Staying Healthy in Summer with Delicious Food and a Kampo Approach

"Every year when summer comes, I feel sluggish and tired easily."
"I'm prone to summer fatigue."

When the intense heat continues, it's easy to get summer fatigue.
In particular, many mothers find themselves putting their own needs last because their children's summer vacation disrupts their usual routine.

The Japanese summer, with its combination of heat and high humidity, places a significant burden on the body.
In this article, I will talk about ways to prevent summer fatigue from the perspective of Kampo (traditional Japanese herbal medicine).
Please use this to help your whole family get through the summer in good health!

Ingredients to actively consume to combat summer fatigue

The importance of the "Spleen" and summer fatigue

The "Spleen" has the function of digestion, absorption, and circulating blood throughout the body.

When the function of this "Spleen" declines, the following types of physical discomfort are more likely to occur:

• Loss of appetite

• Prone to diarrhea

• Easily fatigued

• Lack of motivation

These symptoms are very similar to those of summer fatigue, aren't they?

Furthermore, the "Spleen" is characterized by being sensitive to humidity and cold.

The hot and humid Japanese summer is a season that already has high humidity, which increases the burden on the "Spleen".
Moreover, if you blast the air conditioning in this heat and consume too many cold things like ice cream and beer, you weaken the function of the "Spleen" from both the outside and the inside of your body.
In other words, it is important to maintain the function of the "Spleen"!

To spend the summer in good health, use ingredients that support the "Spleen"!

To spend the summer in good health, let's actively incorporate foods that help the function of the "Spleen"!
In Kampo, yellow, sweet-tasting vegetables are considered to support the "Spleen".

The following ingredients are recommended:

• Potatoes

• Sweet potatoes

• Pumpkin

• Corn

• Soybeans

In my home, we often eat corn and sweet potatoes during the summer.
Since they are easy to prepare—just boiling or steaming them—they are perfect for lunch during summer vacation.

For summer fatigue, keep cold foods in moderation

During the hot summer, cold ice cream, juice, and beer taste great, don't they?
You might also find yourself eating cold somen noodles frequently because you want to keep lunch simple.

However, consuming too many of these cold foods and drinks can weaken the function of the 'spleen'.

• Be careful not to consume too many cold things, and keep them in moderation

• Pair cold meals like somen with warm soups or warm vegetables

• Try to drink beverages at room temperature
  —by making these adjustments, you can support your 'spleen' function and combat summer fatigue!

Let's eat well and combat summer fatigue

To combat summer fatigue, keep cold items in 'moderation' and actively incorporate 'yellow and sweet' ingredients that support the function of the 'spleen'.
By eating well, you can avoid accumulating summer exhaustion and get through the hot summer with energy!