What to Eat to Optimize Late Summer Health!

Dr. Michael here!

Late summer is considered a fifth season in Five Element acupuncture, typically during the months of August and September here in Florida, when the weather is still hot and humid, the crops are ripening in the fields, and the harvest is approaching. Late summer is associated with the Earth element, which helps to ground your body and centers you in harmony with the world around you- the internal one and the external one.

I recommend that this time of late summer be a period of intentional centering through meditation or mindful breathing techniques, along with acupuncture to balance your Earth organs (Stomach and Spleen/Pancreas), as well as gently changing your diet to add or remove some foods for your benefit. Eating according to this season helps balance your inner center, support your Earth organs, and flow better with the energy of your Earth element. 

Mildly sweet foods, yellow foods, and round foods such as millet, corn, carrots, cabbage, garbanzo beans, soybeans, squash, potatoes, yams, tofu, sweet potatoes, rice, cantaloupe, and apricots are all examples of foods that help ground and balance you in late summer. 

How does it work? How am I meant to prepare these foods? They should be prepared as simply as possible, with little seasoning and no extreme tastes. Combinations should harmonize gently, with as little complication to the dish as possible, and always in moderation. Food that is highly processed, chemically treated, artificially sweetened, or high in sugar can stress and strain the Spleen-Pancreas organs, which will cause an imbalance in the Earth element. Imbalances can also occur with late-night eating, or overeating. For those of you who typically go for sweets and lots of simple carbs, we recommend you substitute with carbohydrate-rich vegetables, low glycemic fruits, a small amount of honey, and natural non-sugar sweeteners such as monk fruit.  

Alongside regular exercise, changing your diet in each season to the foods that support the organs of that season help to keep you healthy. Stay tuned for more diet tips for each of the other four seasons. 

At the Acupuncture & Holistic Health Center, we understand that your health needs are as unique as you are. So we highly recommend you come in at least once during each season to balance your energy according to the season and to discuss these topics with your acupuncture physician. We will work together to create a health plan that is individualized and tailored to your specific needs. 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Please call us at (904) 296-9545 to schedule your appointment today!

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