*This article was originally published in the New Leaf Market Newsletter. New Leaf Market is a food co-op in my hometown of Tallahassee, Florida.

Are you a person who is greatly impacted by the weather and the seasons? Do you start to wilt when the temperatures rise in Tallahassee? According to Chinese medicine, the weather has more influence on your health than you may think. The ancient Chinese lived and worked exposed to the elements, and they observed how weather affects the human body.

According to Chinese medicine, there are pathogens in nature that can invade the body and cause disharmony or disease; similar to how we might think a virus invades. In the hot summer months, most people are susceptible to what we would call a heat invasion. Some symptoms of a heat invasion might be irritability, delirium, dizziness, flushed face or rosacea, extreme thirst and dry mouth, constipation, hemorrhoids, and heat rash.

Some of these conditions, like thirst or mild constipation might be easily cured with diet and lifestyle changes. For instance, staying indoors at the hottest times of day, drinking plenty of water and avoiding over exercising would all be helpful to keep heat at bay in the summertime. Chinese medicine also considers certain foods to be cooling and others to be heat forming. Avoiding spicy foods like hot peppers and garlic is a good idea. Lamb and chicken are also considered to be warming foods and should be limited in the summer. However, pork is considered to be a cooling food, as are mung beans, egg, crab and watermelon. In general, you should eat lighter foods like fruits and vegetables, which contain a lot of moisture. Eat them lightly sautéed or steamed, or if you have a strong digestion you can also eat them raw. Avoid very greasy and heavy foods during the summer months, as these can weigh you down and allow heat to accumulate.

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