When working with women with the changing season that typically have the tendency to push themselves in the summer or have inflammatory skin conditions, maybe even hypertension issues that they find harder to get under control during the heating summer months, I always try to balance them with cooling foods and herbal remedies.
As the weather outside is warmer the women that have a body constitution with learns towards the fiery element need more support and balance to avoid any major health imbalances.
In this article I wanted to dive deeper into herbs and foods that you can look into incorporating into your lifestyle in order to naturally support the body no matter your body type to beat the heat and improve your overall health.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus tea is gaining its popularity in the West because more and more health benefits of this plant is made available. Just the other day I was at the grocery store and saw so many tea selections of some combination that has hibiscus in it often times with rooibos.
With an a somewhat astringent taste and beautiful red color, the tea is made from the protective petals that surround the actual flower. It is loaded with antioxidants and high levels of vitamin C with research participant given about 3 cups of hibiscus tea daily for 6 weeks reduced systolic blood pressure. (1)
In Ayurvedic medicine it has been used internally as a cooling flower and is considered a holy plant.
It is fairly safe but can act somewhat as a diuretic, making some medications that people are taking not be as effective. If I drink too much hibiscus I notice a bit of a wear and tear on my tooth enamel just like what you feel if you drink too much lemon water or drink too much fruit tea. I usually brush my teeth after so the tart acids to not wear down my enamel.
Something to keep in mind if you plan on consuming it in high quantities during the summer.
Heat
Our summers here in California ofter start late and end later than most of the country. The hot summer days sometimes stick around in October and it is intense.
To release heat from the body, some herbs that I like to have on hand are luckily the same ones that I use fairly regularly for fevers. They are:
- Yarrow
- Elderflower
- Cayenne
These are considered diaphoretic, meaning they stimulate sweating which in return helps to expel heat from the body.
I am very careful with these herbs as it really aggravates people that tend to have a body constitution that is more on the fiery side. Spicy foods usually aggravate that constitution even more and the side effects can spill over to other areas of the body and develop into skin rashes or inflammation flare ups.
When I work with women the diaphoretic herbs mentioned above are only recommended on a person to person basis, so I hope you do what works well for your own body type and reach out if you need help.
Another herb I love working with during the summer is lemon balm.
It is part of the mint family and used traditionally in Greek medicine as it addresses heat within the body.
Lemon balm is great to work with because it also helps with calming your nerves and improve sleep. Oftentimes when we are doing too much in the summer or eating poorly some women tend to get aggravated easily or get extremely impatient. This is where lemon balm can come in handy with keeping your nerves at bay as well as some astringent herbs such as:
- Raspberry leaf (rubus idaeus)
- Rose petals (rosa spp.)
They help cool down the body and ease water retention that can be associated with warm weather.
Food
Foods help you keep your cool and keep your water levels up. When I think of summer, watermelon always comes to my mind.
And rightly so! Watermelon is high in potassium and magnesium which helps reduce water retention and bloating that is associated with hot and humid weather. During the summer while I was working as a nurse we always gave out watermelon to the older patient. That is mainly because of its many benefits (2), including:
- lowering blood glucose levels
- reducing cardiovascular disease
- encourage healthy vision
- high in vitamin A and C
Cucumbers is another food that comes to my mind mainly because I use it a lot in my water during the summer. It is generally cooling in nature that is why you see cucumber used on the eyes in beauty salons. They are 95% water and in Traditional Chinese Medicine it is often used to assist in reducing thirst, heat and hot tempered emotions.
They are also rich in antioxidants and vitamins such as vitamin C and K as well as magnesium and potassium. (3)
Recipe
If you are looking to stay hydrated with water but hate the taste of water then you can try to add some mint to your water to flavor the water a bit. There is also cucumber and mint in water that is very popular. Just making the water overnight and putting it in your drinking thermos will keep your water levels up.
Another great spice I use is coriander in water mainly because I like the taste of it and it’s a nice variety throughout the summer. I just boil the seed in the water and let it cool overnight and then strain the next morning.
A tea recipe that you can brew and cool involves the two main herbs I talked about which are lemon balm and hibiscus.
You would need about 2 tbsp of each per 1 quart of water. Simply bring the water to boil with the herbs and let them cool overnight. You can strain and drink throughout the day or mix it with some stevia or monk fruit for a sweeter taste.
It is suggested that you do not consume large quantities of hibiscus so do not drink more than 4 8oz per day.
Lemon balm is also fairly safe but may interact with some thyroid medications, so please check with your provider before you start to include these into your own summer routines.
Final thoughts
Summer does not have to be miserable if you work with it rather than just toughing it out and checking things off the list. It is a time when women that are prone to overwork and burnout need to really make sure they are supporting their body with natural remedies and lifestyle adjustments so they do not burn out.
It is sometimes easier said than done and you might have to get a little creative, especially if you are traveling or have kids that are getting bored with no school.
But it is possible.
It takes a little awareness of what is going on in the season and working with it.
If you need further help, do not hesitate to reach out for your free 20 min consultation.
Much love,
Krystina
