Wellness After Grain Buds

Chiyang Daoren, Eastern Taoism

1. Strengthen the Spleen and Dispel Dampness

After Grain Buds (Xiaoman), the weather gradually turns hot and the rain begins to increase, heralding the arrival of a sultry, humid summer. At this time the yang qi of the natural world is already quite full—it too is in a state of “lesser fullness.” Given the character of this climate, the focus of wellness now is to prepare to “guard against heat and guard against dampness.”

There is a saying that “summer-heat often carries dampness”—that is, the qi of summer-heat most easily invades the body together with the damp pathogen. In fact, by this time the damp pathogen has often already entered the body and lies in wait. When the solar term Major Heat (Dashu) arrives and dampness becomes the ruling qi, summer-heat and dampness echo each other inside and out, trapping people in the troubles of dampness and bringing on many problems, such as rheumatism, athlete's foot, acne, gynecological inflammation, edema, and obesity.

The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic (Huangdi Neijing) says: “All dampness, swelling, and fullness belong to the spleen.” Chinese medicine holds that problems such as heavy limbs, easy fatigue, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea, and dizziness are all related to blockage by dampness in the body and belong to a failure of the spleen's transporting function; the dampness needs to be eliminated as soon as it begins. The spleen governs the transport of dampness, and when the spleen and stomach function well, they can transport and transform excess dampness out of the body. So the focus of wellness at this time should be on strengthening the spleen and dispelling dampness.

In this season, avoid outdoor activity during the hot hours of the afternoon as far as possible, and take care to prevent heatstroke and keep cool. People who work outdoors or in high temperatures should take protective measures. Everyone should keep regular hours and get enough sleep, and if necessary keep some common heatstroke remedies at hand, such as Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid and cooling balm.

2. Guard Against Heat Illness and Eczema

Grain Buds heralds the coming of sultry, humid summer weather. Wellness at Grain Buds should focus on “guarding against heat and guarding against dampness.”

The sultry, humid weather at this time provides the conditions for skin diseases to flare up and easily brings on athlete's foot, eczema, and similar problems. So the diet should be mainly light, and attention should also be paid to the choice of clothing materials: wear breathable, sweat-absorbent clothes and socks as far as possible to keep dampness from building up.

Because the days are long and the nights short, and temperatures are gradually rising, the body's metabolism is vigorous and it uses a great deal, so people tire easily, which can bring on constipation, mouth ulcers, sore throat, and other symptoms. Therefore, while paying attention to diet, daily routine, and a balance of work and rest, one must also regulate the seven emotions and six desires and keep a good, cheerful mood so that immunity does not fall. Only then can illness be prevented and health preserved.

3. Massage the Zusanli Point Often

During the solar term Grain Buds, one can look after one's health by pressing and kneading the Zusanli and Fenglong acupoints.

To locate the Zusanli point, bend the knee; it lies four finger-widths below the outer “eye” of the knee and one finger-width to the side of the front crest of the tibia. The Fenglong point lies 8 cun (body inches) above the tip of the outer ankle bone, 1 cun outside the Tiaokou point, two finger-widths to the outside of the front crest of the tibia.

The usual health-care method is to press and knead the Zusanli and Fenglong points with the thumb: apply the thumb to the Zusanli or Fenglong point, press straight down with vertical force, and knead while pressing. The other four fingers, curled into a fist or spread open, provide support and help apply the force. Let the stimulation reach deep into the muscle tissue, producing sensations of soreness, numbness, distension, pain, and spreading. Hold for a few seconds, then gradually relax, and repeat several times.

4. Avoid a Restless Heart and Spirit

After Grain Buds the weather grows warmer, but mornings and evenings are still fairly cool, and the temperature drops more noticeably after rain. So take care to add clothing as needed and keep warm when sleeping at night to avoid catching a chill or cold. At the same time, follow the summer pattern of yang waning and yin growing: rise early and go to bed late, but make sure to get enough sleep so as to stay full of energy.

The Grain Buds season, sultry and humid, is the peak period for skin diseases. The chapter “Wind-Strike and Joint-Running Pain” of the Essentials from the Golden Cabinet (Jingui Yaolüe) says: “When the pathogenic qi strikes the channels, the body itches and hidden rashes appear.” This refers to “wind rash” (urticaria). Besides being related to dampness pent up in the skin and heat accumulated in the stomach and intestines, the illness also depends on constitution: allergies to fish, shrimp, crab, and similar foods disturb the harmony of the spleen and stomach and easily trigger skin disease.

At Grain Buds, wind and fire fan each other, and people also easily feel irritable and restless. At this time one should regulate one's mood to prevent violent emotional swings from triggering high blood pressure, strokes, and other cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

The ancients held that summer governs fire and corresponds internally to the heart, so in summer one should pay special attention to caring for the heart.

Western medicine also holds that summer heat affects heart function: as the weather grows hot, blood flows faster through the body and the load on the heart increases accordingly. So in summer, calm the mind and settle the qi, and give priority to nourishing the heart. In summer, avoid excessive excitement of the heart and spirit, especially excessive joy, which harms the heart-spirit. At this time one can take part in more pastimes that cultivate a calm temperament, such as chess, calligraphy, and fishing, and can also exercise in the morning—walking, jogging, tai chi, and the like are suitable. Avoid overly strenuous exercise and drenching sweats, which harm both yin and yang.

5. Do Not Seek Coolness During the Afternoon Nap

After Grain Buds, temperatures rise noticeably and rainfall increases, but mornings and evenings are still fairly cool and the daily temperature range is still large; the temperature drops more noticeably after rain. So take care to add clothing as needed, and especially keep warm when sleeping at night to avoid catching a chill or being exposed to wind and catching cold. At the same time, follow the summer pattern of yang waning and yin growing and lengthen your afternoon nap appropriately, so as to get enough sleep and stay full of energy.

At Grain Buds, people easily become irritable and restless. Regulate your mood and keep your spirits easy, so that violent emotional swings do not bring on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease.

At this time you can take part in more outdoor activities and physical exercise. Walking, jogging, tai chi, and similar exercise are suitable; avoid overly strenuous exercise and drenching sweats.

6. Plenty of Congee and Soup Nourish and Build Health

As soon as summer comes, many people suffer headaches, insomnia, irritability, and restlessness… many people feel unwell all over. Experts believe this is related to how much strain the heart can bear.

Chinese medicine holds that eating more thin, liquid foods is an important method of summer dietary wellness. For example, eating congee at breakfast and supper and drinking soup at lunch both generates fluids and quenches thirst, cools and relieves summer-heat, and nourishes the body. Adding some lotus leaf when cooking congee gives it a fresh fragrance and a slight bitterness that rouses the spleen and opens the appetite, relieving summer-heat, nourishing the stomach and clearing the intestines, and generating fluids and quenching thirst. You can also add some mung beans when making congee, or boil mung beans alone into soup.

7. Let Refrigerated Food Stand a While Before Eating

As the weather turns hot, people like to eat fruit and drinks straight from the refrigerator. Some people, especially children with weak digestion, easily develop abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and similar symptoms afterward.

Chinese medicine points out that this spasmodic abdominal pain is caused by eating food just taken out of the refrigerator. The temperature of the human stomach and intestines is generally about 36°C, while food just out of the refrigerator is only 2°C–8°C; when the stomach and intestines are strongly stimulated by the low temperature, their physiological functions are thrown into disorder. So food taken from the refrigerator should be left to stand for a while before eating, and one should not eat too much at once.

8. Homemade Dishes to Nourish Body and Mind

After Grain Buds, as summer sets in, people easily lose their appetite and become depleted and thin. How should one take tonics at this time? Here are two food-therapy recipes for building up.

1. Shredded Pork Tripe with Lotus Seeds

Ingredients: 500 grams of pork tripe, 50 grams of lotus seed kernels, and suitable amounts of sesame oil, refined salt, fresh ginger, scallion, and garlic.

Method: First wash the pork tripe clean and soak the lotus seeds (with the plumules removed) in water until soft. Put them inside the tripe and sew it shut with thread. Place the tripe in a pot, add water, and stew until cooked. Then take it out and let it cool, cut the tripe into even, fine shreds, and put it on a plate with the lotus seeds. Mix the sesame oil, salt, scallion, and garlic with the shredded tripe, and it is ready. It benefits qi and tonifies deficiency, and strengthens the spleen and benefits the stomach.

2. Duck Soup with Glehnia Root and Lily Bulb

Ingredients: 30 grams of northern glehnia root (beishashen), 30 grams of lily bulb, 150 grams of duck meat, and suitable amounts of refined salt, fresh ginger, and MSG.

Method: First wash the duck meat and cut it into small pieces; wash the lily bulb. Put the duck, lily bulb, glehnia root, and ginger together into a clay pot, add a suitable amount of water, and simmer slowly over a low flame. When the duck is cooked, season with a little salt and MSG. Drink the soup and eat the meat. It nourishes yin and clears heat, and moistens the lungs and stops coughs.