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Summer Health Guide for the Bitter Summer: Must-Read “Clear, Nourish, and Dispel Dampness” Strategy Before the Great Heat!
The Great Heat is approaching; this is the hottest solar term of the year, when the combination of heat and dampness reaches its peak. At this time, the summer heat rises, dampness pervades the air, and the human body is easily disturbed by“summer heat,” leading to symptoms such as fatigue, dry mouth, abdominal bloating, and other discomforts.
2025/07/28
The Great Heat is approaching; this is the hottest solar term of the year, when the combination of heat and dampness reaches its peak. At this time, the summer heat rises, dampness pervades the air, and the human body is easily disturbed by“summer heat,” leading to symptoms such as fatigue, dry mouth, abdominal bloating, and other discomforts. By following the natural laws and practicing reasonable health preservation, we can safely get through this “bitter summer” and lay a solid foundation for health in autumn and winter.
Dietary Regulation: Clear, Nourish, and Dispel Dampness, Five Foods to Eat and Two to Avoid
During the Great Heat, the diet should follow the principles of “strengthening the spleen, promoting dampness elimination, and nourishing the skin,” both relieving summer heat and maintaining nutritional balance. The “five foods to eat” are: mung beans, wax gourd, bitter melon, coix seeds, and pineapple; the “two to avoid” are harmful to the body: ice products and greasy foods.
Daily Life: Prevent Heat While Protecting Yang, the "Three Protections" Are Key
Health preservation during the Great Heat requires balancing “dispersion” and “contraction,” focusing on the “Three Protections”:
Protection Against Yang-Heat: Avoid going outdoors during the ultraviolet peak hours from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. When going out, wear a wide-brimmed hat, carry lightly salted water or electrolyte drinks, and rest in the shade every half hour. If symptoms such as dizziness, dry and hot skin indicating heatstroke precursors appear, immediately apply a wet towel to major arteries for heat dissipation.
Protection Against Yin-Heat: Set air conditioning temperature at 26°C or above and avoid direct exposure. Turn off the AC and cover the abdomen when sleeping. Avoid cold baths immediately after heavy sweating; wait until body temperature decreases, then rinse with warm water. Traditional Chinese Medicine warns that excessive cold-seeking may lead to “heat wind injury,” allowing external pathogens to invade.
Protection Against Dampness: Heavy dampness easily causes a sensation of heaviness in the head and sticky stools. In addition to dietary adjustment, soak feet in 40°C mugwort and ginger water for 15 minutes before bed until slight sweating occurs to help expel dampness.
Exercise and Rest: Balance Activity and Rest to Nourish the Mind and Spirit
Noon Nap to Nourish Heart Yang: Between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, the Heart Meridian is dominant. A 20-30 minute nap can relieve the “summer drowsiness.” Sleeping too long may cause dizziness and fatigue; office workers can also benefit from closing their eyes to rest for 10 minutes.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Featured Therapy: Treating Winter Diseases in Summer — The Great Heat Is the Critical Period
Leveraging the natural Yang Qi to dispel internal cold accumulation:
Sanfu Plaster: Suitable for individuals with chronic bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, and other cold-deficiency constitutions, applying warm and pungent Chinese herbs on acupoints such as Feishu and Dingchuan to regulate organ functions through the meridians. The best application times in 2025 are the first fu day (July 20), middle fu day (July 30), and last fu day (August 9).
Huoxiang Zhengqi Pill: In hot summer environments, symptoms such as headache, dizziness, thirst, excessive sweating, limb weakness and soreness, poor concentration, and uncoordinated movements often occur, with normal or slightly elevated body temperature. Treatment requires dissipating dampness, relieving summer heat, and releasing the exterior. Huoxiang Zhengqi Pill is commonly used for summer heatstroke exterior syndrome. It dispels the exterior and dampness, regulates Qi and harmonizes the middle, mainly addressing external wind-cold, internal damp obstruction, headache and heaviness, chest and diaphragm fullness, abdominal distension and pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. (Please purchase and use under physician’s guidance.)
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