Recipes for late summer
Losing weight is not an issue for those who follow a traditional Chinese diet. But in the West there is always a risk of overindulgence in the wrong foods and at no time is this more of a problem than when the bikini season looms. Unfortunately, according to Chinese dietary therapy this also the time when we are most prone to piling on the pounds.
According to the Chinese Taoist view there are five seasons, not four, with ‘late summer’ falling between summer and autumn. This extra season accords with the Chinese climate where many regions experience a very hot and humid spell. After the energy of spring and early summer, comes a period when, if diet and lifestyles are not adjusted, it is easy to suffer from lassitude and weariness.
In the Taoist Five Element theory, late summer is the period when the earth element is in ascendancy and the prevailing climate is dampness. Dampness, if it gets into the body, can represent excess weight, which is lingering and hard to shift. If you are planning to holiday in a hot and humid place, Chinese dietary therapy can help enjoy the climate. Even if you are staying at home you can still benefit from dealing with the dampness that so often makes us uncomfortable and listless at this time of year.
As in early summer, avoid cold drinks and too much raw food as the fire that is need to digest them quickly turns to dampness in the heat of late summer. Eat plenty of moist dishes to keep the body in tune with the season with a touch of spice create enough fire to aid digestion.
The organ associated with late summer is the spleen (linked to the stomach), which is nourished by the sweet flavour, but you should resist the temptation to eat more sweet foods late summer as most diets are already too sweet. If you are hungry eat plenty of filling bland foods including rice (try sushi), noodles and soups or the porridge or dumplings below – with plenty of complimentary seasonings so they don’t sit heavily in the stomach
Foods to remove dampness in late summer
- Warming spices including cinnamon, dried ginger and orange peel
- Aduki beans, mung beans and other pulses
- Millet
- Tofu
- Green tea
- Peppermint (try a mixture to peppermint and green tea)
Recipes for late summer