It's Summer and that means more BBQs and more time on the beach. Ever heard the phrase "too much of a good thing can even be a bad thing"? That's true for BBQ and beach time too!
Summer runs HOT - Meaning our bodies may be prone to trapping heat internally through the foods we eat, or activities we do.
BBQ is a way of cooking that actually applies intense heat to the food we eat. Having too much BBQ can lead to an accumulation of heat toxins in your body. You may feel sluggish, heavy, and even hot and uncomfortable in your chest. The excessive heat can aggravate inflammatory conditions, cause skin eruptions like acne, or rosacea to flare up, and even make your arthritis more noticeable.
When you eat too much BBQ this can even make it uncomfortable to sleep at night as it leads to heart burn.
And if you've been laying on the beach too long, not only can this lead to skin cancer, but also feelings of light-headedness, dizziness, or exhaustion.
So what can you do? Well you could try acupuncture OR food therapy. Let's start with basic foods that clear heat/reduce inflammation that you can try at home to stay balanced this BBQ season:
1. Peppermint tea
Peppermint is a delightful tea that can aid digestion and finishes with a cooling tone.
2. Watermelon and Pears
Believe it or not, these fruits are ideal in the summer time as they quench thirst with their refreshing taste and have cooling properties to once again clear the heat from your body.
3. Cucumber
Adding a few slices of cucumber to your meal can actually help balance out eating too much BBQ. Cucumber is full of water, which hydrates the body, and its cooling properties can protect the stomach from the heat toxins found in BBQ.
4. Beets
Beets are another cooling option. They're not only good for bringing down heat, but they're also good for your heart. Given the stress from living in Toronto - traffic, working long hours, to dealing with ridiculous people - we could use all the stress reducing tips that are out there, making beets a great option for Torontonians.
And lastly here are some foods to avoid - chillies, garlic, ginger, shallots, cloves, coffee, vinegar, mustard, and alcohol.
On its own, food therapy is not as strong as acupuncture. So when an imbalance appears, it may take more than just dietary changes to create the change your body needs. That's when acupuncture would be a great addition to your health care plan. Acupuncture works by stimulating points on the body that reduce inflammation. Where the inflammation is showing up in your the body, determines which points we select for clearing it out.
So, if you're having a hard time keeping the “heat” down book an acupuncture treatment at one of our clinics.