Summer is here and the weather is getting hot.
Seasonal health has long been a goal of Chinese medicine. In the summer it is important to eat and drink cooling foods. This helps prevent heat conditions from developing.
Different from eating cold foods, these herbs are cold in nature and cooling to the body. Eating too many cold temperature and raw foods can damage your qi.
What’s better, is this tea is not only cooling, it is also delicious!
Chrysanthemum flowers and Wolfberry (Ju Hua and Gou ji zi) Tea
Ju hua (chrysanthemum flowers) and gou qi zi (wolfberries or gouji berries) 6 grams each
1 sugar cube
hot water
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a cup and add hot water. Enjoy!
When you finish, refill the cup again. The same herbs can be used a few times.
How Do Chinese Herbs work:
The herbs in the tea are cold by nature, although the tea is traditionally is drunk while still warm. The herbal properties make it cool.
Chrysanthemum flowers are light and sweet. They help regularly used for the common cold and to improve the immune system. Recent research has show chrysanthemum flowers help fight pathogenic bacteria and support health bacteria in the gut (1).
Wolfberries are sweet and tonifying to the body’s energy, qi, and used for improving weakness in vision. Wolfeberries are well known for their powerful anti-oxidant abilities and may be helpful in neurological disorders like stoke and Alzheimer’s Disease. (2)
Ju hua is cooling while gou qi zi generates fluids, preventing dehydration. Ju hua is especially helpful for summer time colds and headaches. This combination can also be used for eye allergies like redness and tearing.
References:
1. Tao JH, Duan JA, Qian YY, et al. Investigation on the interactions between the Chrysanthemum morifolium flowers extract and intestinal bacteria from human and rat. Biomed Chromatogr.2016;10.1002/bmc.3756PMID: 27151775.
2. Xing X, Liu F, Xiao J, et al. Neuro-protective Mechanisms of Lycium barbarum. Neuromolecular Med.2016;10.1007/s12017-016-8393-yPMID: 27033360.
