Summer may be synonymous to fun—planning holiday trips, shopping for trendy swimwear, tasting our way through the best afternoon teas—but it’s also a season of heat, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Often attributed to environmental factors, excessive heat can be the cause of health issues, especially when combined with humidity in cities like Hong Kong.
We sought advice from Vivian Tang, the executive director of Wai Yuen Tong for tips on the best TCM products to minimise the impact of heat and keep our body balanced.
See also: Vivian Tang From Wai Yuen Tong Talks Traditional Chinese Medicine
Summer is said to be the most yang time of the year, how can TCM help us balance our body’s qi?
The one thing that Chinese doctors always focus on is “balance our yin yang and cultivate good health from the inner body”. Summer is believed to be the most yang time of the year and we all need to harvest yin to make sure we don’t get sick easily.
There are many different ways to do this with TCM nowadays as there are everyday supplements or raw Chinese concoctions to suit various purposes. Personally, I would recommend dendrobium or American ginseng for tea or soup making. Whenever I travel or have a busy work schedule, I just take our Engender fluid capsule.
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What’s the best way to combat the humidity of Hong Kong from a TCM perspective?
Hong Kong summer is certainly not everyone’s favourite time of the year. The heat wave, the extreme humidity and going in and out of air conditioning places can take a toll on our body. Chinese doctors believe that if our inner body is too damp, we will feel dizzy and tired easily, which can lead to sickness that takes a long time to recover.
During summer, I tend to work out a lot to make sure I get a good sweat and a warm shower to calm and rest my mind. But it’s important to remember that it’s easier to get infected by bacteria in humid weather, so I’d suggest taking TCM such as Lingzi to boost my immune system and overall health. I also drink instant TCM powder mix to clear the inner damp and disperse the heat.
