As we enter the dog days of summer, the sun blazes fiercely.
What's defeating me isn't naivety, but the scorching heat!
A pot of tea and a handheld fan in hand, the oppressive heat seems less unbearable amidst such leisurely comfort.
Between a cold Drink and a cup of hot tea, which one is truly better at beating the heat?
You might not believe it, but refreshing iced Drinks can actually lead to heatstroke.
In hot weather, you should opt for hot tea!
The Need for “Yang” Nourishment During the Dog Days
In hot, humid, and damp weather, one is prone to the “six evils” (referring to “wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire,” which originate from nature's “six qi”). The body's physiological functions are affected.
Winter is yin, while summer is yang. During the peak of summer in the dog days, both nature and the human body reach their highest yang energy. Consuming cold and cooling foods during this time when your body's yang energy is at its peak, coupled with exposure to air conditioning, will inevitably deplete your yang energy and some physiological functions.
If you don't focus on nourishing your yang during the summer, once the season changes and yin starts to grow, your body becomes very susceptible to illness due to the imbalance between yin and yang.
Therefore, it's crucial to maintain balance between yin and yang during this period. You need to preserve yang and nourish yin. While adapting to the characteristics of summer, where yang predominates over yin, it's also important to be mindful of the growth of yin during the summer solstice. Therefore, it's not recommended to consume cold foods during the dog days.
Consuming large amounts of cold drinks can quickly lead to four adverse effects —
First, excessive consumption of iced beverages requires dilution with bodily fluids, making the body more susceptible to heatstroke.
Second, overly cold food can cause spasmodic contractions of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Third, eating overly cold food increases the burden on the heart and dilutes gastric juices, affecting digestion and causing nausea and vomiting.
Fourth, cold drinks lower the body's internal temperature, trapping heat inside and increasing the likelihood of heatstroke.
These factors acting together make it easier for someone to suffer from heatstroke.
The Wonders of Hot Tea for Beating the Heat
A cup of hot tea is truly the key to beating the heat.
Drinking hot tea promotes sweat secretion and opens pores. As the sweat evaporates, it cools down the body's surface.
Moreover, the Caffeine and other components in tea help regulate body temperature, effectively reducing the feeling of heat.
Suddenly consuming a lot of cold drinks can cause a sudden drop in body temperature, trapping heat inside the body and making heatstroke more likely.
Although hot tea may feel warm as you drink it, after a few cups, you'll feel refreshed. The tea polyphenols, pectin, amino acids, sugars, and other substances in tea react with saliva in the mouth, moisturizing it and creating a sensation of coolness.
Additional Benefits of Drinking Hot Tea During Summer:
Hydration
During the dog days, people sweat a lot, leading to loss of water and salts. Tea contains vitamins and Mineral elements that provide certain Health benefits. Drinking tea, even if it's a small cup sipped slowly, is an effective way to hydrate through tea consumption.
Digestive Aid
High temperatures weaken the body's digestive function, making it easy to accumulate food after eating fatty meals. Drinking hot tea helps improve digestion.
Diuretic Effect
Drinking tea has a diuretic effect, helping the body eliminate excess heat through urination.
Mouth Moisturization
The tea polyphenols, pectin, amino acids, sugars, and other substances in tea react with saliva in the mouth, moisturizing it and creating a sensation of coolness.
Note: Hot tea should not exceed 60°C, as higher temperatures can damage the esophageal mucosa. If it's too hot, let it cool down before drinking.
Tea Helps Us Endure the Heat
When the weather is hot, so is the yang energy. It's important to maintain balance between yin and yang, preserving yang and nourishing yin.
Adapt to the characteristic of summer where yang predominates over yin by protecting yang energy and being mindful of the growth of yin during the summer solstice.
A cup of hot tea can calm your restless mind. A calm mind naturally brings clarity and refreshment. As the saying goes, “A calm mind stays cool.”
While drinking hot tea may make you sweat, it raises the body's temperature above the environmental temperature. If you have dampness and cold in your body, this is when it will be expelled. Touch your forehead; if the sweat feels cool, it's proof that the warmth of the tea is helping to expel coldness from your body.
Some people feel overheated even in slightly warm weather, breaking into a sweat with minimal physical activity. This indicates a high level of dampness and inner weakness, along with a low body temperature. In high temperatures, they tend to feel uncomfortable. In such cases, drinking tea and consuming warm foods can help increase body heat and promote overall health.
So, during the dog days, remember to drink fewer cold drinks and more hot tea.
A cup of hot tea represents not just health but also a sense of ease. Drinking tea can clear the mind and beat the heat.
As the Tang Dynasty poet-monk Jiaoran wrote: “One drink clears away drowsiness, filling the world with a bright and refreshing spirit. Another drink clears my mind, like a light rain showering dust. Three drinks lead to enlightenment, why bother struggling to overcome troubles?”