Your Heart's Delight

Over the millennium, Chinese medicine evolved into assigning seasons to the various organ systems. Summer time belongs to the Heart and its partner organ, the Small Intestine. Summer is the most yang season of the year when the days are the longest and the sun is the hottest. Energy has moved outward and it calls for living creatures to be outside and interacting with nature. The Chinese associate summer with the emotion of joy and expressing the Heart’s desire.

Chinese medicine considers the Heart to be the “emperor of the body”. The Heart rules the mind and houses the spirit. Research done by the Heartmath Institute now acknowledges what the Chinese have known for thousands of years that there are more neural pathways from the Heart to the brain than from the brain to the Heart. The Chinese have long believed that the Heart governs our emotional health, memory, thinking and sleeping.

A strong Heart is synonymous with a hearty constitution and a strong, vigorous life style. As in Western medicine, Chinese medicine also recognizes that the Heart controls the blood coursing through its pathways to nourish the body. Therefore, the Heart’s influence over the mind and body makes it supreme to the other functions of the body’s organs.

The Heart is yin compared to its yang partner organ, the Small Intestine. The main function of the Small Intestine is to separate and transform food. It also determines our ability to make clear decisions and sound judgments and is sometimes called the “Abdominal Brain” in Chinese medicine. So, not only does the Small Intestine receive and break down food so that it provides nourishment to the body and sends that which is unusable to the Large Intestine, it also receives and assimilates nourishment from the emotions, mental activity and spirit.

Some of the signs and symptoms that may indicate an imbalance in the Heart and Small Intestine include on an emotional level, anxiety, lack of joy, lack of social warmth, mental confusion, poor self-esteem, inability to make decisions, restlessness, and sadness. On a physical level, symptoms may include anemia, heart problems, digestive problems, poor circulation, sweating, and urinary problems.

Fire is the element that rules the Heart and Small Intestine. Just as we protect ourselves in winter from the cold, it is equally important to be mindful of the excesses of heat. Coherence with nature points to being more active and being outside, but not to the degree to cause heat stroke. As my esteemed teacher, Dr. Tan says, “keep yin and yang in your heart”, meaning to balance activity with rest.

The optimal foods to eat during the summer months are light cooling foods such as melons, seasonal fruits and fresh leafy green vegetables. These foods are going to be lighter and brighter in color and higher in water content which helps to keep our bodies cool.

Bitter is the flavor that supports the Heart and Small Intestine. Leafy green vegetables that are classified as bitter in Chinese medicine include escarole, watercress, endive, lettuce, and collard greens. Fortunately, coffee and chocolate are also considered bitter. Remember though, everything in moderation. To keep your meals exciting, use spices such as fresh ginger, cayenne, and black pepper. These spices will initially raise the body temperature, drawing heat out of the body through perspiration.

May you find your Heart’s desire this summer and be nourished.