In Chinese medicine the season of summer is divided into two distinct seasons in honor of the 5 elements early & mid summer as well as “late” summer. Early & mid summer is governed by the fire element and this makes sense when you think about fire season in Washington. The corresponding organs are the heart, small intestine, pericardium & triple burner also known as the san jiao. Early & mid- summer season are met with long days and is when yang energy is at its peak- think summer solstice. With summer energy comes a natural tendency for external stimuli & adventures (laughing, sitting around the fire with friends & family, being expressive, and socializing). Transitioning from spring season- wood element, you can see from the 5- Element graphic that there is a natural progression from wood & rising summer heat to produce fire. For those of you who LOVE summer season(s), welcome to your time of year! It is the perfect opportunity to nourish yourself & your home element.

FIRE PERSONALITY TYPE

• Young at heart and often are told they look & act much younger than they actually are.
• Spontaneous. Planning is not their forte.
• They are warm, loving, social, energetic.
• This is the time of year where fire personalities flourish~ they get to gather often with friends & family, laugh, and connect.
• Can be introverts at times, but they can cut the tension in the room like no other with jokes & tricks.
• They love to make people laugh & feel at ease. Think class clown.
• They also tend to lend their hearts easily. Sometimes they over rely on this quality in order to cover their own issues.

EMOTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH FIRE PERSONALITY TYPE

When out of harmony:

• Bouts of anxiety & depression, become volatile quickly.
• Can lack direction.
• Laugh inappropriately & struggle to balance bodily functions like blood pressure, sweating, heart rate, palpitations, breathing, etc.

When in harmony:

• Care free, easy flowing, filled with love, light, & happiness.
• Evolve as necessary.

EATING IN HARMONY WITH SUMMER & FIRE ELEMENT

The taste of the fire element is bitter and its color is red. Bitter flavor drains heat and dries dampness. Nature creates foods to counteract “overheating” which is why these foods are best this time of year. Isn’t nature brilliant?! 🙂

• Melons, all of ‘em! Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, snow melon. Cherries, especially Rainier.
• Asparagus, daikon radish, endive, kale, mustard greens, green onion. Bibb, red leaf, and butter lettuce.
• Rainbow chard, basil, broccoli, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, fenugreek seed, capers.

While all of the seasons in Chinese medicine are several months long, the season of late summer is short lived, incredibly special and lasts a month or so. With fire heat & the summer burn come the creation of new soil & thus earth element to prosper.

Earth is thought to be at the center of all the elements. Late summer runs from mid- August to the Fall equinox where we transition from hot, summer days to cool, dry & crisp autumn evenings. This energy change in midAugust is so subtle that only the keenest will notice. This element governs organs and meridians of the spleen & stomach. The spleen is our main digestive organ in Chinese medicine thus not only being responsible for how we digest food but also how we digest our emotions, thoughts, and experiences in the surrounding environment.

EARTH PERSONALITY TYPE

• People are drawn to earth elements because these are the humans in your life that provide so much care, nurturing, and opportunity to grow & flourish.
• Humanitarians; they will always go the distance for others.
• Outstanding listeners & counselors.
• Agreeable & accommodating.
• Very oriented to how others are feeling & doing (think mother figures) and thus a main issue for them is not feeling good enough.
• Often over- extend themselves & thus expect this of others.

EMOTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH EARTH PERSONALITY TYPE

When out of harmony:

• Can become bitter & resentful if they neglect themselves for too long in order to please others. Apathetic.
• Poor boundaries, poor digestion, craves sweets to self soothe leaving us feeling tired, heavy & lethargic.

When in harmony:

• Centralizing & stable. Excellent listeners
• Incredibly kind, caring, and compassionate. Massive hearts.
• Grounded, humble, and down to earth.

EATING IN HARMONY WITH SUMMER & EARTH ELEMENT

The taste of earth element is sweet and its color is yellow. Sweetness in Chinese medicine refers to foods that naturally have a sweet quality to them (unprocessed & unrefined). When our earth element is out of balance we crave the “wrong” kinds of sweets that leads to a tired & heavy sensation we refer to as “dampness” in TCM.

• Figs, honey, sweet potato, carrots, butter, olive oil
• Beets, squash, pumpkin, corn, oats, brown & sticky rice.
• Salmon, chicken, pork, oyster mushrooms
• Mango, apricot, papaya, plum, peach, pears

* This post was originally printed in the Village Medicine Seattle’s Wellness Quarterly Magazine, 3Q24 Edition. Read and download the full publication

About The Author

Dr. Tiffany Jaramillo is a Naturopathic Physician and practitioner at Village Medicine Seattle. Tiffany loves empowering, educating, and reconnecting patients to their inner wisdom. Learn more about Dr. Jaramillo