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Writer's pictureEsther Hornstein

Keep Your Cool in the Summer Heat, It's a Matter of Balance

Updated: May 28



It's that time of year again! Break out the pool, crank up the A/C and pour a cool drink.


Qualified and experienced Therapist, Complementary Holistic Therapy, 2nd Nature Healing Center, Beit Shemesh

Summer is here, Yay! .....No, Not Yay....!!!

I am actually not looking forward to the heat of the summer. Over time I have observed that summer heat zaps all of my energy away. Plus, I have seen that my patients experience the same fatigue, or get headaches, severe thirst despite lots of drinking.

I turned to my colleagues for some advice as to how to handle summer heat, especially for those whose constitutions are not meant for this (Israeli) type of climate.


It's a matter of balance

Qualified and experienced Therapist, Complementary Holistic Therapy, 2nd Nature Healing Center, Beit Shemesh

The summer time belongs to the fire element.

"Yin & Yang" symbolizes balance between opposing forces. A common analogy to explain yin and yang is to look at a pot of boiling rice.




The water in the pot which is boiling is the "Yin",

The water vapor rising out of the pot is the "Yang".


Both are needed to cook the rice properly. Think of a scenario where there is plenty of yin, water, in the pot, but no steam, no yang...the rice isn't really cooking, nothing is happening. And the opposite scenario would be if there is so much vapor, but no more water left to cook, the rice and pot become burned. In both scenarios, you're not getting the rice. A balance between the two is necessary. Turn up the flame to get the water to boil, Add more water to make sure the food won't burn. Looking at our problem of summer heat through the concept of yin and yang, it's clear that there is some yin deficiency going on.



In hot summers our aim will be to Reduce the Yang and Protect and Increase the Yin in order to maintain balance.



  • Stay in an air conditioned environment

  • Schedule your day to be more active in the morning and evening hours and avoid work in the direct sunlight.

  • Wear lightweight clothing

  • Stay hydrated

  • Eat “cool” foods

  • Avoid warm or damp foods



Protect and Increase the Yin

Acupuncture


If you are chronically dehydrated, experience headaches and fatigue, a course of Acupuncture treatments is a good option to improve your summer tolerance.

Among the hundreds of acupuncture points there are locations that clear heat, and build yin. Acupuncture works in many ways, and can also take into account specific organ disharmony that are prone during the summer, the"fire" time of year. A seasonal treatment can help you cope with the weather.


Herbal formulas to support the yin, Specific herbs will balance the yin and yang of your body:


Esther Hornstein LAc. Licensed Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine practitioner will prescribe and dispense ready-made pills.


Dr David Rose R.Ac. expert Chinese herbalist will prescribe and design a custom made Chinese herbal formula according to each one individual’s presentation.



Suggested Diet:

Top “cooling” foods according to Traditional Chinese Medicine :



  • Watermelon, lemon, apple, pineapple, strawberries

  • Pears, Bananas, Peaches, Plums

  • Asparagus, Corn, Cucumbers, Tomatoes



  • Jasmine Green tea,

  • Mint tea

  • Chrysanthemum tea





Celery Congee:

A porridge recipe to clear heat and extinguish fire, and soothes emotional irritation, promotes the production of body fluid


For Celery Congee take several stalks of celery, remove the leaves, clean and cut into small pieces. Take 1 cup of white rice and cook in 8 cups of water to make a porridge (i.e., congee), add celery keep cooking for 10-15 minutes. Then add salt and pepper to taste.


Celery Congee can be taken daily in the morning as a warm breakfast. This recipe originally comes from the Ben Cao Gang Mu.


What to Avoid: Avoid overeating, especially of heavy, greasy and sweet foods. These foods overwhelm the spleen and over consumption can cause more heat in the body.


Exercise...Deep Breathing!!!


Breathing (yes, breathing is exercise):


When you start to feel overwhelmed by the heat, take a deep breathe, Be sure to fill up your belly with air.

Being thirsty and sweaty could throw you into a state of stress.



Calm down your body by

inhaling for 2 seconds and

exhaling for 4 seconds.

This is called the "Two - Four breathing technique".






The longer exhale stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system and takes you out of stress mode. Once calm, you can make a plan to get you cooler (put on sunglasses, sit in front of the fan, get to some shade, take a drink etc).

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any further queries



Complementary Therapy by Highly Qualified and Experienced Practitioners:  https://2ndnaturehealing.janeapp.com/

Esther Hornstein and her Team at 2nd Nature Healing Center,

34 Nachal Hakishon, Ramat Beit Shemesh Aleph, Israel



Quality Holistic Therapy by Qualified and Experienced Practitioners


Acupuncture - For Men, Women and Children by Esther Hornstein and Dr David Rose Chinese Herbal Medicine - For Men, Women and Children by Dr David Rose

Coaching - For Women By Rochel Rubinoff

Massage - For Men By Avi Dzik

Massage - For Women By Rochel Rubinoff

Reflexology - For Women and Children by Rochel Rubinoff



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call or WhatsApp : 054-719-9600

e-mail : e0547199600@gmail.com

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