Common Signs of Toxins: SUMMER-HEAT

What is summer heat

toxin?

Prolonged exposure to excessive summer heat & dampness can disrupt the body's natural balance.

External Factors: Overexertion in high temperatures or in humid climates – summer heat combines with dampness, inhibiting the spleen's ability to process fluids.

Internal Body Imbalance: Yang peaks in summer, and when it combines with external heat, impacts the liver & gallbladder forcing open pores and causing

profuse sweating, which depletes yin and yang.

Dietary Habits: Excessive raw/cold food & iced drinks weakens the spleen and stomach qi and prevents the body from dispelling dampness. High-fat, spicy and fried foods generate internal heat & overwhelm the body's natural cooling mechanism.

Staying Hydrated: Understanding Summer Heat Toxins in Traditional Chinese Medicine

What are the

symptoms?

The common signs of summer-heat toxins include the following:

• Feeling excessively hot or feverish

• Sore throat & mouth ulcers

• Red, swollen, or painful skin eruptions

• Acne flare-ups

• Headache

• Intense thirst

• Dark yellow urine

• Fatigue or sluggishness

• Irritability or restlessness

• Heavy sweating

• Digestive discomfort, bloating, or loose stools

(especially with humidity)

What should I do

about it?

...Don't shock your system with ice, especially if you

have a serious health condition!

Try this instead:

• Diet: Eat light, cooling foods, such as watermelon, cucumber, and mung beans.

• Stay hydrated: Drink chrysanthemum, lotus leaf and mint tea.

• Acupuncture: Points such as Qu Ze, Lao Gong and Qu Chi.

• Herbal Medicine: Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang; this classic formula clears summer-heat. Here is an example of some of the ingredients it contains: hunag qi, cang zhu, da zao, chen pi,

ze xie, qing pi, dang gui, ge gen...