Suffering from the "bitter summer", it may not just be stomach problems
As the weather gradually gets hotter and the temperature fluctuates recently, many people have experienced some minor problems with the spleen and stomach, such as loss of appetite, inability to eat, and stomach bloating Health problems such as stomachache and indigestion after eating trouble everyone. Among them, "bitter summer" is the most common, which means that the body is affected by the rising temperature, the appetite is significantly reduced, and everything you eat tastes bad.
For those of us living in the northern hemisphere, we have now entered a season of high temperatures, high humidity, and frequent showers, so we must pay attention to preventing heatstroke and moisture. So how to protect the spleen and stomach in midsummer? What issues should we pay attention to in terms of diet, work and rest, etc.? What factors are related to spleen and stomach discomfort?
Spleen and stomach discomfort may be caused by Liver stagnation
In ancient times, as soon as summer came, people began to consume herbal tea, sour plum soup, refreshing and refreshing and other foods to cool down, in order to relieve the hot and humid weather brought to the body. Discomfort. "Bitter summer" is not considered a disease. Symptoms can be relieved by eating a light diet and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables of the season. You can also take appropriate medicines and foods that strengthen the spleen and stomach and aid digestion. But if you have long-term stomach discomfort, or the symptoms keep recurring, you need to pay more attention to whether the disease is caused by other reasons.
The liver stagnation that we often hear about, that is, liver qi stagnation, is one of the "culprits" leading to spleen and stomach discomfort. According to the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine, the liver belongs to wood and the spleen belongs to earth, and wood overcomes earth. Stagnation of liver qi or excessive release of liver qi will affect the function of the spleen and stomach, leading to symptoms such as loss of appetite, indigestion, bloating and stomach pain. occur.
What causes liver depression? On the one hand, the "spring cover" is not done well. Spring is the season when liver qi rises. If you catch a cold, liver qi fails to rise smoothly, which will cause liver stagnation; on the other hand, people now live at a fast pace, especially office workers. High work pressure, tension, anxiety, and low emotional problems may cause liver stagnation. Coupled with disordered work and rest, and bad eating habits with heavy tastes, many young people not only suffer from liver stagnation, but also suffer from liver-fire and problems.
For this reason, the "health debt" owed in spring needs to be solved by soothing the liver in summer. The famous prescription "Xiaoyao Pill" first recorded in the Song Dynasty's "Taiping Huimin Hejiju Prescription" can not only treat liver stagnation, but also strengthen the spleen and remove dampness, and relieve spleen and stomach discomfort caused by liver stagnation in summer, and we The often-heard flavored Xiaoyao Pills is the addition of peony bark and gardenia to the formula of Xiaoyao Pills. Their function is to clear away liver heat.
Chinese medicine prescribes the principle of "the emperor, his ministers, and his envoys". In the formula of Xiaoyao Pills, Bupleurum soothes the liver and relieves stagnation, Angelica , and White Peony nourishes the liver and blood. These three flavors are "junior medicines"; gardenia to clear away the heat of the triple burner and peony bark to cool the blood and dissipate blood stasis are "Minister medicine"; as "adjuvant medicine" Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria , Licorice are commonly used to strengthen the spleen and remove dampness; "Shi Yao" mint has pungent and cool properties, which can help Bupleurum soothe the liver, and at the same time lead all Chinese medicine enters the liver meridian.
Xiaoyao Pills are often misunderstood as gynecological prescriptions. This is because women are more likely to suffer from liver stagnation than men, especially women who are in menopausal . Endocrine disorders will cause liver stagnation, but in fact it is Men with indications can also take it.
In the hot summer, be careful of getting angry and it will affect your stomach.
In the hot weather, you can easily get angry if you are not careful, causing dizziness and headache, gum swelling and pain, oral ulcers, conjunctivitis, itchy skin, acne, and constipation. and a series of symptoms. For people with weak spleen and stomach functions, excessive internal heat is often manifested in spleen and stomach discomfort, which is what we often hear as "stomach fire".
People who are more sensitive to temperature changes will experience a "bitter summer", while people whose appetite is not affected often mistakenly believe that they can still eat and drink heavily. This is a wrong idea. Summer health care should follow the principle of a light diet. Now There are not a few people who eat heavy food, and there are also many people who like to try new things. Eating heavy or too much food in summer can easily cause internal heat. Having a good appetite but being prone to constipation is a sign of a strong stomach fire.
What should I do if I have a strong stomach fire? You should adjust your eating habits as soon as possible, eat less heavy-flavored foods, only eat 70% to 80% full at each meal, and maintain moderate exercise. If symptoms are obvious, it is recommended to take some traditional Chinese medicine for clearing away heat and purging fire as directed by your doctor.
What should you eat to prevent heatstroke and nourish the body?
Many people have a misunderstanding. They think that the weather is hot in summer and eating cold drinks can cool down. In fact, this is not the case. In fact, eating cold drinks in hot weather is out of season. It will not only hurt the spleen and stomach, but also hurt the spleen and stomach at the most important time. Yang Qi is damaged during the season of nourishing Yang. Especially for people with spleen yang deficiency and stomach cold , the limbs and the navel are still cold in summer, and they are prone to vomiting, diarrhea, and indigestion. They need to be careful not to eat cold food. At the same time, they can follow the doctor's advice to take some medicine to warm yang and dispel cold. , traditional Chinese medicine that nourishes qi and strengthens the spleen.
Why does eating cold drinks in summer hurt Yang Qi? " Treatise on Febrile Diseases " mentions that "in the fifth month, the yang energy is on the surface and the stomach is weak and cold. The yang energy is weak internally and cannot overcome the cold, so it is necessary to put on new clothes." The fifth month of the lunar calendar is right now. The weather is hot, blood is "active" in the skin of the body, and the blood supply to the spleen and stomach and other internal organs is insufficient. If you eat too much cold drinks, you must rely on Yang Qi to warm you up, which is very harmful to the body. On the contrary, in autumn and winter, when the weather gradually gets colder, eating some frozen pears, frozen persimmons and other cold foods will help the human body "close up" with nature.
So what should you eat to prevent heatstroke and cool down? From ancient times to the present, people love to drink sour plum soup in summer, which is proven to have the effect of preventing heatstroke. Sour food has an astringent effect and can reduce the fatigue caused by excessive yang energy dispersion; hot tea can also help the body cool down and protect the spleen and stomach. At the same time, it takes away heat by promoting sweating; as the saying goes, "eat radish in winter and ginger in summer." Ginger is warm in nature and pungent in taste. Eating it in summer can help the rise of yang qi and relieve the "deficiency and coldness in the stomach". Feeling of discomfort.
Source: Health Examination Department
