If you’ve noticed that your digestive system reacts to hot weather you are not imagining things. It’s true. Heat, especially extremes of it, can do a number on your gut health and digestive processes. Heat can also affect your ability to regulate your body temperature and your mood, which can also cause alterations in how your innards function. Social activities are also a factor. What happens when you go to new places during your summer vacation and eat things different from your norm? This can nudge your digestion down an unexpected path. So can that potato salad at the barbecue that was left out on the table just a bit too long, or the ice cream that has become a daily habit on hot afternoons.
Have you ever thought about Chinese medicine and a holistic approach to support your gut health during the warmer seasons? Whether it’s bloating, bowels, weight, or a combination of things (including food sensitivities), there is something for you in Chinese medicine if you’re looking for a healthier midsection.
TL/DR: When the heat rises, it’s smart to pay attention to your digestive system.
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Microbiome health
Your gastrointestinal tract is host to an entire universe unto itself that is made up of fungi, bacteria, and viruses. That may sound creepy but it isn’t. Your microbiome, when it’s behaving, helps you with nutrition absorption and metabolism and gives you protection against bad bacteria. When microbiome is not in good shape, you may have problems like gas, bloating, IBS, skin rashes, and/or mood disorders. To support your gut microbiome, you probably already have heard that you can take pre- and probiotics, eat more fiber, be sure to hydrate, get good sleep, exercise, and lower your stress.
That’s a lot, isn’t it? And if you need pre- and probiotics, which ones should you take? And if you don’t have time to exercise at present, your sleep really is kind of a mess, and your stress level is high…then what? That’s a lot to deal with all at once, but the outcome of ignoring your gut can be even worse if things go on for long enough. This is when most people–especially if they’ve tried everything Western medicine has to offer but not found relief–turn to Chinese medicine. (Keep in mind, though: Chinese medicine is great for preventive care too).
Interested in discovering more about what Chinese medicine can do for your gut health? Take a look at “Gut & Digestive Health: Three Reasons Why It Matters & How Chinese Medicine Can Improve Yours.”
Anyone who studies Chinese medicine will spend a good portion of their program focusing on nutrition and gut health, and we are rightfully proud of one of the pillars of the tradition, a scholar-physician from the 13th century named Lǐ Dōng Yuán. His Treatise on Spleen & Stomach (Pí Wèi Lùn) is one of our most important resources even to this day.1 Heat, especially if it’s excessive, can indeed change your microbiome.2 Working with a gut-focused acupuncturist can either prevent issues from developing when temperatures are elevated or restore your gut health and put you on the right track for overall wellbeing if you’re there for relief from an existing problem. Your healthcare options can include acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional support, and even manual therapy based on tradition that goes back centuries.
Middle section:
The micro-entities that make up your internal environment are one thing. What about when you add food and drink to the mix? That is a whole entire topic with many different angles. For this post, two things stand out: culture and function.
Culture, meaning: eating habits (what is your go-to home food or favorite treat on a hot summer afternoon?), travel (do you take a vacation or at least give yourself extra treats in the summer?), and personal history. What did you eat as a kid, and how does this history reflect on you today? Function, meaning: the digestive system is responsible for ingestion, propulsion (moving things along), mechanical or physical digestion, chemical digestion, absorption, and then letting the waste go (i.e., defecation).
Any of these functions can be addressed by your acupuncturist. If you need support and guidance to shift life-long habits, this may be a goal to achieve while working with a health coach or personal trainer as well.3 Meantime, an acupuncturist can help you to reduce food cravings, will definitely have opinions on ice cream, and we can help you to recover from holiday and travel digestive complaints, among other things. And we are great at…well, let’s get to the bottom line.
Bottom line:
Hot weather can also make things slow down or puff up. And by slow down, I mean gas, bloating, constipation (or its pair, diarrhea), and any other manifestation of sluggish gut activity. As to the puffy aspect? I’m referring in this blog post to edema, and how sometimes we can feel water-logged or have swollen fingers or toes when it’s hot.
Want to learn more about Chinese medicine and your bowel movements? An evergreen post is the classic: “How’s Your Digestion? Two Hearts Wellness Gives You The Straight Poop on … Well, You Know.”
To discover some insights into puffiness (and weight), “Cellulite and Belly Fat and Bikini Season, Oh My! (Cupping Therapy And Gua Sha Can Help You With This).”
Some of us love hot weather; others of us do not like it one bit and are happiest during winter’s cold. We all have our history and habits. Do you want improved gut health, or to lose some weight, or to rid yourself of food cravings that don’t benefit you? Do you want to see what you can do to improve your digestion? What about puffiness? The way to enjoy summer (or get through lingering extremes of heat without being miserable) is to know yourself and to build your own healthcare practice in response. An acupuncturist can be a worthy resource for this project.
TL/DR: If you find that heat adversely effects your digestive system, then maybe it’s time to try Chinese medicine.
What do you think?
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Dr. Paula Bruno, Ph.D., L.Ac., is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, an AOBTA-CP traditional Chinese bodywork therapist, a health coach, and an author. She maintains an active and growing practice at her Austin, TX office. Dr. Bruno is also available for distance appointments for wellness consultation or coaching.
In her first career, she was a Spanish professor.
Dr. Bruno’s specialties as a Chinese medicine practitioner include: • Musculoskeletal health (acute or chronic pain relief; Ehlers Danlos syndrome & hypermobility support) • Digestive support, gut health, and weight loss • Aesthetic treatment, including scar revision • Men’s health • General preventative care and wellness support for all persons.
She is the author of Chinese Medicine and the Management of Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: A Practitioner’s Guide. Dr. Bruno also maintains a second website, holistichealthandheds.com, with resources and information curated specifically for people with hEDS and HSD.
When you are ready to discover what traditional medicine plus a vibrant and engaged approach to holistic health can do for you, either contact Dr. Bruno or book an appointment online.
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Note: Material on this web site site is not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease, illness, or ailment. A Chinese medicine practitioner in Texas identifies syndrome patterns but does not diagnose illness. Material on this web site does not purport to identify syndrome patterns.
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- This text is a remarkable example of how observant and truly brilliant Chinese physicians were even without knowledge created by modern science. See, for instance, “The “Treatise on the spleen and stomach” (Pí Wèi Lùn) as the first record of multiple sclerosis in the medical literature – A hypothesis based on the analysis of clinical presentation and herbal medicine.” ↩︎
- See “Microbiota-gut-brain axis and nutritional strategy under heat stress” (2021) for further discussion. ↩︎
- In my practice, I offer both health coaching and Chinese medicine. Some acupuncturists do offer health coaching; others do not. Other multi-modality practitioners might offer movement and breath work via tai chi or qi gong. Acupuncture, herbs, and nutritional guidance is just fine, so no need to look for combinations. But if it’s a whole-lifestyle shift, it can more fruitful to create a wellness team, whatever that may ultimately look like for you. ↩︎
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