Summer officially kicks in a few weeks and I am so excited – Summer has always been my favorite season. It’s a season when people are more actively involved in outdoor activities. This means that your skin and body are more prone to damage from UV rays, excess sweat, and dehydration. It is important to take care of your body and skin. Below you will find some tips that I’ve learned over the years from Traditional Chinese Medicine and now I want to share with you.
I hope you enjoy reading and utilizing these tips! And most of all, I hope you enjoy your summer!
Love,
Wei
Lifestyle Tips for Summer
• The element Fire is associated with summer season and with heat. According to traditional Chinese medicine and the zodiac, the summer of 2010 will be a VERY dry summer. That means it’s crucial to stay hydrated and to try to sweat as little as possible.
• Sweat is considered to be the “fluid of the heart.” Excessive sweating can scatter our “heart-chi” and can cause symptoms such as being easily annoyed, low spirit, restless, and sleeping difficulties.
• In traditional Chinese Medicine, summer is seen as the apex of our bodies’ energy. We should be our most active in summer, full of life, and able to reach our maximum potential. It’s a time for playing, enjoying nature, and rediscovering your inner child.
• Yang energy (considered the bodies’ most active energy) dominates during this season, so use this energy to its maximum capacity and replenish yourself.
Skincare Tips for Summer
• Hot weather means more humidity and our skin needs less moisture than it does in the winter. Switch to a lighter moisturizer to keep pores clear. It makes the skin less likely to experience blemishes.
• As we spend more time in the sun and sand, it’s best to exfoliate our face (and body) regularly to get a fresh, natural glow and prolong our summer tan.
•If you commonly experience rosacea, be mindful during this summer season. This common skin condition can be aggravated by heat and cause skin to swell, increase redness, and break out in little pimples. If you’re prone to rosacea, keep cool by taking cold showers, misting yourself with a spray bottle, and drinking plenty of cold water. Also, seek refuge in air-conditioning and wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothes. Try our Jujube Age Control Serum as the perfect solution for rosacea-prone skin.
Diet Tips for Summer
• Be sure to eat plenty of “cooling” foods like fruits (especially berries), vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts, and a small amount of lean meat, poultry or fish. The best summer diet consists of fresh fruits in the morning and plenty of leafy, green vegetables later in the day. Minimize your intake of dairy, fried and processed foods. Here are some “Do’s and Don’ts” for Summer Recipes.
o Do’s in summer recipes (try to include “cooling” foods during Summer )
mung beans, dark plum, sugar cane, strawberries, mulberries, grapes, coconut milk, lemon, persimmons, water chestnuts, bitter melon, winter melon, sweet potato, cucumber, tomato, Chinese spinach, lotus roots, Chinese wolfberry leaves
o Don’ts in summer recipes (try to avoid these “heating” foods during Summer):
lamb, longan fruit, dried longan, lychee, Chinese chive, onion, kale, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, stir fried peanuts, stir fried cucumber, rice crackers, congee, cold rice
Summer Recipes
Cold Chrysanthemum Tea
This is an ideal drink for hot summer days and an excellent thirst quencher.
Ingredients:
60 – 80 White Chrysanthemum Flowers
3 teaspoon of Jasmine Yinhao Green Tea
Rock sugar or honey
4 liters of water
Instructions:
1. Wash the chrysanthemum.
2. Put chrysanthemum and tea into a cooking pot.
3. Pour in 4 liters of water and bring it to boiling.
4. Reduce heat and continue to cook for 20 minutes.
5. Put in rock sugar or honey.
6. Remove pot from the heat and allow it to cool till room temperature.
7. Strain the tea and put into refrigerator.
8. Serve the tea chilled and enjoy!
Bitter Melon Drink
To help prevent summer acne and breakouts – Bitter Melon can be found at any Asian supermarket or grocery store.
Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/2 bitter melon (depending on how bitter you like your drink to be)
3–4 sticks of celery
1 apple
1 green pepper
2 carrots
Instructions:
1. Peel off the skin of the apple and carrots.
2. Cut all the veggies into long, thin sticks.
3. Leave veggies in water for 4–5 hours so that they will be clean, and soaked with water.
4. For the best effects, put the veggies into the fridge for 2–3 hours before juicing them.
5. Juice the veggies with electric juicer. The amount of veggies mentioned above could give
2 big mugs of juice. Stir before drinking for better taste.
