Pumpkin Spice
It’s that time of year (late summer) when the crazy pumpkin people start to come out again.
Every year things seem to get crazier as they take their pumpkin lovin’ one step further.
Spam pumpkin spice, pumpkin spice bologna, pumpkin spice Pringles, pumpkin spice fish bait (that’s really necessary), pumpkin 4 cheese Greek style yogurt dip, pumpkin spice espresso beans, mini spicy pumpkin samosas, pumpkin tortilla chips. When does it end??
I remember late summer in China feeling like a Monster Jam show — breathing in exhaust pipes in a cramped, windowless room. No air, no pumpkins, and all I did was sweat. My clothes were soaked and covered in soot. Each day I felt like a kid who had just come home from camp, whose mom stripped them naked outside, scooped their clothes with a shovel, and dropped them right into the trash. My last day in China I did pretty much just that: I shoved all my clothes into a plastic bag and quietly dropped them off at the neighborhood dumpster. I can still remember how hot late summer was in the hospital where I worked. August and September were dreadful, and all we had were small fans to blow the hot air around.
When we stay attuned to each season, our bodies stay in balance. The transition from summer to fall is pivotal in Chinese medicine. Going from the season of yang (summer) to fall and winter means going through the season of dampness, humidity, and the final stages of summer’s fruits and vegetables.
So you might be asking, “Yes, Gabriel, you were gross in China and you Ebola-ed all your clothes, but how does that pertain to me?”
Late summer is related to our spleen (an earth element). The spleen is a complex organ as it's Yin in Chinese medicine but its actions are very Yang in nature and revolve around transforming our food and liquid into qi and blood. The earth represents our ability to think clearly and have good energy. Earth is a very stable element that helps form our root for qi and energy.
When the earth is out of balance, digestion is off, and worry and anxiety start to overtake the body.
The Spleen, our main digestive organ, works to break down all food and liquid. What we put in our system, from food to water, gives us our energy. The key to eating in late summer is to eat simple, eat at regular hours, and eat foods related to late summer such as carrots, pumpkin, squash, sweet corn and berries. Think foods that are yellow, brown and gold. BUT, be careful with sugars! Since we are in the season of dampness, eating too much sugar bogs down the spleen and causes excess dampness in the system.
Dampness is the climate associated with late summer. Humid, late summer weather causes us to feel bogged down. Being careful with excess sugars, carbs, and processed foods will help to prevent edema, loose stools, cysts, masses and weight gain.
Chinese medicine is all about balance. Regular sleep and eating meals at the same time help keep your system running smoothly. This is the big transition from summer to fall. Summer was the time to let go, stay up late, have fun, have sex often and explore. Late summer is the time to slow our system down from the Yang of summer. If you can stick to a healthy diet and rein in the excitement from summer, your immune system can stay strong and healthy leading into fall, otherwise known as cold and flu season.