OFMOM NEWSROOM

Keep your stomach warm, Important Tips for a Healthy Summer

After the Minor Heat (Xiaoshu) solar term, the winds carry a sense of "enthusiasm," marking the arrival of hot weather and an increase in thunderstorms. This period can bring various health problems if one is not careful with their daily routine and diet. Parents need to be especially vigilant about their children’s condition, particularly their sensitive and fragile digestive systems.

In traditional Chinese medicine, "heat" (暑) has a dual nature. For Minor Heat health preservation, one should utilize "heat" for treating winter diseases in summer while also preventing heat-related illnesses by clearing heat and relieving summer heat.

"Winter diseases" refer to conditions that commonly occur or worsen during the winter, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, and cold-induced stomach pain and joint pain. "Summer treatment" involves treating these conditions during summer when they tend to ease, using appropriate internal and external remedies to prevent their recurrence or alleviate symptoms in winter.

After Minor Heat, the weather characteristics of summer heat become more prominent, making it crucial to clear heat and relieve summer heat. To cope with high temperatures, many people seek coolness, spending extended periods in air-conditioned rooms, or suddenly cooling down by entering air-conditioned rooms while sweating profusely, or taking cold showers. These practices can prevent the body from adjusting properly, causing cold to accumulate and leading to discomfort. The summer heat also often leads to a loss of appetite, prompting people to prefer cooling foods like ice cream, popsicles, and chilled drinks, which can exacerbate digestive disorders. Additionally, the old saying "seeking coolness without covering will inevitably lead to illness" highlights that getting chilled can lower immunity and cause respiratory infections, such as coughs, sore throats, and throat itchiness.

Thus, during Minor Heat, it is essential to prevent both heat and cold. Use air conditioning correctly while keeping the abdomen warm. Summer diets should be moderate, avoiding overeating, excessive eating, or binge eating, which can harm digestive health. Instead, consume foods that clear heat and dampness, such as winter melon, bitter melon, loofah, mung beans, corn, adzuki beans, and lotus root. Additionally, since the body sweats more in summer, drink hot rice soup, hot porridge, and mung bean soup to nourish the stomach, generate body fluids, and relieve summer heat.

When diet is improper, temperature imbalances occur, or infections arise, it can lead to gastrointestinal digestion and absorption disorders. Probiotics, such as Mamiai, can help alleviate symptoms, constipation, and indigestion. During the high incidence of intestinal diseases in summer, parents might consider preparing in advance, alongside maintaining good lifestyle and dietary habits, to protect their children’s gut health.

Spending long periods in air-conditioned rooms can trap internal heat, so moderate exercise and sweating are also beneficial for health. Outdoor activities are recommended in the early morning or evening to avoid heatstroke. These activities should be short and low-intensity to prevent excessive sweating, which can deplete energy and fluids, causing fatigue, dry mouth, and thirst.

After the Minor Heat solar term, children will soon enter their much-anticipated summer vacation. We hope all children maintain good health and enjoy a vibrant and fulfilling holiday.