**中文版在英文部分的後面哦！**
Just like that we have entered into a new month and reached the second to last of the solar terms in Summer -- Slight Heat (Xiao Shu). This also means that we are entering into “Canicular Days”, which is the time frame (roughly 30~40 days) when it is the hottest time of the year, as well as the peak period of Yang energy. The first set of 10 days is from 7/12~7/21 2021. We will be going in-depth about Canicular Days in our 'Special Edition' series.
Though many of you may be feeling the heat already, keep in mind this is only the prelude to the climax, so allow the body to get used to this kind of weather~~~
How to Maintain -- Treating Winter Disease in the Summer
In the wintertime, the Yin Meridians are the ones that get affected the most, especially the bronchus, and lungs. Therefore, it is good to replenish the Yin as well as stimulate the Bladder Meridian to get rid of cold from the body.
The key for summer maintenance is “calming of the heart”. During summer, with the heat, it is easy to feel uneasy, anxious, and tired. Now in Slight Heat, with the body’s Yang energy at its prime, it is even more important to have a balance between work and rest to protect the Yang energy.
Diet
As we’ve mentioned since the beginning of Summer, it is best to consume foods that are easy to digest (ie. porridge and soups). Veggies to consume are lotus root, yam, pumpkin, millet, corn, mung bean, Chinese yam, cabbage, etc. Fruits such as mango, papaya, watermelon, peach, melons, etc. are suitable for this time. Please eat mindfully and in proportions. Eating too little can result in low production of Qi and Blood, which may lead to problems such as low immune and low alertness. On the contrary, over-consumption can overburden the digestive system and cause food stagnation as well as other stomach-related discomforts.
Herbal teas such as “charred trio” (Jiao Sanxian) - charred hawthorn berry, charred malt, and charred medicated leaven (shen qu) - helps with food stagnation. Herbs such as lotus leaf and Agastache rugosa helps clear dampness and heat. Codonopsis pilosula (dang shen) helps replenish Qi and strengthens the spleen.
It is recommended to avoid foods that are greasy, heavy, refined, or cold (ie. deep fried, rich sauces, pastries, ice cream, etc).
**Simple Cooking -- Stir-fried Pumpkin with Cabbage**
Ingredients:
- 1/4 pumpkin
- 1/4 cabbage
- 1/2 carrot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 green onion
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- A pinch of salt
- Pepper a little
- Sesame oil
- Grate the pumpkin and carrot. Cut cabbage into pieces. Prepare the minced garlic and shallots (just cut the white part into sections)
- Saute the minced garlic and green onion in an oil pan, then add the grated carrots and pumpkin strips for a quick stir-fry. Then add the cabbage and stir-fry. Put in the soy sauce and salt to season, mix well, turn to low heat and cover the pot for 3-5 minutes (the length of time depends on personal preference of how soft you want the cabbage).
- Add a little pepper and sesame oil before platting. Sprinkle with chopped green onions to enhance the look.
Lifestyle
Spring and Summer are the seasons to replenish the Yang energy. Therefore, as mentioned in the previous posts for this season, it is good to get some sunlight and perform some light exercises. With the temperature on the rise, make sure to stay hydrated and have good air circulation in the house to prevent heat strokes! Taking naps and having good quality sleep is important (feel free to refer to the last post Summer Solstice to read more about sleep).
An effective and easy way to maintain good health is foot baths/soaks. Through soaking your feet in hot water, dampness and cold can be eliminated from the body, blood circulation is promoted, and it can improve your sleep quality as well as eliminate fatigue. You can add a variety of herbs or essential oils based on your personal preference and to obtain different health benefits.
Aromatherapy Technique
The main technique to perform during this solar term is to massage the Bladder Meridian with hands or a guasha tool.
Apply the Spleen or Stomach blends (please refer to ‘Li Xia’ and ‘Xiao Man’ posts).
From the top starting with BL 11 (Da Shu), go all the way down to Bl 34 (Xia Liao). Then from the top again at BL 41 (Fu Fen) all the way down to BL 54 (Zhi Bian).
After the massage, apply a layer of sea salt and cover the back with a large towel for 10 minutes. This procedure can help exfoliate the skin as well as clear up acne. After 10 minutes, clean off with warm water.
- for focusing, can try using doTERRA's InTune, Motivate, Thinker, or mixing a few drops of orange and peppermint.
- for relaxing, can use the Heart Meridian blend mentioned in Mang Zhong (along with doTERRA's Passoin, Peace, Balance) or single oils such as lavender.
TCM Facts - Bladder Meridian
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| https://www.smarterhealing.com/bladder-meridian/ |
The Bladder Meridian starts from the head and runs all the way to the bottom of the foot, making it the longest meridian. It starts at the inner side of the eye and goes across the forehead to reach the top of the head where it branches into the brain. The main channel then goes across the back of the head and divides into two branches (the two branches are 1.5 inches apart). One branch crosses the center of the base of the neck and extends downwards parallel to the spine. Once in the lumbar region (bottom of the spine), it branches out to reach the bladder. The other branch crosses the back of the shoulder and runs downward on the outside, which is adjacent and parallel to the inner branch. It continues down until it reaches the buttocks where two branches run across the back of the thigh along different pathways that join at the back of the knee. The joint meridian then continues along the back of the lower leg, circles behind the outer ankle, runs along the outside of the foot, and terminates on the lateral side of the tip of the small toe, where it connects with the Kidney Meridian. (REF)
The Bladder Meridian is the most exterior, it is the first to be invaded when there’s an external attack. This is always why when there are symptoms of a cold, there’s the saying of massaging the Bladder Meridian or using gua sha.
When there’s disharmony in the Bladder Meridian, symptoms such as nose congestion, headache, urinary problems, pain in the eye, neck, back, and hip may appear.
The Bladder Meridian is also known to be the largest channel to eliminate dampness, therefore it is good to massage along this meridian often. Or to simply treat yourself to a nice foot spa more on a weekly basis.
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Once again I would like to thank Yu Wei Huang L.Ac for designing the character for Xiao Shu and providing all of the great suggestions for this time period.
The essential oil blends are based on the book "Four Seasons of Aromatherapy" by Elizabeth S.
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小暑節氣的到來也代表天氣將要進入夏三伏的時節。夏季最炎熱的三天，在中醫稱作「三伏天」，初伏天是2021年7月12日~7月21日。我們會另開篇幅介紹三伏天，以及冬病夏治的應用方法－三伏灸。大家可能已經感受到夏天的威力，但是現在還不到最熱的時候喔！
小暑的保養重點：清暑，祛溼，健脾
可以吃／喝什麼？
夏天還是以多攝取好消化的食物為主，比如粥類及湯水類。適合在小暑節氣食用的蔬菜有蓮藕、地瓜、南瓜、糙米、小米、玉米、綠豆芽、山藥、高麗菜等；水果則有芒果、木瓜、西瓜、黃桃、哈密瓜、火龍果等。任何飲食皆應以適量為宜。過饑，會使氣血生化不足，導致抵抗力降低、精神不濟等問題；過飽，則會超過脾胃的消化和吸收功能，出現食積症狀。
茶類可飲用＂焦三仙＂即焦山楂、焦麥芽、焦神曲來消食；使用荷葉、藿香等可以利濕、去暑熱。黨參可健脾補氣。
禁忌：油膩、口味厚重、精緻類及生冷的食品
節氣食譜－南瓜炒高麗菜
材料：
南瓜 1/4個
高麗菜 1/4顆
胡蘿蔔 1/2條
蒜 2瓣
青蔥 1支
醬油 2小匙
鹽 少許
胡椒 少許
香油 少許
備料：將南瓜、胡蘿蔔刨絲，高麗菜切塊，準備好蒜末與青蔥末（蔥白部分切段即可）
將蒜末及蔥白段下油鍋爆香，再加入胡蘿蔔絲與南瓜絲快炒一下後，加入高麗菜拌炒，此時放入醬油和鹽調味，拌勻後轉小火蓋上鍋蓋悶約3-5分鐘，時間長短取決與個人對高麗菜熟程度的喜好
起鍋前加入少許胡椒和香油增香後即可裝盤，再撒上蔥末點綴更好看
生活習慣
春夏是補養陽氣的最佳時機，因此在小暑這個時節，還是多建議大家適當曬曬太陽，多做緩和類的運動。由於氣溫會越來越高的關係，大家一定要注意隨時補充水分，不要中暑了！30分鐘的午睡可以保證下午充沛的體力及精力，維持正常的作息也是非常重要的喔。
如何保養身體？
另外為大家介紹一個在家中就可以做的簡易養生方法－足浴！也就是使用熱水泡腳，來去除體內的濕氣及寒氣，有促進血液循環、改善疲勞以及睡眠品質的功效。而且可以根據個人喜好，在熱水中加入不同香味的精油或是中藥材像是生薑、艾草、紅花等，以達到保健抗病的目的。
芳療－刮膀胱經
用脾、胃經精華油（請回顧小滿、立夏篇）。
順著膀胱經由上（從大杼穴開始）往下沿著脊椎一節一節慢慢往下刮到下髎穴。
接著再從膀胱經第二條支脈的附分一直刮到秩邊。
順序由上而下， 內到外， 左背到右背。
刮完後可敷上一層海鹽（助於去角質和青春痘）， 蓋上毛巾靜待10分鐘。 之後用熱水洗淨（千萬不要用冷水哦！）。
中醫小知識－膀胱經
膀胱經循行從頭部一直到足底，是人體最長的經脈。本經脈起於眼內角，經過前額，直達頭頂，聯繫腦部，再沿後腦向下走，至後頸底部，在此分為兩支脈，相隔*1.5寸直向下走，皆平行於脊椎（兩支脈與脊椎間隔分別是*1.5寸及*3寸），到達臀部，一支脈於臀部進入體內，與膀胱聯繫；兩條支脈分別沿著不同路徑行於大腿後部，於膝後匯合，繼續向下沿著小腿背部行走，繞過外踝，循行於腳部外側，直達足小趾尖端，與腎經相接。
*在中醫理論裡大拇指的寬度為1寸，所以要注意每個人的1寸長度都是不一樣的；背部來說，脊椎與肩胛骨的距離為3寸，一半就是1.5寸囉！
膀胱經主一身之表，因此當有外邪入侵時，膀胱經會首當其衝。也就是為什麼感冒初期會有按摩或是刮痧背部的說法。當膀胱經出現病變時會有小便問題、眼睛痛、鼻塞流涕、頭痛、頸痛、背痛、腰痛、臀部痛等。
膀胱經也是人體最大的排濕排毒通道，保持膀胱經的通暢除了按摩及刮痧外，先前提到的足浴法也是非常有效的喔！
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非常感謝中醫師黃昱瑋所提供有關【小暑】時期的養生方法還有可愛的插畫。
精油配方是來自沈莉莎的24節氣經絡芳療自療全書
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