Summer depletes the Qi and Yin! Health tea replenishes qi and refreshes the mind

It is the peak exam season, and the hot summer makes people feel stuffy and uncomfortable. In addition to sweating profusely, many people also feel tired and often drowsy, which makes it difficult for them to study or work during the day, and they are too tired to fall asleep at night. Chinese medicine practitioners point out that it is easy to deplete "qi" and "yin" due to sweating in the summer, and suggest using flavored Shengmai Drink to quench thirst and boost spirits. People can also DIY at home.

To make the "Jiawei Shengmai Drink" which contains Codonopsis pilosula, Ophiopogon japonicus, Schisandra chinensis, Astragalus membranaceus and red dates, just add three to five bowls of water and boil it in an electric rice cooker. (Photo courtesy of Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital)

Chen Baiquan, director of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, said that in the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, hot and humid weather can cause "deficiency of both qi and yin" in the human body, which can easily lead to symptoms such as fatigue, sweating, dry mouth, chest tightness, poor appetite, and difficulty falling asleep. Qi deficiency cannot produce blood, and blood deficiency will aggravate Qi weakness. More seriously, it will lead to deficiency of Yang in the body, and finally deficiency of Yin and Yang, Qi and blood in the body. Therefore, tonic Chinese medicine must be used correctly according to the specific changes in the symptoms.

"Jiawei Shengmai Drink" made with Codonopsis pilosula, Ophiopogon japonicus, Schisandra chinensis, Astragalus membranaceus, and red dates can be made by adding three to five bowls of water and boiling in an electric cooker. It can be drunk as boiled water on weekdays. One dose a day is recommended. It has the effects of replenishing vital energy, nourishing yin and promoting body fluid, as well as refreshing and quenching thirst. It is a good tea for cooling off.

Among them, Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, and red dates can strengthen the spleen and replenish qi, improve temperature tolerance, and enhance physical strength; Ophiopogon japonicus and Schisandra chinensis can nourish yin, clear heat, restrain sweat, relieve dry mouth and tongue, and help sleep. However, it is not recommended for use during a cold or other acute inflammatory diseases.

Chen Baiquan pointed out that summer belongs to fire in the yin and yang five elements, and the human body's metabolism and perspiration are also the fastest. It is recommended to choose more light and easy-to-digest ingredients to help clear away heat and relieve summer heat. While clearing away heat and detoxifying, it can also regulate the heat in the body. Cucumbers, winter melons, and bitter melons can be added to dishes to help reduce heat, and fruits such as watermelon, papaya, sugarcane, and pears can promote salivation and quench thirst.

In addition, chrysanthemum, honeysuckle, and cassia seed can clear away heat and detoxify, while mung bean and coix seed are cool desserts for cooling off. However, you still have to eat or drink them slowly. It is not advisable to guzzle cold drinks to avoid imbalance of cold and heat in the body, which will cause problems with gastrointestinal health.