Heat

 

External heat relates to the season summer.

The nature of heat is to flare upward. When heat invades the body the majority of the symptoms manifest in the head and in the upper body. Typical external heat invasion symptoms are acute sore throat with red swollen tonsils, high fever, and headache. These symptoms are very common during summer as heat is the predominant climatic factor of summer. As the nature of heat is to dry out fluids, heat evil may also cause dryness. Symptoms include dryness of the lips and throat, scanty yellow urine, and constipation (not enough fluids  to nourish the intestines).  In such cases it is essential to hydrate the body.

To cool the heat one can temporarily engage in raw food diet (raw, uncooked foods have cooling nature) and choose some cooling foods such as green leafy vegetables and cucumbers, as well as strawberries, plums, melons and watermelons. All these foods are cooling, moistening and hydrating but they should not be consumed for longer periods of time as they might slow down the digestion. 

 

YS

Liangyue, D., Yijun, G., Shuhui, H., Xiaoping, J., Yang, L., Rufen, W., Wenjing, W., Xuetai, W., Hengze, X., Xiuling, X., Jiuling, Y. (1987). Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press

 

Related Articles:

The Six Climatic Factors and The Five Elements

Wind

Cold

Summerheat

Damp

Dryness

Spring (Element Wood)

Summer (Element Fire)

Late Summer (Element Earth)

Autumn (Element Metal)

Winter (Element Water)

 

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