Surviving the Dog Days of Summer

Did you know that the "dog days of summer" pertain to the hot, sultry summer days between July and September? They are called that because of the star Sirius, or the Dog Star, rises and sets with the sun during these months. As we near the end of August, there are other signs that this late summer season is upon us: kids are starting to go back to school, and next weekend the Labor Day holidays will be full of BBQs, trips to the beach, and shopping mall sales.

While the calendar tells us that there are only 4 more weeks of summer left, here in San Diego we know that we can still expect another 4, possibly 8 weeks, of very warm weather. To get through these end-of-summer days, I am going to share some tricks for staying well during the season of Summerheat.

* Avoid heavy, greasy, fatty foods. Yes, I know there are BBQs still to go to, with ribs to eat and ice cream to be savored - and in small amounts, as an occasional treat, these things are fine. But in general, this is the time of year to be eating light, easy to digest foods. Heavy, greasy foods make the digestion sluggish and create what we call in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) Dampness. Dampness can manifest itself in various ways: from weight gain, to digestive problems, to feelings of sluggishness and fuzzy-headedness. Light, clear, clean foods on the other hand, give you energy and make you feel clear-headed and invigorated. Salads (easy on the salad dressings), broth-based soups, steamed vegetables, fresh fruit, rice, barley and light meats (poultry, fish) can all be excellent choices.

* Limit alcohol intake. I know - at this point you're probably thinking I'm taking all the fun out of summer, but stay with me! Alcohol dehydrates the body which is not a wise idea when it's hot outside. It also creates Heat and Dampness in the body, which again, affects your digestion and energy levels. I fully agree that the occasional margarita or glass of wine, or whatever, with friends on warm summer night by the pool can be a wonderful thing - just drink in moderation. And be sure to drink lots of water to balance out the alcohol intake.

* Drink green tea. Green tea, even the caffeinated kind, is considered in TCM to have a cooling nature. Black tea, on the other hand, has a warm nature; and coffee is considered hot in nature. You can have your green tea hot or iced - both still have a cooling nature. One caution, though: some people might experience gas or bloating when drinking green tea, if that happens then black tea or oolong tea might be better choices for you.

* Summer veggies and fruits. The summer often sees a wonderful, wide variety of fresh veggies and fruits - many of which are cool and juicy in nature, which means they clear Summerheat and generate fluids. Some good summer produce to choose from are: lemons, apples, melons, papaya, mango, pineapple, summer squashes and zucchini, and cucumbers.

* Watermelon - the Summer's best fruit! Watermelon is one of our best medicinals and foods for treating Summerheat. It cools the body, generates fluids, and just tastes great. Just think of all those hot summer days of your childhood and how happy you felt when you sat on the back porch eating ice-cold watermelon and having a seed-spitting contest with your friends. Those joyful feelings weren't entirely psychological - you were giving yourself a treatment without even knowing it!

* Mung bean soup. "Mung what?!" you ask. Mung beans. They are small little split beans from India, about the size of a BB pellet and have a texture and taste similar to black-eyed peas. You can find them at health-food type markets, often in the bulk sections; be sure to get the ones that are green (still have the husk on them) and not the yellow/de-husked variety. Mung beans, and the broth they are cooked in, clear Summerheat and provide a nice, light protein source in the summer. Most of you have probably eaten a form of mung beans at some time: you know those long, white "bean sprouts" in your stir-fry dishes, spring rolls and salads? Those are sprouted mung beans! Below is a recipe for cooking mung beans.

Cooked Mung Beans

1 cup of green mung beans (rinsed and soaked overnight)
4-5 cups of water

Place soaked mung beans in a pot with 4-5 cups of water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. Once the beans reach boiling, reduce heat and let simmer for 30-45 minutes (or until beans are soft). Remove from heat and let cool before serving. Liquid from the beans can remain in the pot (and the beans eaten like a soup), or can be poured into a separate container and drank like tea with a little sweetener.

You may add a little honey, raw sugar, stevia, or other sweetener, to the beans for a dessert-like dish. You can also mix them with whole grains (eg. cooked brown rice or barley) for a breakfast dish (similar to oatmeal); or you can add them to salads, stir-frys, soups, or eat them alone as a side-dish. As mentioned before, the taste and texture I find to be similar to black-eyed peas.


Now that you have some new tools in your beat-the-heat arsenal, I hope you have a wonderful rest of the summer. Stay cool!!!

Pat