Image and recipe from My New Roots.

The Treatment of the Month for July is the Summer Reset which aims to ease heat-related symptoms that are common in summer – i.e., foggy brain, lack of focus, exhaustion, headaches, over-stimulation, anxiety, and/or the summer blues. From a Chinese Medicine perspective, this acupuncture treatment works to settle the Heart, which also corresponds with the Mind and emotions. (There is more information about this connection and lifestyle tips on our blog about summer anxiety.)

We can also nourish the Heart and cool summer heat through food, which includes not just what but how we eat. From an emotional perspective, the Heart corresponds with joy which can be stoked through connection with others and making choices that bring deep, personal delight.  

  • Cultivate joy in selecting food. Go to the farmer’s market with a friend and change the chore of grocery shopping into a fun outing. Chat with the sellers, savor the samples, try a food you’ve never had before and create a new recipe with it.  
  • Prepare meals with pleasure. If the idea of being out in the sun at a busy farmer’s market seems overwhelming, pay attention to that. Instead cultivate a more quiet joy by preparing your meal with pleasure. Maybe you need and can use meal prep time as a soothing alone space. Turn on some music that you love to listen to while you chop (the new Jamila Woods Legacy! Legacy! Record, anyone?). Pay attention to the sensual – the feel of the water on your hands as you rinse, the smell of herbs, the vivid reds of the tomatoes, the sound of sizzle, the slow taste-test to see just what the dish needs.  
  • Set the scene for dining. Take a few minutes to create a lovely setting for your meal.  Perhaps a few flowers picked and placed at the center of the table, lighting a candle, or using a dish you usually reserve for special occasions. Can you dine with someone (or a group) who make you happy and you can laugh and connect with? If you’re frazzled at work and usually eat on the go, try taking even a short lunch break and name one thing your heart is grateful for before you eat.  
  • Try beets. With their deep red colors and earthy-sweet-with-just-a-hint-of-bitter flavor, beets correspond with the summer and Heart. Beets are also rich in dietary nitrates which can help lower blood pressure and contain pigments called betalains which may help fight inflammation.  For some beautiful raw beet recipes, check out the gallery here.