🌿 Folk Prescriptions

In summer, the idea of "light" diets becomes widespread, with countless articles advocating this approach. To follow a "light" diet, people often stop eating fish, meat, poultry, and eggs; even daily milk consumption is abandoned, supposedly because milk increases internal heat. Many also reduce their food intake, adopting a "dieting" mindset. The result is that many people experience rapid decline in physical strength, weight loss, fatigue, reduced ability to withstand high temperatures and illness, decreased work and study efficiency, and some even develop "summer fatigue."
In summer, the body consumes more energy than in spring, autumn, or winter. Combined with generally poorer sleep quality during summer, increased nutrition is essential to maintain health. If one strictly follows a "light" diet—eating less or avoiding nutrient-dense foods and reducing overall intake—it inevitably leads to insufficient calorie intake, resulting in significant deterioration of physical condition. Of course, if "light" simply means paying attention to hygiene, avoiding greasy foods, eating more fruits and drinking more water, then it makes sense. Human beings must adapt to natural environments and seasonal changes. Summer is characterized by "heat," so the key to health preservation lies in "coolness."
Mental state should be calm: During hot summer days, people easily feel irritable and lethargic due to intense heat. Thus, one should first calm the mind, remain mentally clear and composed, avoid irritability, and refrain from impulsive reactions, as agitation generates internal heat. Maintaining a light and peaceful mindset helps prevent anxiety, tension, and other negative emotions that could disrupt normal life and trigger various diseases.
Diet should be light: Summer meals should focus on light, soft, easily digestible foods, avoiding heavy, greasy, spicy, and stimulating items. Light diets help clear heat, prevent summer heatstroke, reduce sweating, replenish fluids, and stimulate appetite. Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, which not only meet nutritional needs but also help prevent heatstroke. Staple foods should be soups or porridges, such as mung bean porridge, lotus seed porridge, or lotus leaf porridge. Slightly cool drinks like sour plum soup or chrysanthemum tea can also be consumed. However, cold drinks should be moderate—avoid excessive preference for cold foods, as they may harm yang energy and damage health. Additionally, consuming vinegar can stimulate saliva production, improve appetite, and inhibit or kill bacteria, helping prevent gastrointestinal diseases.
Leisure activities should be tranquil: Avoid long-distance travel in summer. Instead, seek nearby quiet spots. In the morning, when sunlight first appears and the air is fresh, walking in lush gardens allows you to breathe deeply and refresh your body. In the evening, strolling along riversides or lakeshores brings gentle breezes that calm the mind, bring peace and dreamlike tranquility, clearing mental stress and instantly relieving summer heat.
Homes should be cool: In the morning and evening, indoor temperatures are low, so open windows for ventilation. During midday, when outdoor temperatures exceed indoor ones, close doors and windows and draw curtains. A cool environment helps keep the mind calm and the spirit at ease.