Tlthough summer is not officially here yet the heat has surely arrived! My two year-old daughter has been non stop naked for about a month now. I have the hardest time keeping clothes on her and since we live at the beach I have just given up. She is completely uncensored with her emotions she manifests pure joy, abounding excitement, crude frustration and raw misery.
Thinking about this I decided to write this newsletter about the HEART, the Emperor or the coordinator of the entire body. When the Heart is balanced one manifests Propriety, Sage-like qualities, Intimacy, Insightfulness and Mastery. Out of balance one may feel chaotic, vulnerable, apathetic, delusional, guarded, greedy and controlling.
On a physical level heart imbalances manifest as insomnia, agitation, palpitations and worry. Read on to learn about some beneficial foods or treatment protocols to help nourish Heart Blood and move Qi in your heart meridian.
Foods to Nourish the Heart
Summer is season celebrate the YANG aspects of your life such as expansion, growth, movement, creativity, and outward movement. In keeping with the season, the YANG aspects of your personality should be nurtured with foods that compliment the nature of expansion.
Add Spices
Spices used in moderation allow the body to perspire to cool down naturally. Some suggestions are:
- Red and green hot pepper
- Cayenne
- Ginger
- Horseradish
Replace Minerals that have been lost through sweating:
Emergen C is a great mineral replacement.
Create bright, beautifuly colored meals with a diversity of color.
Red foods directly affect the heart and blood such as:
Cherries, Pomegranate, Mulberries, Beets, Red Pepper, Watermelon
Saute and steam instead of baking and frying.
Use light cooking oils such as Walnut Oil
Add Cooling foods to your diet such as:
Apple, Lemon, Lime, Watermelon
Avoid Cold and Frozen Foods
Cold and frozen foods are difficult to process by the stomach. This often leads to bloating, sluggish digestion and belching.
There are five main organs in traditional Chinese medicine they are the Heart, Liver, Spleen, Kidney and Lung. Every organ has its specific role in maintaining balance, when one falls out of harmony so do the rest. I see a lot of people in my office with some issues affecting the heart organ and meridian. This usually manifests as insomnia, agitation, difficulty falling asleep, palpitations and suspicious thinking.
One important aspect in treating the heart is to nourish heart blood. Many points along the heart, spleen, stomach and liver meridian help nourish the blood to anchor the mind or shen to help people feel more grounded.
Typical course of treatments are about one month of weekly treatment for every year that you have been experiencing the symptoms.
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