In such a hot summer, internal heat seems to become a common ailment for everyone. Pains like sore throats and toothaches might all be caused by internal heat. When heat arises, bitterness counteracts it; bitter gourd and bitter tea will become good choices for reducing heat.
After passing through the refreshing and pleasant spring, the scorching summer follows closely. In this season, due to the sustained high temperatures, nutrients in the human body are lost quickly, and people's appetite is generally poor, so it is easy to suffer from internal heat. Excessive heart fire causes people to be irritable, have insomnia, and find it difficult to focus on work. How to relieve summer heat is indeed a pressing matter.
Don't Fear Eating "Bitter" in the Hot Summer
As people lose interest in greasy meats, various green vegetables like legumes, gourds, Chinese cabbage, coriander, fennel, and especially bitter foods such as bitter gourd, lettuce, and sea lettuce become popular dishes on the dining table. From a scientific nutrition perspective, experts suggest: eat more "bitter" foods this season, but also pay attention to reasonable combinations and scientific consumption. The so-called bitter foods people encounter in daily life refer to the "bitter-cold" foods in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Not all bitter-tasting foods are considered bitter foods; they are mainly vegetables and wild greens, such as bitter gourd, lettuce, sponge gourd, bitter herbs, celery, sea lettuce, etc., as well as some dried fruits like water chestnuts and almonds.
Eating more of these in summer can help enhance appetite, promote digestion, and clear heat and reduce internal fire. Furthermore, the bitterness found in foods like bitter gourd can dispel heart-related烦躁 and expel toxins from the body. The best way to eat most bitter vegetables is still in salads. Taking bitter gourd as an example, the cold salad method preserves the vitamins in bitter gourd well. If using the stir-frying method, these vitamins can be largely lost during the process, and the stir-fried dish will have a higher oil content. Consuming it afterwards means intake of more oil, which doesn't help in clearing heat and reducing internal fire.
Additionally, there are many fruits in summer, and their consumption has its own specifics. Be careful when eating fruits; some fruits are considered "heaty," such as lychee, orange, pineapple, longan, pomegranate, etc. Ingredients in cooking like green onion, ginger, garlic, alcohol, chili, pepper, Sichuan pepper, and smoked foods, as well as Sichuan麻辣烫, are all likely to cause internal heat. Try to avoid consuming them during hot days. Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies also provide good auxiliary effects for internal heat.
Regularly consuming Chinese herbs that nourish yin, clear heat, purge fire, and detoxify, such as Asparagus Root (Tian Dong), Ophiopogon Root (Mai Dong), Figwort Root (Xuan Shen), Rhubarb (Da Huang), Coptis (Huang Lian), Phellodendron Bark (Huang Bai), Forsythia Fruit (Lian Qiao), Honeysuckle Flower (Jin Yin Hua), and Isatis Leaf (Da Qing Ye), is very effective for constipation caused by internal heat.
Furthermore, Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies like acupuncture, cupping, tuina, and massage also offer good auxiliary effects for treating internal heat. In daily life, it's important to balance work and rest. A healthy, happy, and positive mindset aids in auxiliary treatment. At the same time, it's also important to note that not everyone is suitable for heat-reducing medications. Internal heat is categorized as deficient fire or excess fire, and it also matters whether it's liver fire, lung fire, or another type. Therefore, medicines should not be taken arbitrarily; it's best to take them under the guidance of a doctor.
Drinking Herbal Tea to Reduce Heat Depends on Body Constitution
The types of tea people commonly drink are green tea and black tea. Green tea is cooling and has a heat-clearing effect. Black tea is warming; it is not recommended for people with a constitution prone to internal heat.
Besides tea, there are many simple and easy methods to dispel heat, such as drinking mung bean soup, which is very good. Moreover, the specific type of tea to drink should be decided based on one's own constitution. If a person has a deficient-cold constitution, they generally don't get internal heat easily; drinking black tea can have a health maintenance effect. For those who are particularly prone to internal heat, they can drink some green tea, with a recommended intake of 2-3 cups per day.