Elegance Perfected: Combating Summer Heat, Pt 2

Here it is; summer. Some of us are thrilled with the prospect, and for others it marks an oppressive gauntlet. Although we’re accustomed to long stretches of high temperatures, summer kicks it up to a new level. According to the National Weather Service, there’s a 50/50 chance that this season will be particularly sweltering. Additionally, there’s about a 30% chance that we’ll have higher levels of humidity and precipitation.

In this article we discussed what some of the symptoms of ‘summer-heat’ look like. To recap, someone who is suffering from this condition may experience: palpitations, constipation, dizziness, headache, nausea, and in particularly severe cases fainting or life-threatening heatstroke. Obviously, these are all things to do be avoided. To that end, this month’s article will talk about how to enjoy the season with as little risk of summer-heat as we can manage in a place that feels like we’re three inches from the surface of the sun.

Are you Hot- or Cold-Blooded?

Everyone’s temperature tolerance is different. Some patients tell me they can’t sleep in anything higher than 65°, and I’m convinced they’re aliens. For me, 76° is the sweet spot with a few degrees lower at night. Identifying subjective feelings of heat or cold (as well as aversions, though usually these are more indicative of illness) is a sign of which strategies are best during the summer months.

For example, say someone just ‘cannot get warm.’ They’re plagued with a full-body sense of cold and they do very well in the heat. This is an indicate of internal cold, however cold can be excess or deficient. Typical deficiency conditions may present with low energy, fatigue on light exertion, pale skin, loose stools (maybe with undigested food), and a tendency to get sick. People with deficiency cold shouldn’t sweat too much or they risk depleting themselves further. Comfortable, consistent heat with light activity is best, and gently warming foods like cinnamon and black pepper can be helpful. In treatment, herbal medicine with a warming nature like ginseng or aconite are essential for recovery – but do not self-medicate, speak to your TCM practitioner about which formulas would be most appropriate.

An excess cold may present with the same sensation of chilliness, but the person is a lot less ‘worn out.’ In fact, this sort of cold is usually short lived, or comes and goes based on circumstance. Full-cold, as it’s called, is usually a consequence of improper diet (frequent raw foods, cold drinks, smoothies, etc.), whereas deficiency-cold is chronic. People experiencing full-cold should take care to limit their intake of cold and raw foods, but don’t typically need to amend their physical habits. Acupuncture in particular excels at treating these full-type conditions.

Special attention should be paid to a feeling of coldness in the limbs, which is different and can come from many sources. This is different from internal cold which is usually felt everywhere, or more in the trunk.

Then there’s the hotties. They’re like a perpetual furnace and you can sometimes feel it just standing next to them. Like internal cold, heat comes in flavors of excess and deficiency. Someone with what we call deficient-heat may feel hotter later in the day, or suffer from hot flashes. Hot summers are particularly difficult for these folks and they should take extra care not to overdo it. Avoid direct sun, try to avoid sweating and have plenty of very nourishing foods like porridge, protein and carbs – but nothing oily, fatty or spicy! Formulas with cooling, salty and descending herbs like gypsum or schisandra can protect from overheating.

Full-Heat is usually pretty easy to spot. Lots of energy, typically boisterous, often a red tint to the face and they’re skin is a million degrees. People with a full-heat presentation have a tendency to push themselves too much and may not even feel it, which puts them at risk of heatstroke. This is the rare sort for which I suggest colder foods and drink (so long as their digestion isn’t negatively impacted). The food suggestions in the article mentioned above are especially good for people with full-heat, as is acupuncture.

If you suspect you might suffer from internal heat or cold, speak to your TCM physician. for a full diagnosis. It’s important to understand the condition of your body so you can avoid problems.

Hey! Listen!

Traditional Chinese Medicine holds proactive wellness as superior medicine. What this means is paying attention and acting before illness even has a chance to set in. Now that we have an inkling of what ‘sort’ we may be, the next step is getting in tune with how you’re feeling so you can recognize signs early.

There are a number of ways that can train you to be more aware of your body. Chinese mindfulness practices like tai chi and qi gong, or other East-Asian activities like yoga and meditation, are exceptional for this. There are many indigenous practices that also prioritize connection. Doing these – and, crucially, taking these lessons outside of the classroom with you – can help you to live more mindfully in general.

Fatigue is often the first thing to set in when the heat becomes too much. The fact that Miami is so damp is actually a boon – we tend to feel the heat much more acutely as a result. Really, this should be the time you consider finding somewhere to cool off. Headaches, nausea, and dizziness will be next and by now the heat has set in. These symptoms don’t mean ‘slow down and start looking for somewhere cool’, they mean ‘get out of the heat right now.’ Once profuse sweating, palpitations, tachycardia (increased heart rate), and shortness of breath appear, you’re in trouble. Get out of the sun immediately and do whatever you can to cool off – cold environments, ice packs, cool fluids.

The Consequence of Noncompliance

The innovation of air condition has made south Florida livable, but it’s not without drawbacks. Going from hot to cold is a significant shock to the system, which we can tolerate when we’re young or in good health, but can wreak havoc to a beleaguered system. Sudden blasts of cold can lead to muscle tightness, pain, and the introduction of cold to the body – which can create internal cold conditions as above! It also trains us not to respect the heat.

A unique feature of TCM is the idea of latent pathogens. These are conditions that are contracted at one time, but may reemerge at a later date. TCM’s seminal text The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic, compiled between 475-221 BCE, explains in Chapter 2:

The three months of summer, they denote opulence and blossoming. The qi of Heaven and earth interact and the myriad beings bloom and bear fruit. Go to rest late at night and rise early. Never get enough of the sun. Let the mind have no anger. Stimulate beauty and have your elegance perfected. Cause the qi to flow away, as if that which you loved were located outside. This is correspondence with the qi of summer and it is the Way to nourish growth. Opposing it harms the heart. In autumn this causes jie and malaria, and there is little to support gathering. (Unschuld, 2011)

They spoke funny in the old days so let me clarify. “Opposing it [the qi of summer] harms the heart” refers to the idea that summer corresponds to the heart system in TCM. Symptomatically you see this when excess heat, and especially heatstroke, cause serious damage to the cardiovascular system. The next line state, “In autumn this causes jie and malaria, and there is little to support gathering.” We’re lucky that malaria isn’t a problem in Miami, but jie (a phrase for a certain kind of intermittent fevers) and malaria conditions refer to proliferating fevers, internalization of heart or alternating cold and heat symptoms that occur in autumn.

If we fail to protect ourselves in summer, not only may we suffer from the heat now, it will also weaken us potentially for months into the future. We see again that being proactive in our self-care is essential for health in this system of medicine.

Equilibrium, Not Extremity

You might have read the passage above and said, “Wait a minute – never get enough of the sun! This is exactly the opposite of what you’re saying!” In fact, the line is 无厌于日 which, while I would never presume to correct Unschuld, is more like ‘Don’t detest the sun.’ Thus, that line means that summer is the season of flourishing and we should not be idle indoors. It’s just as harmful to avoid the sun and heat entirely, as it is to be out all the time.

The energy of the season promotes hard work, abundance, luxuriance and dispersal of energy. The efforts we expend in summer are commensurate to our bounty in autumn. So get out there and produce, but do so mindfully and carefully, in accordance with what your body can manage. Enjoy your summer!

If you’d like help discovering your body condition, or optimizing your health to make the most of the season, come in to the clinic for a visit. Herbal medicines and acupuncture can protect against latent pathogens as well as correct internal imbalances. Call us at (786) 514-3942 or schedule online.

References:

Varn, Kathryn, and Martin Vassolo. “Buckle Up, Florida. This Summer May Be Hotter than
Usual.” Axios, Axios Miami, 27 May 2025, www.axios.com/local/miami/2025/05/27/hotter-summer-predicted-miami. Accessed 17 June 2025.

Hannay, Catharine. “Indigenous Perspectives on Mindfulness.” Mindful Teachers, 3 Feb. 2021, www.mindfulteachers.org/blog/indigenous-perspectives-on-mindfulness.

Estape, Blake. “Combating Summer Heat with Traditional Chinese Medicine.” Miami Acupuncture and Herbal Solutions, July 2021, www.miamiacusolutions.com/blog/combat-summer-heat-with-traditional-chinese-medicine. Accessed 17 June 2025.