Solar Terms Wellness: Major Heat (Dashu)

Major Heat (Dashu) (around July 23rd or 24th) falls during the middle phase of the Dog Days. The humid heat consumes heart Qi. The elderly and weak may suffer from Zhu Xia (summer asthenia) or heatstroke. Symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, and nausea.

Health Tips

If symptoms of heatstroke appear, rest in a ventilated area and drink light salt water, mung bean soup, or watermelon juice. Aromatic herbs like Agastache (Huo Xiang) and Eupatorium (Pei Lan) can resolve dampness. This season is also the prime time for Winter Disease Summer Treatment, particularly for chronic bronchitis, using internal medicines and external herbal patches (San Fu Tie).

Recommended Recipe: Mung Bean and Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients: 50g Mung Beans, 500g Old Pumpkin, a pinch of salt.

Preparation: Wash mung beans and rub with salt, then rinse. Cube the pumpkin. Boil water, add mung beans and boil for 2 minutes. Add a splash of cold water, bring to a boil again, then add pumpkin. Simmer for 30 minutes until beans bloom. Season with salt.

Benefits: Mung beans clear heat and detoxify; pumpkin generates fluids and boosts Qi. This is the ultimate heatstroke prevention meal.