The taste associated with the fire element is bitter, and the addition of a little bitter flavor in the diet will help to tonify the heart. Since our American palate tends to be less appreciative of bitter flavors, it is probably the least likely flavor to be overindulged in. However, with any of the five flavors (salty, sour, bitter, sweet and pungent) when one of them is consumed in excess, that flavor can actually damage the very organ it benefits in moderate amounts. (As with all things in Chinese medicine, this is just another case of the Goldilocks Principle-not too hot, not too cold, but just right.)

Because so much heat is added to the system in the summer, most of us can tolerate more cooling fruits and vegetables than at other times of year. For those who seem to be walking furnaces in the summertime, try watermelon, pears, and cucumbers to help cool the raging fire. (If you have a tendency to be cold or have edema or lots of clear sinus drainage, however, these cooling fruits and raw vegetables are best avoided even in summer.) Of course, heat is very drying, so it is essential to drink plenty of fluids especially during the summer months. Alcohol and heavily sweetened or caffeineated drinks tend to dehydrate, though, so water is best. Iced drinks are not recommended at any time of year.

Summer is the season of the fire element and the primary organ of fire is the heart. In the paradigm of Chinese medicine, the heart is the Supreme Controller of the whole person. While the brain’s role in thinking was certainly understood, it was the heart which was believed to house the shen, or spirit of consciousness-the I, if you will. (This is a primary reason why Asian countries have traditionally had such strong resistance to performing heart transplants just as the notion of a brain transplant would be disturbing in our culture.)

Despite our focus on the brain, at some level, the West has similar notions concerning the heart. We speak of broken hearts, warm-hearted people, and getting to the heart of the matter. Furthermore, Western scientific studies have shown a correlation between certain emotions, social isolation, and heart disease.

The role of the heart is to spread love and compassion throughout the kingdom of the body and out into the world. The emotion is joy. For the promotion of a healthy heart, the cultivation of love and joy is a critical as diet and exercise. And whatever the finally tally of our days turns out to be, nurturing love and joy is vital to the richness of each and every one of those days.