6 Ways to Beat Summer Heat

This summer in the Roaring Fork Valley has been hot, hot, hot! From Glenwood Springs, to Carbondale, to Basalt, the temperatures have been creeping up! If you're a woman between the ages of 35-55, and summer heat is affecting you more this year than before, you might be in peri-menopause, which is just another way to say that you're nearing menopause, or your periods could be ending in the next 5-10 years. During this time, heat affects you more because your sex hormones, progesterone and estrogen, are not doing their jobs of cooling you down, relieving anxiety, and helping you sleep as well as they once did. If you are having hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, insomnia, anxiety, weight gain, or brain fog, here are some tips to help you feel better this summer.

1. Just Say No to ice.  In Chinese medicine, we think of your digestive system as a bubbling cauldron on top of a fire.  If you put ice into that bubbling pot, the fire underneath has to work extra hard to warm it up again.  If you’re drinking iced drinks or eating a lot of food straight from the refrigerator, your body is working harder than it needs to, which may cause you to feel bloated, gassy or have looser, stickier stools.  You may also experience fatigue or brain fog.

2. Pepper Up Your Salads.  Raw veggies can be hard to digest, but summer is the best time to eat them, if your digestion is generally pretty good.  To warm salads up and make them easier to digest, you can add a healthy amount of fresh cracked pepper on top.

3. Eat Watermelon.  Watermelon is used as a cooling herb in Chinese medicine.  It’s a perfect way to rehydrate and cool yourself down without taxing your digestion.  Try putting a little salt and lime juice on top of your watermelon slices to increase their electrolyte power!

4. Drink Fancy Water. Dress up your water with lime juice, cucumber slices, a pinch of Himalayan salt, and/or electrolyte drops like these.  In our dry climate, hydration is essential!  You may not associate constipation, stomach pain, fatigue, depression, poor sleep or breakouts with dehydration, but they can be related.  If you are feeling off, pay attention to how much water you’re consuming—you probably need a bit more!

   

5. Get Grounded.  The fire of summer can make you feel euphoric, but fire can flare and burn out quickly.  If you have noticed that your moods and energy levels are unpredictable, or you’re having trouble sleeping, I encourage you to lean in to a mindfulness practice this summer.  Setting aside a few minutes each day to breathe deeply, write in a journal, or sit quietly in the grass or near the river will help to regulate your nervous system so that you can feel more like yourself even in the chaos of Fire season.

6. Try Acupuncture!  If you are struggling with poor sleep, bloating, brain fog, fatigue, mood swings, or hot flashes this summer, I can help!  I offer a free consultation so that we can discuss your health concerns and goals and map out a plan for your healing.