Summer is just around the corner, so now is the time to begin thinking about how we can optimize our health as temperatures rise and days become longer. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, human health is intricately linked to our environment. The living and non-living environmental components, including the humidity and sunlight, have just as much impact on our health as what we eat or the amount of exercise we get. For instance, we now know that Vitamin D, which is synthesized by sunlight, plays a major role in immune and muscle function, bone strength, and cellular growth. Our bodies are influenced by multiple environmental factors, all which help maintain our physiological and emotional balance. Illness occurs when our body’s natural balance is disrupted. According to Five Element Theory, the human body functions according to the premise that we are not separate from nature but just another component of it.

 
The Father of American environmentalism, John Muir, also seemed to share the Eastern philosophy of connectedness. He said, “When you pull any one thing, you find it connected to everything else in the Universe.”  Muir lived during the late 1800s but he clearly understood the ecological connection between humans and nature. Modern medicine is just beginning to understand this connection, which we now see in the emerging fields of environmental health and epigenetics.

 
The Five Elements (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal) relate body functions to five seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Late Summer, and Autumn. Each element also corresponds to characteristics, such as color, climate, emotion, Yin/Yang organ system, sense organs, developmental phases, and so on. In fact, the list of Five Element characteristics is so comprehensive that it even includes features such as the sound of a person’s voice, e.g., groaning, shouting, or singing.
 
 
So, to optimize your Summer wellness, consider looking at Summer diet and daily activities emphasizing cooling and growth. Heat taxes the cardiovascular system. Warmer temperatures cause increased sweating and impacts fluid volume. Some people may be at higher risk for strokes, heart attacks, or hypertension during Summer months. Stay cool and hydrated, and especially watch dietary salt intake. Increase your consumption of fresh fruit and red-colored seasonal fruit, such as plums, watermelons, and strawberries. Consume local foods when possible. Eat Summer crops like corn and beans. More Southwest chili, perhaps? The warmer temperatures are also an appropriate time to partake in raw foods with moderation.
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Avoid situations which may get you hot under the collar or increase excitability. The key is to stay cool in the Summer. Emphasize growth and development activities. Try gardening or learning a new language. Engage in activities to enlighten you during the brighter Summer months.

Castor Oil Packs are an external self-treatment proven effective in improving circulation, reducing masses and blockages in the abdominal region, and cleansing the body. Castor Oil Packs are commonly used to alleviate  painful joints and scarring. They are also very useful in eliminating constipation, ovarian cysts, endometrial  tissue, fibroids, and some blockages of the Fallopian Tubes. 

To use the Castor Oil Pack for self-treatment:
1. Soak a piece of flannel  or an old cotton tee shirt in castor oil. Squeeze out any excess oil, so it doesn’t drip.
2. Lay towels or an old blanket over the bed or area you will lie during the treatment. Note: This remedy can get messy.
3. Place the castor oil-soaked cloth directly over the desired area.
4. Next, place plastic food wrap over the castor oil-soaked cloth. 
5. Place a towel over the plastic.
6. Now, place a heating pad or blanket on top of the towel.
7. Remain with the pack in place for at least one hour.
8. Remove the pack after an hour and massage the area.
9. Wipe off any excess oil completely  and relax for an hour or two.
10. Repeat  the above steps several times a week. Note: Women should only apply the pack to the abdominal region between menstruation  and ovulation. Women should NOT use the Castor Oil Pack during the luteal phase of their cycle as it may interfere with the development of the uterine lining.
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To learn more, there are a number  of videos online showing how to make and use Castor Oil Packs.

The February 23, 2004 issue of Time© magazine’s cover story was “Inflammation the Secret Killer.” This cover story was finally bringing national attention to a conclusion nutritionists and holistic health practitioners had been long aware of—that untreated inflammation in the body kills. The article went on to point out the link between many serious conditions, such as heart disease, colon cancer, and Alzheimer’s, to inflammation in the body.

In the book The UltraMind Solution, Dr. Mark Hyman suggests inflammation may be the basis of “almost all psychiatric and neurological conditions.” He recommends cooling chronic inflammation to bring balance to our body and reverse the trend we currently see with rampant diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In fact, the third of his seven keys to balance is to “Cool off Inflammation.”

The inflammatory response is a normal biological process of our immune system. Inflammation is one of body’s major lines of defense and protection to injury and foreign substances. So, how does the body’s natural inflammatory response lead to such serious conditions as heart disease and cancer?

First, let’s briefly look at what the inflammatory response is. The inflammatory response occurs when the body experiences an injury or encounters an unwanted invader (pathogen). The injury or invader triggers a release of chemical signals such as histamine (think of Benadryl™, which is an anti-histamine drug). These chemical signals cause a rush of blood and immune cells to the affected area. Some of the cells, called phagocytes, act like living "Pac-Men" and attempt to engulf anything that’s considered the enemy, like bacteria and dirt or debris. The increased blood flow physically flushes the area, and elevated temperatures also work to kill bacteria. The redness and swelling we commonly see with an injury is a result of the increased blood flow to the area. Eventually, more healthy cells and nutrients are sent to help repair the affected area, and messages are sent to cease the process. This is the normal way it works. What happens in the errant response is sometimes the body doesn’t stop the process or it mistakes its own cells as invaders to be duly eliminated. The state of chronic inflammation then becomes like a wildfire consuming healthy tissue and unleashing a host of problems. Some signs of chronic inflammation are:

• Obesity
• Diabetes/Metabolic syndrome
• Infection
  
• Gingivitis
  
• Cardiovascular disease
  
• Eye Disorders
  
• Joint pain and arthritis
  
• Colon, breast and lung cancers
  
• Alzheimer’s disease
  
• Ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease
  
• Asthma and allergies

Many external and internal factors can trigger an abnormal inflammatory response. We now know poor diet and poor assimilation of nutrients are key culprits and that using nutrition to cool inflammation is an important step to cooling inflammation. Foods that cool inflammation include:

• Flaxseed
• Green tea
• Turmeric
  
• Cantaloupe
  
• Avocado
  
• Pineapple
  
• Lemons
  
• Kale
  
• Broccoli
  
• Blueberries

Acupuncture/Oriental Medicine can also assist with supporting your immune system and helping to bring balance to your body by cooling inflammation. In fact, one of the major treatment methods we employ is “to clear (or cool) the heat.” So, for more information on this topic, speak with your acupuncturist on how he or she can help you. Balance is possible.