“What good is the warmth of Summer, without the cold of Winter to give it sweetness”, says author John Steinbeck in his book, “Travels with Charley: In Search of America”.


Long humid days, short warm nights, the intoxicating smells of abundant plumeria blooms and mangoes so full of juice that it drips down your arm in a sticky stream. Summer conjures joyful feelings for most of us with fond memories of vacation from school, beach days and leisurely late nights outside in the warm air. 
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Summer is the season of the heart, whose emotion is joy. The heart isn’t just the organ that pumps blood throughout your body, it’s also the home of your spirit or shen in TCM. 

Summer is a season full of abundance—warmth, activity and outward growth. It’s a great time to pursue creative projects that bring your spirit joy, socialize with friends outside and reap the benefits of these long warm days before they shorten into the cooler ones of Fall.

The Summer heat has both positive and negative impacts on our bodies. We feel energetic and happy because it’s warm and bright. However, too much exertion in the heat can lead to exhaustion, agitation, headaches and sometimes insomnia. 

Tips for staying balanced in the Summer:

~Drink lots of water:
    Room temperature water is ideal. Although we may crave iced drinks, thinking that it feels refreshing, it’s actually increasing our internal body heat trying to warm up that cold liquid in our stomach. In turn, this slows down our entire body process, including digestion which can lead to bloating, indigestion and constipation. In addition to water, some energetically cooling teas like mint, chrysanthemum and the Hawaiian mamaki tea will help naturally cool the body down without ice.

~Eat cooling foods:
    All foods in TCM have an energetic property. Conveniently, the foods that are abundant in Summer are ideal for keeping our bodies cool. Foods such as watermelon, cucumber, berries, zucchini and bitter greens like Romaine lettuce are all good at cooling us down as well as increasing the amount of water we ingest.

~Avoid heavy and cold foods: 
    Red meat, greasy foods and cold dairy foods like ice cream severely impair digestion and may create more heat in the body. Best foods for summer are lightly cooked seasonal vegetables and easy to digest foods like light broths and soups. 

~Stay dry:
    When we are enjoying the cool ocean at a hot day at the beach, we may end up sitting around for extended periods in our wet bathing suits, which is not ideal. It can weaken our immunity and allow the cold to sneak in. This is especially important for women, as it can increase urinary tract infections, yeast infections and cause difficulties with menstruation.

~Be mindful of the temperature and wind:
    Due to the increased temperatures of Summer, our pores are open more to allow for sweating. Be mindful of when the wind picks up—it might feel good in the moment, but can allow a cold to sneak in. Keep a light sweater or scarf handy for when it gets breezy. 

We hope these tips help and that you’re enjoying your Summer season. 

#Summer #Longevity

There is so much information and many opinions available about what foods are best to eat for a “healthy” lifestyle. Even if you’re eating high quality, organic “superfoods”, it may not benefit you in the most efficient way if you are not absorbing the nutrients properly due to poor digestion.

Here are some simple tips for better digestion:
The majority of digestion occurs in your mouth before it even reaches your stomach. Our digestive system is a two-part process, mechanical and chemical. In order to help the stomach work most efficiently, there are a few important steps to ensure this happens. When digestion does not work optimally, you may experience bloating, gas, sleepiness or abdominal pain, not to mention loose stools and/or constipation.

Limit water intake 15 minutes before and after meals.

If you need a little drink during a meal, aim to keep it less than a half of a cup. Too much liquid during meals dilutes the digestive acids and enzymes and your stomach has to work longer and harder to process the food.

Make sure the liquid is at least room temperature or better yet, have some hot tea. Iced or cold liquids slow down the process significantly.

Smell your food before taking the first bite.

This gets the salivary glands activated in your mouth and sends a signal to your stomach that it should get ready to receive food. The stomach will then prepare the proper mix of acids and enzymes to break down that exact variety of foods.

Chew, chew and then chew some more.

Take small bites, chew thoroughly (25-100 chews per bite) and put your fork down in between bites.
Before swallowing, the food should be broken down to a soupy consistency. Once food hits the stomach, it only has chemicals to process it. Sending whole chunks of food down requires much more time and effort to digest, with some things not being digested at all, rather just rotting and being passed to the intestines that way.

Concentrate on eating only.

Avoid TV, phone/computer or upsetting conversations while eating. Ben Harper has a song called, “Please don’t talk about murder while I’m eating”, which is terrific advice. Distractions, violence or upset while eating severely impair digestion. TV, phone or computer use are distracting and don’t allow us to be aware of how much we are eating, which can lead to overeating and poor chewing. Violence or upset engages our fight or flight sensation which leads to digestion being slowed considerably to make sure we are safe first, even though it’s not necessarily a direct threat.

Enjoy the flavors of your food. Appreciate where your food came from and the hands that prepared it.

Happy Eating = Happy Stomach!

The holidays are a fun time of year, but can be stressful with additional end-of-year work duties, trips to crowded stores, so many parties, and all those tempting desserts around. This can add up to frazzled nerves, exhaustion and poor digestion.
Here are some tips to help you sail smoothly through this time of year, while staying vibrant, strong and healthy.

1. Say No.
Most of us would love to just hang out with our family & friends all day and night, eat and drink without remorse and have no repercussions. This is unrealistic, obviously. Something’s gotta give. You might feel pressured to attend every party you’re invited to, but it’s not necessarily in your best interest.
Keep tabs on how you’re feeling and if you’re too tired to go or not feeling up to it, don’t force yourself out of a sense of obligation. Just be honest with your host. Most folks will be understanding, and if they’re not, are they really people you want to be around?

2. Food Awareness.
You might want a big slice of pie with way too much whipped cream on it, an extra large serving of buttery mashed potatoes or a double mocha/peppermint patty/eggnog latte.
It might taste good in the moment, but later, you may feel physically yucky and emotionally guilty for the overindulgence.
Berating yourself isn’t a useful solution after the fact. Plan ahead to have a smaller portion, really savor it and enjoy each morsel.
Let your everyday normal be a high quality, whole foods diet and when you have a treat, it’s truly a treat. After a while, your tastebuds will change and that pie won’t have the same draw as it once did.
On days you know you’re going to be eating out or going to parties, eat easier to digest foods such as soup, congee or other warm foods like steamed dark, leafy greens, winter squash or sweet potatoes.

Recipes: http://LongevityHealthMaui.com/recipes

3. Stay Warm.
During the Fall and Winter months, shorter days mean less sunlight, and the weather is chilly and windy, making us more susceptible to getting physically run down and catching a cold. In Chinese Medicine, the cold enters the body through the neck, so staying warm and keeping your neck covered when it’s breezy or rainy is important.
It’s also important to make sure to keep well hydrated with lots of room temperature water or a fresh ginger tea.
Ginger Tea recipe: http://tinyurl.com/gingertearecipe

4. Self-Care.
It’s easy to be a slave to our to-do lists, especially when there are so many additional responsibilities at this time of year. Make yourself a priority and take a time out at least once a day, even if only for a few minutes. Stop by the beach to listen to the waves, schedule a massage or acupuncture appointment, attend a yoga class or just sit quietly with your eyes closed for 5 minutes. You’ll find that you’ll be better equipped to handle the stress with more grace.

5. Gratefulness Practice.
Oftentimes we get so caught up in doing too many things, and it can start to feel like a chore. This can create resentment and negative emotions. Aim to find at least one thing a day that you are truly grateful for, even if it’s as small as a perfectly made cup of coffee, a late season plumeria tree blooming or the chirp of a bird overhead.
Keep in mind that the holidays—and everyday, really—are about being present in the moment, taking care of yourself first so you have the energy to help others, and appreciating the little things. Everything else is optional.

​All of us here at Longevity Health Center wish you wellness and happiness this holiday season and for the New Year.