heat disrupts this balance and can lead to a variety of troublesome, sometimes difficult, and even serious symptoms.

There are two sources of problematic heat in the body:
1. External heat is caused by environmental factors such as hot weather or sun exposure.
2. Internal heat can arise due to lifestyle choices, such as spicy foods, overuse of alcohol, excessive stress, overwork, or the depletion of our body’s natural resources.

If the body has too much internal heat, then exposure to external heat can make for even more sudden, long-term or even serious symptoms such as agitation, insomnia, night sweats, fatigue, racing heart or palpitations, sudden or long-lasting fatigue, among others.

Dietary Adjustments for Summer
One of the most effective ways to combat heat is through dietary choices. TCM emphasizes the importance of consuming cooling foods that can help clear heat and nourish the body. These dietary recommendations can be helpful if used in moderation. 

• Fruits and Vegetables: Too much sweet can lead to more heat, so incorporate seasonal fruits in moderation. Make frequent use of naturally cooling fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, cucumber, mung beans, and leafy greens in order to stay cooler during the summer months.
• Herbs and Spices: Herbs such as mint and chrysanthemum teas have significant cooling properties.  They are especially effective as a tea in the late afternoon or evening.  Avoid spicy foods, as they can exacerbate internal heat.
• Hydration: Staying hydrated is essential, however, it’s not commonly known that it’s more important to drink more fluids in the morning than in the afternoon. By hydrating well in the morning, you’ll feel less thirsty in the afternoon and evening. In addition, drinking warm water is more easily absorbed into the cells and tissues, making it more effectively hydrating than drinking cool water.
• Light Meals: Choose small, light meals that are easy-to-digest. Steamed or lightly cooked dishes are preferable to heavy, greasy, rich, or even raw foods.

Emotional Well-being
Cultivate joy! Spend time with loved ones and practice gratitude to nourish your emotional heart.

Overheated?  Effective Ways to Cool the Entire Body Down
1. Apply a cool, damp cloth to the nape of the neck.
2. Submerge your feet up past your ankles in cool water, or upper arms past the elbows.
3. Pat down the body with a cool, damp cloth while sitting in front of a fan.  Sitting directly in front of an air conditioner is not advised.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine are uniquely effective for resolving internal heat and nourishing the body’s natural cooling, moistening systems.  By embracing and integrating the fundamental Laws of Nature through TCM, you can manage the effects of heat on your body and mind, maintain balance and well-being, and enjoy a healthy, comfortable summer season.  You can also become more naturally resilient to health problems all year round.