Author | He Ming Image | Zi Fei Yu Editor | Chun Feng Review | Xiao Ye
As summer arrives, high temperatures are hitting many areas. Some relatives and friends around me often feel lethargic and unwilling to move; even a little work makes them feel palpitations and shortness of breath, sweating profusely, and after spending too long in an air-conditioned room, they feel back pain and discomfort all over.
I recommend a formula that makes one feel “Qi surging“: the “Sheng Mai Bao Yuan Tang”. According to the “Encyclopedia of Chinese Medicine Supplement”, it states: “Taking it in summer makes one feel full of energy.”
Some relatives and friends went to the pharmacy to prepare the medicine and boil it at home. After drinking it for a while, their fatigue significantly decreased, and they couldn’t help but praise it.
Why do people feel weak and unwilling to move in summer? The temperature in summer is high, and in some places, the surface temperature can reach sixty to seventy degrees, making the environment feel like a large steamer. Under the attack of heat waves, people easily sweat.
If the body is usually weak, the Wei Qi (defensive Qi) cannot restrain the Yin Qi, leading to more sweating than others. Sweat and Qi are interdependent and assist each other.
If sweating is excessive, it will take away corresponding Qi. Qi is like gasoline for a car; if there is insufficient Qi, there is not enough energy, and the body’s engine lacks power, so the car naturally cannot run.
If the body’s Zheng Qi (upright Qi) is excessively consumed, symptoms such as fatigue, lethargy, lack of spirit, and poor appetite will appear. Qi deficiency can affect various aspects of the body; for example, if Wei Qi is deficient, it will lead to weakness in the exterior, making it easy to sweat. Those with severe Qi deficiency in summer often sweat profusely with slight activity.
Qi deficiency can lead to malnourishment of the muscles in the limbs, general fatigue, and symptoms such as failure of the clear Yang to rise and loss of nourishment to the clear orifices, resulting in mental fatigue and dizziness.
Excessive sweating not only depletes the body’s Yuan Qi but also damages body fluids. Qi deficiency and insufficient body fluids often occur together in summer. When the body fluids are insufficient, it leads to thirst and dry tongue, and mental fatigue.
At this time, timely replenishment of body fluids can effectively alleviate thirst and dryness. Watermelon and sour plum soup are both good choices.
Watermelon is known as “natural Bai Hu Tang (White Tiger Decoction)” and is the best for replenishing body fluids, making it a summer cooling delicacy. The main function of sour plum soup is to nourish Yin and restrain sweating, replenishing lost body fluids. If the situation is more severe, one needs to drink “Sheng Mai Bao Yuan Tang”.
Sheng Mai Bao Yuan Tang
This formula comes from the “Yi Zong Jin Jian” and consists of 6g of Dang Shen (Codonopsis), 6g of Mai Dong (Ophiopogon), 3g of Wu Wei Zi (Schisandra), 6g of Sheng Huang Qi (Astragalus), and 3g of Zhi Gan Cao (Honey-fried Licorice).
It can be made into a decoction or brewed as a tea, with the effects of benefiting Qi and nourishing Yin, effective for symptoms such as heat injuring Yuan Qi, shortness of breath, palpitations, fatigue, thirst, and sweating.
▋Analysis
Dang Shen is a commonly used traditional tonic herb, with the best quality coming from the Shanxi Shangdang region, known for its ability to tonify the middle, benefit Qi, generate fluids, and nourish blood;
Mai Dong moistens the lungs and nourishes Yin, benefits the stomach and generates fluids, and clears the heart and relieves irritability, providing relief for symptoms such as cough with sticky phlegm, dry tongue, thirst, irritability, and insomnia;
Wu Wei Zi has a sour taste and is warm in nature. The “Newly Revised Materia Medica” records: “The skin and flesh of Wu Wei have sweet and sour flavors, while the kernel is bitter and spicy, all having a salty taste,” hence the name Wu Wei Zi.
Wu Wei Zi restrains the lungs, nourishes the kidneys, generates fluids, and restrains sweating, providing good efficacy for symptoms of fluid damage, thirst, spontaneous sweating, and night sweating. The combination of these three herbs—Dang Shen tonifies, Mai Dong clears, and Wu Wei Zi restrains—forms the renowned Qi-nourishing formula “Sheng Mai San”.
Li Dongyuan pointed out: “In summer, take Sheng Mai Yin, adding Huang Qi and Gan Cao.” Huang Qi is adept at tonifying Qi, originally written as Huang Qi, where “Qi” means long, referring to someone over sixty years old.
Li Shizhen said: “Qi means long; Huang Qi is yellow, being the best among tonics, hence the name Huang Qi.” Huang Qi can replenish the body’s Yuan Qi, promote Yang Qi, and benefit Wei to solidify the exterior. When the Wei Qi is sufficient, the situation of spontaneous sweating in summer can improve.
Gan Cao benefits Qi and tonifies the middle, harmonizing the other herbs. Summer heat consumes Qi and injures fluids, thus Sheng Mai Bao Yuan Tang enhances the Qi tonifying power compared to Sheng Mai San. The combination of herbs benefits Qi, nourishes Yin, restrains sweating, generates fluids, and dispels summer fatigue, allowing you to enjoy a vibrant summer!
▋Modifications
In summer, the humidity is often high, which can lead to symptoms of spleen deficiency and dampness, often accompanied by reduced appetite, thick greasy tongue coating, abdominal distension, and diarrhea. One can add herbs that strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness to this formula for adjustment.
For example, Fu Ling (Poria) and Yi Yi Ren (Job’s Tears) can have a good therapeutic effect. While taking the medicine, it is also important to maintain a calm mind and a relaxed spirit, as this will help the spirit to settle and the heart to be at peace, thus alleviating fatigue.
▋Precautions
1. Avoid greasy foods. 2. Those with external pathogens or internal heat should not take it.
In addition, we can also eat more foods that benefit Qi and dispel summer heat, such as the following medicinal porridge:
Bian He Porridge
Ingredients: 50g of Bai Bian Dou (White Hyacinth Bean), 30g of rock sugar, 1 small fresh lotus leaf, 50g of rice.
Method: First, wash the rice with clean water and soak it. In a pot, add three bowls of water to boil the Bai Bian Dou, then add the soaked rice and simmer on low heat until the beans are soft and sticky. Add the rock sugar and washed fresh lotus leaf, and cook for another 20 minutes to complete.
Effects: Bai Bian Dou strengthens the spleen and transforms dampness, harmonizes the middle and dispels summer heat; fresh lotus leaf clears heat and relieves summer heat, promotes clear Yang, and can lower blood lipids and aid in weight loss; rock sugar tonifies the middle, benefits Qi, nourishes Yin, and moistens the lungs to stop cough. Bian He Porridge can both tonify Qi and dispel summer heat, as well as strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness, making it an excellent medicinal dish.
The “Huang Di Nei Jing” states: “In the summer months, this is called flourishing and beautiful, the Qi of heaven and earth interacts, all things blossom and bear fruit, sleep early and rise early, do not be weary of the sun, and keep your mind free of anger.”
In summer health maintenance, adjustments should be made in diet, exercise, and daily routines to align with the seasons. Many people enjoy cold drinks and ice pops in summer, seeking momentary pleasure, but this can damage the Yang Qi of the spleen and stomach.
Once the Yang Qi of the spleen and stomach is damaged, the spleen and stomach’s ability to transform and transport the essence of food and fluids will decline, making it easier for dampness to invade the body in summer.
In summer, we should try to avoid cold drinks and ice pops, and minimize the consumption of rich, greasy, fried, or raw and cold fruits, as they will increase the burden on the spleen and stomach’s transformation.
Additionally, avoid vigorous exercise to prevent excessive sweating and depletion of body fluids. I hope everyone pays attention to health maintenance, and in summer, do not “lie down like Ge You”; may you all be full of energy and stay away from summer dampness!
▼ Click the card below to discover more knowledge about Traditional Chinese MedicineThe content of this article is for reference only and does not represent the views of this publication. Non-professionals in Traditional Chinese Medicine should not try the medicine.Original submission: [email protected] (email), chunfeng52566 (WeChat); Business cooperation tcmrun (WeChat)