I was getting the feeling that this summer would be particularly hot, so I checked the NOAA website and sure enough we can expect higher than average temperatures through October.  While sunstroke (or summerheat as we call it in Chinese medicine) is more typical in hot and humid areas, it does happen in hot dry areas as well.  The most typical discomfort that happens during hot weather is food stagnation – that feeling of “food just sitting there” after we eat.  Since summerheat can progress to become more serious, the purpose of this article is to clearly outline symptoms of summerheat / heatstroke. 

Since the symptoms can be similar to other illnesses, here are two lists of symptoms to help differentiate summerheat from other health concerns.

 

Symptoms of summerheat that are similar to other illnesses:

 

• low fever
• stifling sensation in the chest
• diarrhea
• headache
• sweating
• dizziness

 

Additional symptoms specific to summerheat to help differentiate it from other illnesses:

 

• thirst
• scanty urination or dark scanty urination
• reduced appetite
• dry heaves
• vomit

 

In addition to staying hydrated and seeking shade to prevent over-heating, eating watermelon helps to maintain homeostasis and prevent summerheat.  The red and white fruit, rind, seeds and juice all have a specific action on the body.  The white part of the fruit next to the rind has the most cooling effect on our entire system.  In addition to eating watermelon because it’s delicious, here are a few more reasons to eat it and drink it’s juice:

 

> Re-hydrates the body and prevents summerheat/heat stroke

 

> Reduces heat-induced puffiness and edema

 

> The cooling nature of watermelon positively affects the Heart – it is high in lycopene and vitamin C, there is a calming effect, quelling anxiety and reducing blood pressure

 

> Helps to move and digest food – for that feeling of food “just sitting there”

 

> Great for constipation, so  avoid watermelon if you regularly experience loose stool or diarrhea

 

> Watermelon is a diuretic, so it promotes urination and helps to regulate the urinary bladder. It is best to reduce or avoid  watermelon if there is excessive or uncontrolled urination.

 

Watermelon is best eaten at room temperature.  Chinese medical theory suggests that all foods be eaten at room temperature, or cooked, since food is more easily digested when eaten closer to the temperature of our own system, 98.6.  It is the inherent thermal temperature of foods that help to cool the system down during the heat of summer, not refrigeration!