by Thomas McCarty and Emily Cronin
Chinese medicine emphasizes the importance of keeping good health by cultivating harmony between ourselves and the environment. The seasons are explained according to the Five Elements. The Springtime we have just left behind is of the Wood element, which gives way to Fire, corresponding to Summer. With the first days of summer (even a little earlier, here in southern Louisiana), our climate goes from pleasantly warm to simply and undeniably hot, and the mornings and evenings stretch ever further into either end of the night-time. Just as wood enflamed gives way to a bonfire, so the growing Yang of Spring leads to the full, exuberant Yang of Summer. This is the pinnacle of Yang. In summer the Yang energy of spring reaches its apex of expression.
The Fire element governs two of the essence-storing organs: the Heart and Pericardium. The Heart houses the Shen (the spirit) and the Pericardium assists the Heart and Shen with communication and expression. As the energy of Summer and the Fire element influence us, we may feel a heightened ability or desire to express ourselves. Fire also represents intimacy, and so Summer can be a season of openness, and new relationships and experiences.
In the summer, exercising (while paying great attention to keeping hydrated!–see recipes below!) can keep the cardiovascular system in shape and temper the dizzying effects of excessive heat. For example, going for a jog, jump-roping or swimming can soothe the spirit and ground our perception. Sweating is an important part of exercise in this season as well! The opening of the pores during perspiration is considered a Yang function in TCM, and we should allow our bodies to answer the heat in the environment with this Yang function which at the same time cools our core down. To restrict the body’s ability to self-regulate this way can cause problems with the metabolism.
Because of the dominance of the Fire element during this time, there is of course concern with problems originating in heat. Heat accumulating or becoming confined can affect the Shen, or Heart-spirit, causing insomnia and anxiety. Notably, TCM also recognizes a special pattern called “Summer-heat” that can present with symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, and heaviness and torpidity of the limbs and body. Heaviness can be viewed as the increased dampness in the air (humidity) penetrating our joints and muscles. Just like moving through water can slow us down, moving with dampness bound internally does the same. It’s interesting that letting oneself experience the weather, and breaking a sweat, vents both heat and excess dampness from the body, the same two things that can become pathogens when trapped inside. So don’t be afraid to sweat!
One modern challenge regarding the Summer season has to do with air conditioning. While it is relieving for anyone who’s overheated to come into a cool room (and of course this resource can be life-saving for any vulnerable people) a too-cold indoor environment can simulate the weather of early spring or late fall, when a hot day can turn cool and rainy or vice versa, confusing the immune system (of which sweating is a large part in TCM), and acting like Wind, the gateway pathogen in TCM. According to TCM, Wind weakens the immune response and opens the body to attack from ordinary pathogens that wouldn’t normally offer much of a threat in Summer – the dreaded and now common summer colds, for example. If you can control your a/c it’s best to keep it not too cool (above 75 degrees). And if for whatever reason you can’t and you are exposed to artificial environments that run on the cold side, it’s best to layer up a little bit so your self-regulation and immune system are on better footing.
“Food, glorious food” is a delicious and fun way to keep yourself balanced and nourished during our long Louisiana summer. Limiting or eliminating things like greasy or fried foods, coffee, excessively hot spice, sugars, and lamb or beef, balanced with a greater proportion of cooling foods such as cucumber, watermelon, and mint tea, will be the key. Interestingly, chilis and cayenne in moderation can offer one key point of harmony between metabolism and environment. Since it makes one sweat, moderate amounts of red chilis in food or drink will encourage perspiration, that essential process of self-regulation!
In the land of snowballs and daiquiris, naturally we want to have something cold when it’s really hot out, but there’s a caveat here: TCM is generally not big on cold and raw foods. For one thing, raw foods make the digestive organs work harder to break them down, and also, taking in something that is cold (like ice cream or an iced tea) can shock the core into a reaction of creating still more heat. Remember that, no matter what, the body always strives to maintain an internal temperature of 98.6 degrees! That said, the summer diet is an opportunity to enjoy cold or raw foods, balanced with dishes to help the body keep its homeostasis. Raw foods, with their energetic properties in all their glory, and even cold drinks, soups or desserts, are definitely on the menu, along with soups, stir fries and fricassees, red beans and rice, and meats like fish, pork and chicken, which have a more cooling effect on the body.
Below are a few recipes from my go-to essential Summer home menu! I hope you enjoy them and share them with friends and family!
–Thomas
Beverages:
Both of these should be consumed at room temperature or cool (but not cold!) and can be kept in large batches in the fridge for 2 or 3 days. It’s recommended to let a serving come up a few degrees at least to prevent shocking the core temperature as described above.
Aloe water
This cooling beverage was passed down from a neighbor, who in turn remembers it from his grandmother, and whose family goes way back in New Orleans. The watermelon rind is not from the original recipe, but added for its use in TCM herbal medicine to clear excess heat.
To one quart of room temperature water add:
>One 6 to 8 inch leaf of fresh aloe, stripped of its spines and all of the green skin (the stripped leaf looks like hard clear jelly) and
>Two or three 6 to 8 inch pieces of watermelon rind, red fruit and green peel removed
Steep this all together in the fridge for 3 or more hours and drink as much as you like. The aloe will make the water very slightly think. You can add more water to the aloe and melon rind for a few days and the water will absorb the essence of these ingredients.
Here’s a tip! I like to leave just a blush of the red watermelon fruit on the rind to give the drink a touch of sweetness.
Basic hydrating drink
I learned this from a friend in Minnesota, where while in Winter it is an icy tundra, in Summer, for a couple of months at least, it is as hot and sticky as any Louisiana July I remember from my childhood.
To one quart of room temperature water add:
2 tablespoons (one ounce) of grade B maple syrup, or an equal amount of Steen’s cane syrup–don’t use refined sugar or corn syrup! (In less refined syrups like the two named, there are lots of trace minerals and vitamins to help restore electrolyte balance, and the naturally occurring sugar is better for keeping healthy blood sugar levels.)
2 tablespoons of lime juice
Pinch of salt–really just a few grains!
Pinch of ground cayenne–also very little–to get the best taste and medicinal effect, you should just barely taste the spice.
I recommend one or two quarts of this to drink for an afternoon working outside, or per day during the hot time of the year.
Entrees:
Red Beans and Rice–makes about 8 servings
This is my recipe I perfected while living up in Minnesota. It not only kept me fed and strong, it kept me from getting homesick!! I literally lived on this for long stretches when a big pot of food was the way to go for one reason or another.
When I say perfected, take it with a grain of salt (pun intended)–every pot is different depending on what type of pork or sausage I would use, or the proportions or source of the vegetables. Carrots, I admit, are not in the traditional Creole Holy Trinity, but what can I say, I just love carrots!
Soak overnight in plenty of water: one pound of red kidney beans
In the morning, strain the beans and add to a pot along with water enough to cover the beans plus one inch,
Two large bay leaves
Two dried long red chilis–cayenne is great of course, or chiles de arbol, thai chilis, etc.
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 ½ tablespoons salt
½-¾ pound of pork bone– lately I prefer pork tail, which has lots of fat under the skin and meat along the bone, but try any of the following: neck bones, ham bones, shank, or hock. Smoked is nice, but simple and uncured bones make a really nice gravy and milder but still rich flavor
One large onion, diced
Two bell peppers, diced–in case you don’t know, in Creole cooking this means Green bell peppers, a very distinct flavor!
Half a bunch to a full bunch of celery, diced
One to two carrots, diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
3 shakes of Tobasco sauce
Bring the pot to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cook on a simmer for 3-5 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water ¼ cup at a time if it seems to be getting to thick or sticks to the bottom.
At 3 hours, test the beans for doneness. Be patient, if they need a couple more hours it is well worth the wait! They should be soft enough to smash to a paste on the side of the pot. When it seems the beans are done, pull out the pork bone and set on a plate for 15 or 20 minutes, to allow it to cool. When you can handle the meat comfortably, take every shred of meat, fat, and softened tendon and add it back to the pot. (The bones, skin and any tougher connective tissue can be saved and turned into bone broth.) Also add at this time:
½-¾ pounds of andouille sausage cut into one inch pieces
With the meat and sausage added to the pot, return to a simmer, stir and taste, adjusting if it needs a little salt or tabasco.
Serve over long-grain rice. Forever!
Fricassee to serve 4
I call this fricassee, but honestly I’ve never learned a proper fricassee from a cookbook or an individual. To me, it means simply a one-pot quick stew, with some amount of sauce made from the glaze from the sauteeing and water or stock, wine, and/or vinegar or citrus. As with the red beans, this dish is never the same twice, and unlike the red beans, you can add whatever vegetables are around, and add or substitute different ingredients depending on what’s at the farmer’s market, or garden, what looks good at the meat counter, or what you or the neighbor caught fishing! Pork cut into large chunks, or a favorite sausage, are good substitutes for chicken.
Make it vegetarian by substituting tempeh for the chicken, or leave out the meat and add cooked lima or garbanzo beans with the red bell peppers. Mushrooms are also a source of protein, so you can make it vegetarian by increasing the amount of mushrooms and leaving out the meat.
To avoid anything burning, try to have all your ingredients cut up and ready before you start to cook.
Put medium heat on under a skillet and let it get hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle away instantly. Add: 2 tablespoons olive oil,
1 small onion, diced (about ¾ cup),
½ teaspoon salt,
½ teaspoon ground black pepper.
Fry this on medium to medium high, stirring constantly for 5-6 minutes, or till onions are lightly browned and not smelling pungent. Make space in the center of the pan by pushing the onions to the edge and add:
½-¾ pound chicken, on the bone or cut into large chunks in the center, and around the meat:
4 or 5 mushrooms, sliced (about 1 ½ cup)
1-2 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
Oregano–dried, 2 teaspoons, or fresh, 2-3 sprigs chopped
Parsley, fresh, chopped, ¼ cup
Let the chicken brown on the pan for 4-5 minutes. You can stir the other vegetables around to keep them from getting too brown, but let that chicken sit for a good long time! After you turn the chicken over, add:
One large red or yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
Fry all together, stirring every minute or two, for 5 minutes. Add:
½ cup diced tomatoes,
⅓ cup water or stock,
¼ cup white wine
and stir, scraping up the sticky bits from the bottom of the skillet and letting it all dissolve into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another 4-5 minutes. (If the chicken is on the bone, allow it a further 4-5 minutes–8-10 minutes total). Check the flavor and adjust salt and pepper as needed, and if the sauce becomes too scant, add a couple tablespoons of water at a time until it looks right to you.
Serve up over rice or pasta, or with a nice crusty bread on the side.
Bon appetit, and have a lovely summer!
Peoples Community Acupuncture Collective Nola 