For the next 3 Point Thursdays, I’ll be giving an overview of Late Summer through Chinese Medicine.
- Basic concept of Late Summer
- Tips for a healthy Late Summer
- Seasonal foods for Late Summer
Basic Concept of Late Summer
Late Summer is the Earth element and a time of year when yang energy is coming down from the height of Summer and transitioning into Fall, a yin energy type of year. The hot fire season is ending and the cool metal fall season will begin soon, meanwhile, we are within the earth element which is in between. There is a warmth to late summer that is steady as is needed for our digestive system as well. The Earth element is about moderation, sweetness, and gentle energy that feels soothing and reassuring. This is a very supportive type of element and its associated organs are the stomach and spleen. These organs support your entire body and continuously process the food we take within to create the energy that we need to live. The purpose of this element shows how important it is to keep your digestive system healthy and to keep moving forward in life as well.
When this element is out of balance people are obsessed with worry, feel bogged down, slow and heavy with an aversion to humidity. Take this time to move steadily emotionally, mentally and physically as the strength of the Earth element is balance, moderation and feel solidly secure. This is not a time of year to speed up but to actually slow your previous pace with Summer and lead into the openness of what Fall will bring. This is also reflected in the color of Earth to be yellow, as is ginger which is an herb that strengthens your digestive system.
The Earth element is also strongly associated with motherly and/or home energy. Of the five elements in Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is the only element that can be transitioned through. This is the energy or place that you can fall back on or the person you can depend on to help you move forward again. A return to a safe space where with nutrition, time, and support you can go back out into the world again.
Tips for a Healthy Late Summer
1 – Move your body
Enjoy your time outdoors feeling the Earth beneath your feet. Meditate that roots extend from your feet to the center of the Earth and that you are strongly connected to and supported/held up by the Earth as well. You will feel the strength and power that is beneath you and always there for you.
2 – Support your Stomach/Spleen
Ginger is the main herb for this element. Add it to anything that you would like. Ginger teas are also useful. Ginger alleviates nausea, eliminates what TCM calls dampness from the body which makes us feel heavy and slow. Yellow foods and slightly sweet foods would be the best kinds of foods to look for. With this system it is vital to keep from overeating. This overtaxes the stomach and spleen. Room temperature or warm cooked foods are best to keep this system strong. The digestive fire is essential to break down foods and if your digestive system has to continuously use its energy to warm up your food first, it will become more susceptible to weakness and symptoms of stomach aches and loose stools.
3 – Emotions
Don’t worry, be happy is the theme of this element but boundaries are also its strength. Look within to create those internal boundaries to help you move forward even when you cycle with worry. Look to your surroundings and support systems to help you find what boundaries keep you the most stable and secure. This will help you stay within your internal safe space despite what the outside world may present. Give yourself time to think, process and share.
4 – Sweetness of Life
Do what you enjoy. Take time to cook, bake, and gather together those who are close to you and nurture you emotionally. Take time for yourself to feel that you have your own place to be in that is a safe space. Nap in the afternoon.
Seasonal Foods for Late Summer
Foods to Add
This is the element that is most influenced by “food is medicine” as it is responsible for the initial breakdown of food. Ginger will help you process all food. Add root vegetables such as beets, carrots, yams, and sweet potatoes. Millet, rice, and whole grains are the ideal carbohydrates. Bland foods are the ideal foods for this element.
Foods to Avoid
Cold temperature foods including iced water. Dairy products, eggs, and especially ice cream. Anything that is high in sugar, added sugars, or fake sugars. While sweetness strengthens the spleen and stomach, too much can also weaken them. Oily foods such as nuts or adding too much oil to your foods like olive oil.
Last but not least acupuncture is one of the best ways to keep your digestive system healthy. This concludes the 3 part series of Late Summer through Chinese Medicine. I hope this was informative and helpful for your health and your self-care for now and for the future.
About the Author
As a practitioner and healer in Washington, DC for more than a decade, I take a patient-centered approach to care through acupuncture, cupping, herbal medicines, and mind-body coaching, with a specialty in full-spectrum reproductive health care.
